I'm not very knowledgeable about fungi, and I would have serious reservations about eating a fungus that I could not identify with 100% certainty, but I reckon that even I could recognise one of these.
There is a place a couple of miles from where we live where I have seen (and photographed) Shaggy Ink-caps before, so I went there the other day to see if there were any there this year. Yes, there certainly are. This particular group is growing in the grassy verge of a small country road:
Closer inspection revealed that there were somewhere between 15 and 20 specimens of this very distinctive fungus, at different stages of maturity.
The ones in the next photo are very young. The biggest is about 7cm tall. These would probably be about the right size to choose if you were going to eat them. Vesna tells me that she coats Ink-caps in flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs, fries them until golden and then drains them on kitchen paper to remove any excess oil before serving.
The one at the right in this next photo is a "young adolescent", just beginning to go shaggy.
Once they reach this size I suspect that the Ink-caps would not be pleasant to eat. I have read that once they start to produce their "ink" they become bitter.
If you do plan to pick Shaggy Ink-caps for eating, I suggest you read up in detail on the matter. For instance, did you know that these things will "auto-dissolve", turning to a black inky mush as little as six hours after picking? NOT what you want to find in the bottom of your fridge!
By the way, Vesna has a blog that is specifically devoted to Croatian fungi, to which she has posted some really excellent photos taken by Danijel Balaško. It's called "Gljive Hrvatske / Mushrooms and Toadstools". If you are a fungus enthusiast you should take a look.
I love mushrooms, but I'd never be confident to eat anything I'd picked. I find fungi of any description fascinating.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be confident either. My mom goes mushroom picking with a friend who knows a lot about it. My mom is practically blind, so I'm guessing she goes more for the company than to really help find them.
ReplyDeleteThat's three of us who would chicken out of eating any foraged fungi. I get the distinct impression that you haven't eaten any shaggy inkcaps either Mark.
ReplyDeleteSue; You're right. I haven't eaten any. I'm afraid that everything I read about them made them sound rather unimpressive as a food item!
Deletewe cooked some of these up last night! its crazy how they turn to mush if you them around too long. we were wondering why, and now we know they're supposed to. thanks for that!
ReplyDeleteHi Taylor; How did you cook them? What did you think of the taste? Are they worth harvesting?
Deletewe just fried them in butter with some thyme! the best way for most mushies, really. my partner loves the flavour, but i find them a bit... inky. thats the only way i can describe them! see what you think.
DeleteYeah, I am the same way. I don't know them well enough to pick them. I wish I had someone to show me. I just can't rely on a book.
ReplyDeleteWell Mark, you are something! Thank you very much indeed for my blogs promotion. I too love to tell people about good blogs and I Google+ your blog some weeks ago. Very good post about Shaggy Inkcap. I guess you did not try it after all?
ReplyDeleteVesna; No I didn't eat any. Having read up on the subject I decided not to try them. Still, they were nice to look at!
DeleteIt must be the wet weather thus year because there are so many mushrooms everywhere! Again, confidence keeps me away from picking and eating and even with a book I wouldn't be 100% confident. A shame really. I could make a small fortune I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteI have these growing in my garden occasionally and had no idea what they were. Now I think I know but like almost everyone else am too wary to try. I have eaten wild mushrooms before but only when positively identified by a local that has grown up in the area.
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