10 Tips for Foraging and Growing Mushrooms

It’s so much fun and enlightening to learn of wild edibles out there ready and waiting for you. Whether you are foraging plants or members of the fungi family you must learn to make 100% certain identifications before consuming anything you pick.

Once you have that down, a whole world opens up to you. Here is a list of wild mushrooms that are pretty simple to ID, some great tips on growing your own mushrooms at home, and a bonus article on some fungi you should avoid.

Bonus *Do Not Eat

When we go out in search of wild mushrooms, we are typically not nosing around for poisonous ones, but the odds are that some will cross our paths. Some highly toxic mushrooms are also highly present, which is why it is important to be able to recognize both edible and dangerous mushrooms. Check out this list of 6 Deadly Mushrooms to Be Aware of While Foraging.

1. Chanterelles

Foraging for mushrooms is a fantastic pastime and a wonderful skill. It gets a person outdoors and into the depths of nature, the forest in this case, and it pays off dividends in the specialty foods one can bring home. Chanterelles are one of the most rewarding mushrooms to find and a great treat that can provide a lot of food when they are in season. Read on to learn how to Forage for Dinner: Chanterelle Mushrooms.

2. Chicken of the Woods

Chicken of the woods (any of around twelve species of genus Laetiporus) is one of the best to discover. It offers diners a dense texture that can’t help but be described as, appropriately, “like chicken.” Even better, it’s common in North America, and there aren’t any poisonous mushrooms that, after vigilant identification, it could be confused with. Read on to learn how to Forage for Dinner: Chicken of the Woods, a Magnificent Mushroom.

3. Hen of the Woods

The hen-of-the-woods mushroom goes by several other names. Ram’s head and sheep’s head are common handles for it. In Japan, it’s referred to as maitake or, due to its size, king of mushrooms. Italian Americans might call it signorina. Officially, it is identified as Grifola frondosa. Whatever we choose to call it, the fact of the matter is that it is a choice edible, both delightfully delicious and easy to identify. Check out how to Forage for Dinner: The Hen of the Woods, One Tasty Mushroom.

4. Wine Cap

Wine cap mushrooms (Stropharia rugosoannulata), also known as king Stropharia, haven’t gotten quite as many headlines, but they are amongst the easiest mushrooms to cultivate at home, provide huge harvests, and are likened to one of the most popular mushrooms in the US: the portabella. For those looking to get into the mushroom game, the wine cap may just be the gateway fungi. Look here to learn more about Wine Cap Mushrooms: One of the Easiest Edible Fungi to Grow at Home.

5. Lion’s Mane

Lion’s mane mushrooms have a host of names: monkey head, satyr’s beard, pompom, and bearded tooth. The Japanese call it yamabushitake, or “those who sleep in the mountains”. Whatever it is called, it warrants attention from budding mushroom foragers because it is easy to identify and, for many, is perhaps the most delicious mushroom—with a texture and flavor often compared to lobster—in the forest. Finding something like that is what makes foraging so much fun. Read on to learn How to Forage, Cook, and Eat the Medicinal and Delicious Lion’s Mane Mushroom!

6. Oysters

Oyster mushrooms, aka Pleurotus ostreatus, aren’t afraid of a bit of frigidness. The winter is its time. In normal years, oyster mushrooms thrive between November and March, but in colder years, that season can stretch a month further on either side. These mushrooms aren’t even interested in fruiting until temperatures dip down into the low 50s, and they still produce at temperatures colder than that. In other words, December or not, fine food is out there to be found. Read on to learn how to Forage for Dinner: Oyster Mushrooms, Wintertime Survivor.

7. Turkey Tail

Turkey tail mushrooms resemble the fanned tail of a strutting male turkey. They have bands of beautiful colors ranging from brown and tan to grey and purple. These amazing little mushrooms grow on dead wood and work hard to help decompose the matter, returning it to the earth. They are extremely common and grow in almost all forests throughout North America, Asia, and Europe. If you have spent any time at all hiking in the woods, chances are you will have passed some turkey tails. Read on to learn more about Turkey Tail Mushrooms: Benefits, Foraging Tips, and How to Use.

8. Pheasant Back

Pheasant back mushrooms (Cerioporus squamosus) are something people usually find when out looking for morels. But, in no way does that mean pheasant backs, also known as dryad’s saddle, are second-rate. They are a delicious springtime mushroom that is found throughout the Eastern US. When foraged correctly, though, the pheasant back has a pleasing firm (meaty) texture and a nutty finish common to wild mushrooms. Read on to learn about Foraging for Dinner: All About The Pheasant Back Mushroom.

9. Puffball

Puffball mushrooms are another favorite for foragers. They are rarely found in markets because they can’t be cultivated, but puffballs—there are several edible types–are very common finds in their native habitats. Identifying them is simple, and more importantly, identifying what isn’t a puffball and possibly dangerous is also simple. Take a look here to learn How to Forage Puffball Mushrooms for Dinner.

10. Mushroom Logs

With the return of home food production, such a fun and useful way of living, it only makes sense that many of us are looking to get into the mushroom-growing game. And, lucky for us, all that interest has made adopting the practice that much easier, with ready-to-order starter kits with spawn and spores that have been prepared by professionals. Then, it’s up to us. One of the most popular and natural ways to cultivate mushrooms is to use a log, wood being the natural food for this fungus, the forest being its natural habitat. Read on to learn How to Make Your Very Own Mushroom Log.

Related Content:

• 5 Ways to Grow Mushrooms at Home
• Wine Cap Mushrooms: One of the Easiest Edible Fungi to Grow at Home
• Grow Your Own Mushrooms Using Toilet Paper [Video]
• Forage for Dinner: Chanterelle Mushrooms
• How to Forage Puffball Mushrooms for Dinner

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade repeatedly.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!