Picture Credit to Patrick Westfall – November 17, 2017 –
The third Sunday of month – that’s this Sunday, November 19th normally at 2 pm, but it will start at 2:15 today….come out and join members of the Del Norte Mushroom Club. They meet at the Family Resource Center conference room (494 Pacific Ave, Crescent City, CA). Meetings are potluck with commercial mushroom dishes encouraged. Share your mushroom photo’s, growing techniques and recipes for all to enjoy.
Jaime Yarbrough has identified the mushroom in the picture as Pigs Ear Mushrooms.
Hello, Im new to Crescent City CA. I purchased some lobster mushrooms last year at the local farmers market around this time of the year. While gardening in my yard I found what I believe are Lobster mushrooms. I will attach some photos if I can and ask if anyone confirm if they are Lobster mushrooms?
Paul,
No problem. I am likely familiar with the source you bought those lobster mushrooms from at the farmers market. He is a reliable, knowledgeable mushroom hunter.
First of all, if you don’t know what kind of fungi you have 100% do not ingest it. There are protocols for ‘taste testing’ but should only be undertaken by ‘seasoned professionals’ and even they are very cautious.
As for “lobster mushrooms” they technically are not a ‘mushroom’ per se but an opportunistic fungi that grows from other mushrooms (typically from russula’s sp.) I recommend you search Hypomyces lactifluorum, both for literature as well as IMAGE SEARCH so you can become familiar with many variations of appearance. Feel free to attend our meeting on the 18th and bring a sample. Most fungi will survive in the refrigerator in a paper bag for a couple weeks.
Jaime Yarbrough
Bob and Heidi Willingham,
Thanks for asking about the Del Norte Mushroom Club and the best resources for information to forage for mushrooms. The DNMC meets the 3rd Sunday of each month at the Family Resource Center on Pacific Ave., in Crescent City at 2 – 4 PM September – April.
The best resources for information about Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast from the book of the same name by Noah Siegal and All the Rain Promises and More by David Aurora are the best. The latter is a pocket field guide available at the Redwood Park information HQ and most park information centers in the area.
Noah Siegal’s book is the text book for a class given at the local College of the Redwoods. It is easy to understand with plenty of pictures. David Aurora’s book is a companion guide to ‘the bible’ Mushrooms Demystified a much larger book that was one of the first major publications of North American Fungi.
FYI, the very first (edible) mushrooms to show up in Del Norte county can show up as early as August (Hypomyces lactifluorum) AKA lobster mushroom. It isn’t actually a mushroom but a parasitic fungi that grows on another early fungi, the russula’s sp. of which there are several ‘almost edibles’. Other early arrivals are the amanita’s (fly agaric) and the boletes. The kings of fall/winter mushroom season are the chanterelle, hedgehog and black trumpet mushrooms.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy the remainder of the summer and remember, if you don’t know 100% what it is, don’t eat it.
Jaime
we are thinking of relocating to crescent city…we are 55+…we love mushrooming in the palegic coastal forests of california…with no experiance in redwood forests up your way. could you recommend any publications about mushrooming in your area. also interested in connecting with a group such as yours should we relocate. Thank you for any advice you can offer.
Bob and Heidi Willingham
One of the best books is “All That the Rain Promises and More” by David Arora. He used to live in Santa Cruz before moving to the Mendocino Coast, both redwood forest areas like Del Norte County.
Greetings all and especially our Facebook members. The regular potluck meeting this Sunday will take place on the heels of the recent Wild Rivers Mushroom Club Mushroom Festival. They acquired over 10 new members while we picked up 6 !! Everyone is looking forward to who brings what new mushroom dish. Remember to only use store bought mushrooms so everyone can come back next month. And don’t forget to bring ALL your questions !