Wild about Mushrooms

Giant mushroom is the world’s largest living organism.

2008-09-01T10:37:00.005+01:00

The world’s largest fungus covers 2,200 acres or the same as 1,665 football pitches and is in America, in the Malheur national forest in Oregon.

American scientists discovered the giant fungus after trees began to die in the forest, and began testing mushroom samples from various locations in the national park. They discovered that all the samples where part of one organism.

Officially known as Armillaria ostoyae or the honey mushroom, the fungus lives three feet underground and the only visible signs are small mushrooms on the surface.

Experts estimate that the giant mushroom is at least 2,400 years old, but could be as old as 7,200 years.

The largest fungus in Europe is in a Swiss National Forest, near the eastern town of Ofenpass.

Spanning 86 acres, the mostly underground fungus is believed to be 1,000 years old and is once again a Honey mushroom.

Mushroom forces plane to make emergency landing

2008-08-26T10:51:00.004+01:00

A Ryanair flight from Budapest to Dublin had to make an emergency landing in Germany after mushroom soup in a passenger’s bag spilled out and leaked onto another passenger. The passenger suffered a severe allergic reaction to the mushroom soup causing him to experience swelling and breathing difficulties.

The pilot and air crew made the decision that the man needed immediate medical treatment and the Boeing 737 was forced to divert to Frankfurt Hahn Airport where the man received medical treatment.

The plane was delayed for two hours before being allowed to continue its journey to Dublin.

The owner of the mushroom soup has not been identified and is yet to come forward.

Unearthing gold

2008-08-18T09:36:00.003+01:00

A tree surgeon struck the garden equivalent of gold when he dug up truffles in a garden in Plymouth. Chris Hunt a 47 year old gardener and tree surgeon was working on the garden of Elaine Keith-Hill when he unearthed the delicacy.

Mr Hunt was clearing undergrowth around mature beech and oak trees at Mrs Keith-Hill's property when he unearthed the truffles.

Truffles are normally found in France and Italy and are gathered between November and May, using specially-trained dogs or boars who locate the fungi by smell. They grow around tree roots - normally oak - by providing and taking vital nutrients from the roots.

In total Chris found 10 truffles weighing about 2 kilos and thought to be worth about £1,000, the honest gardener handed them over to the gardens owner who is now considering selling them.

Giant puffball

2008-08-11T11:08:00.006+01:00

A giant puffball mushroom has been found growing in the garden of a bar in Woonsocket, America. The giant mushroom measuring 1.3 feet tall and 10 inches wide was found by the bar owners son, growing underneath an oak tree.

The bars owner Judy Pelletier said “She was shocked by the size of the mushroom specially considering that this is the first mushroom she has every seen growing in her garden.”

The mushroom is proving something of a hit with patrons and visitors alike who are flocking to the small bar to see the mushroom.

All members of the puffball mushroom family are edible but the bars owner has no plans to eat the mushroom commenting “I will probably throw it out after everyone has looked at it.”

Puffball mushrooms grow to an average of 4 to 28 inches in diameter and can reach diameters of nearly four feet. They can be found growing in meadows and forests in late summer and autumn.

Foraging for wild mushrooms

2008-08-04T09:29:00.005+01:00

I get a lot of e-mails from people new to mushroom foraging asking for advice on how to go about it. So I thought it was about time I put something up on the blog. So here we go.

Wild mushrooms grow throughout the year, but autumn offers the most abundant and varied seasonal eating. From late summer until the first frost, you can gather the likes of penny buns, chanterelles, field mushrooms and dozens of other varieties.

It is only a minority of mushrooms that are good to eat, and there are several varieties that are potentially deadly. Some of the most deadly to be found in the UK are among the Amanita genus with names like “death cap” and “destroying angel” and these can easily be confused for edible varieties.

When collecting fungi, avoid using plastic bags; the lack of air will accelerate the decomposition process and make the mushrooms mushy. Use a basket instead.
Never eat any fungus that you are not absolutely certain has been identified correctly.

When trying any fungus for the first time, only eat it in small amounts to make sure the body can cope with it.

Use a good field guide, but don't rely absolutely on pictures in books - differences between fungi can be difficult to spot. Go out with an experienced guide.

Keep a small fresh portion of any mushroom you eat in the fridge. That way, if there is a reaction, you can easily identify the source.

Australia could produce 10 times as many truffles

2008-07-28T09:27:00.009+01:00

Australian truffle production could grow by as much as 10 times its current level by 2013, but market development and further research will be needed to ensure the industry has a long-term future.

Truffles are unique underground mushrooms that grow on the roots of trees which either naturally host the fungi or have been inoculated with truffle spores..
Despite being a relatively new crop to Australia, truffles are one of the most highly sought after and valued foods in the world, with Australian truffles currently selling for between $2000 and $3000 per kg. Despite being highly sought after by many chefs, it is not used often due to the considerable cost of purchase.

The cost is so high due to the difficulties with creating the right environment for the truffles to grow.

The most ever paid for a truffle is $330,000 by a casino owner from Macau for a 1.5kg white truffle last year, which Works out to $220,000 per kg.

Death Angels claim another life

2008-07-21T10:12:00.004+01:00

A 61 year old woman has died after eating poisonous wild mushrooms nicknamed death angels that she found growing near a highway rest stop just outside New York City.

