Doc Holliday Posted November 12, 2011 Report Share Posted November 12, 2011 (edited) I went on a mushroom foraging day back at the start of October just outside Tunbridge Wells. The people that organised it managed to get John Wright (the guy that does all the foraging on River Cottage) for a couple of one day courses. Ok, it as a tad pricey at £90 for the day but it was a very good day. Learnt loads and grew some cojones to try some shrooms that I wasn't too sure of previiously. I kne where there were some dark ceps (quite rare by all accounts) so I picked some and had them cooked in butter served on warm toast. Talk about a taste sensation. Just the other day I came across a cauliflower fungus so I picked that and sauteed it last night to get the flavour of it. Whilst it was ok, I think it's best served up with something else to give it the best effect. I did buy a couple of John's books on the day. One on funghi, which has a very handy quick ID setion as well as going in to detail on later pages and a book on the edible seashore which has a very tasty looking recipe for shore crab bisque. Can't wait ti try it. A very good day all in all and no annoying, insufferable know-it-alls which you tend to find frequent these days. Plus they inncluded a 3 course lunch with wine. Edited November 12, 2011 by Doc Holliday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeh Posted November 12, 2011 Report Share Posted November 12, 2011 Johns book on Mushrooms is a very good read, a brilliant toilet book, and will possibly get even the most sofa loving individuals out and about looking for fungi - I recommend it highly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted November 12, 2011 Report Share Posted November 12, 2011 Sounds good, I would like to know a bit more about fungi so I'd have the confidence to try some more mushrooms. I have the river cottage book but I believe there is a better, more comprehensive fungi book by John Wright that I think I should get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted November 12, 2011 Report Share Posted November 12, 2011 I have a couple of very good books on mushroom but still don't have the balls to go and pick the unusual ones. A day with an experienced guide would be great! It doesn't take that long to spend £90 on mushrooms if you like them, I'd say that wasn't a bad deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monster1971 Posted November 12, 2011 Report Share Posted November 12, 2011 wish i knew more about them ,there seems to be loads about at the minute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Funker Posted November 12, 2011 Report Share Posted November 12, 2011 I love hedgerow foraging, only problem is I don't like shrooms Wish I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dorsey Posted November 12, 2011 Report Share Posted November 12, 2011 (edited) £90 for a day out in the countryside with a 3 course dinner and wine - doesn't sound that bad to me really. Glad you enjoyed it Doc Edited November 12, 2011 by Dorsey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blunderbuss Posted November 12, 2011 Report Share Posted November 12, 2011 I have a couple of very good books on mushroom but still don't have the balls to go and pick the unusual ones. A day with an experienced guide would be great! Me too Neil. If you find a course locally I'd be up for tagging along Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stubby Posted November 12, 2011 Report Share Posted November 12, 2011 DOC, did you book the day online with an event firm?, if so a link to them would be good, Id be happy going on one of those days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapp Posted November 12, 2011 Report Share Posted November 12, 2011 I too have the Phillips guide (which is a pleasure to sit and flick through even at home), but have never had any proper instruction. I stick to a few that I know very well (and can recognise the naughty similar ones), such as chanterelles, blewitts (my favourite, and unmistakable) chicken of the woods, field mushrooms, parasols etc etc etc. Mushrooms are one thing where I would never be cavalier or adventurous with, something the Phillips book taught me. It's the ones where one says "delicious" and the next (identical looking) one says "poisonous, possibly deadly" that scare me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted November 12, 2011 Report Share Posted November 12, 2011 (edited) The trick is to learn the ones that really will kill you. There aren't that many of them. Most fungi are just inedible: they taste awful or give you belly ache. Seeing a species for real is miles better than a picture in a book, the trouble is you don't always come across the deadly ones to learn. I don't think I've ever seen a death cap or a destroying angel in my life. A trip out with an expert who can show you the real thing is a very good idea. Well worth £90. I'd go if there was one locally. Edited November 12, 2011 by Gimlet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huffhuff Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 (edited) Another good bunch are http://www.woodland-ways.co.uk. They do a great day-long foraging course throughout the changing seasons (spring, autumn and summer). A full day foraging that ends in a foraged meal around the fire - there is nothing quite like it. It's not limited to edible flora and fauna either, but many other uses are given (medicinal, bushcraft and survival). They are based in Oxford and I can highly recommend it. Maybe this thread should go in the foraging section... Edited November 13, 2011 by huffhuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 Wouldn't mind a course like that.I tend to stick to the ones I know are ok,like ceps,horse,field,oyster etc,and daren't risk those borderline ones which are edible but look identical to some on another page which are toxic.Would like to learn more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huffhuff Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 (edited) Yep, fungi Id scares me. You need to be 110% sure when foraging of any kind. Ideally you want multiple books to cross reference (photographic, artistic and descriptive as example). Things look different in the varying seasons, they can even look different from morning to afternoon. The real problems come when you get two plants that look pretty much identical, only one could be poisonous and one perfectly harmless (and often tastey) Edited November 13, 2011 by huffhuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardo Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 The pub I organised the butchery night are teaming up with woodland ways to offer foraging days in St Albans followed by a meal at the boozer. I'll let you all know when the dates come up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted November 13, 2011 Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 (edited) You can also try this person "Stuart" he is doing the Herts Christmas Dinner. TheCountryBumpkin.co.uk Stuart offers Wild Food Nights, plus Day long Foraging expeditions followed by preparation,and identification, ending with a 3 course meal using everything discovered and caught throughout the day. This along with do we need a Foraging forum is becoming an interesting thread. Edited November 13, 2011 by bakerboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Holliday Posted November 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 This is the outfit I went with - http://www.moondown.co.uk/mushroom_foraging.html Will be best to check with Lisa to see if they have anything up and coming. As I said, it was a good day. Very informative and a good selection of shrooms were found both choice, edible and otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike525steel Posted November 30, 2011 Report Share Posted November 30, 2011 I picked some mushrooms the other day and when I cooked them they smelt like bleach. Does anyone know why. We have had them before from the same place and they were fine. Nothing strange about the type of mushroom. Just bog standard everyday mushrooms I've been picking them for years??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted November 30, 2011 Report Share Posted November 30, 2011 I think truffles smell like bleach, but I know not everyone does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendersons Posted December 1, 2011 Report Share Posted December 1, 2011 I picked some mushrooms the other day and when I cooked them they smelt like bleach. Does anyone know why. We have had them before from the same place and they were fine. Nothing strange about the type of mushroom. Just bog standard everyday mushrooms I've been picking them for years??? My theory on this after years of cooking 100s of kilos of wild mushrooms.Is that you mainly get the smell after wet weather or when the mushrooms start to get a little old. When the mushrooms have a high water content after rain or growing in a very damp spot they seem to start to go off internally before the outside has like normal and they then give off this strange smell. I suppose it would have something to do with the internal cell structure not being strong enough to take all the extra water so some of the cells would burst speeding up the aging process. I have to say that this is just my theory but it seems feasible in my little mind Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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