Westchester County's health department says Zoila Tapia found the pure-white mushrooms on July 6, in a wooded area along Interstate 684 in Bedford, a town about half an hour north of Manhattan.

The 61-year-old White Plains resident was hospitalised after eating the mushrooms and died 4 days later. The mushrooms are among the prettiest but deadliest in the world.

Westchester County Medical Examiner Dr. Millard Hyland said that by the time Tapia sought medical help, her kidney and liver functions were compromised and her chances for survival were quickly declining.

Healthy Shiitake

2008-07-09T12:33:00.006+01:00

The health benefits of shiitake mushrooms have been exposed recently by an American study.

Scientists in America found that Shiitake mushrooms contain high levels of high molecular weight polyaccharides (HMWP) which is known to improve the human immune system. They also discovered that eritadenine found in shiitake mushrooms may help lower cholesterol levels.

The researchers inoculated logs with spores from three different shiitake varieties and compared the yield with shiitake yields grown on commercial substrates.

They found that the log-grown shiitakes had HMWP levels as much as 70 percent higher than the substrate-grown shiitakes. The team also observed that shiitakes grown on red and white oak logs had higher levels of HMWP than shiitakes grown on sweet gum logs.

In 2004-2005, producers harvested approximately 9 million pounds of shiitake mushrooms, which sold for an average price of $3.21 per pound.

Deadly morels

2008-06-30T16:15:00.005+01:00

Authorities in America have warned people of the dangers of eating raw or under cooked morels after a "significant increase" in the number of poisioning cases.

Eating raw, under cooked & consuming alcohol with morels can cause excessive vomiting within minutes of consumption.

The mushrooms are thriving in the wake of last summer's devastating forest fires, with hundreds of mushroom-pickers camping in the national forests to harvest the mushrooms.

Marilyn Shaw mycologist for the RMPDC said "This is a significant increase over the usual number of reported poisonings due to morel consumption. We want to make sure that all mycophagists are aware of the dangers of eating raw or partially cooked morels, or consuming alcoholic beverages with either raw or cooked morels."

Forest fires are not all bad news

2008-06-23T11:31:00.006+01:00

Professional mushroom pickers have flocked to the Cascade and the Boise National Forest`s in North America this month. Almost 1,000 pickers are camped out to hunt full-time for the morels sprouting in areas burned by last year’s devastating forest fires.

The pickers who come from all over America watch the news and the Internet to see where the picking is best. Many of them travel all year round in search of mushrooms with an experienced mushroom hunter being able to earn $50 - $80 dollars a day.

“It’s hard work,” said a picker named Tony — he declined to give his last name — as he sat around a campfire Sunday near Warm Lake, surrounded by buckets of morels. His tent was pitched beside dozens of others, tied to trees in a burned-out clearing. Blue tarps formed a vast sheltered space where tired pickers rested and chatted around fires.

“But it’s fun and good exercise,” said Koy Chounlabout, a spokeswoman of sorts for the picking community who gives her home as Oregon’s Willamette Valley. “It clears your mind.”

Mark Loseke, who is coordinating the Forest Service’s response to the influx, has never seen this many pickers —not even in the 1980s, when hundreds poured in after forest fires. As of Monday, his office in Cascade had issued 950 commercial permits costing $20 a week, and he expects the applications to keep coming.

Giant morel found

2008-06-17T09:34:00.008+01:00

American Charley Robinson has found a giant morel measuring 17 inches in girth and weighing 1.25 pounds, he said.

''I have been trying to find out what the records are for morels, but so far have struck out. I have found references to some around a pound, but none as large as mine, though I don't doubt that there are some.''

Mr Robinson 61 has been searching for morels for more than three decades near his home in Sanford and couldn't believe his eyes when they focused on the giant fungi near his cabin. Robinson let the mushroom grow for 10 days before picking it confident that know one else would find it.

''I have learned not to pick them until they feel a little dry,'' Robinson said. ''That is when they quit growing. It was still growing when I picked it. But I didn't want to risk someone else finding it.''

''It sure dwarfed the others that grew in the same area, even though they were all above average size,'' Robinson said.

Robinson said the exact location where he found the mushroom is ''classified.''

''I have hunted morels most of my life and have it down to a science,'' Robinson said. ''I have always found them in areas that had been burned over.

Unidentified Giant Mushroom Mystery

2008-06-09T09:47:00.008+01:00

A Suffolk gardener has discovered a giant mushroom measuring 2-3 inches in diameter growing against a tree in her garden in Langham near Bury.

The surprised nature lover Cilia Simms and her husband Peter first noticed the giant mushroom at the weekend and have been trying unsuccessfully every since to identify the giant mushroom.

Cilla Simms explains “When I saw how big it was, it gave me goosebumps. We have had two or three mushrooms against the tree but I have never seen anything like this before. I think my garden was once a meadow as it has always been a bit wild. But this is a mystery and it is really fascinating.”

If you can help Mrs Simms identify the giant mushroom then please leave a comment.

Mushrooms - the great insulator?

2008-06-02T09:40:00.013+01:00

Mushrooms could soon be used to insulate homes. That's right. An American company has invented a pioneering product called (not very inventively) "Greensulation".

The product is currently undergoing testing, but its makers say it could potentially hit the market as soon as 2010.
These chaps have produced an insulator using our friend the mushroom - plus rice hulls and recycled paper. When mixed together with water and hydrogen peroxide, placed in plastic containers and put in a dark place it then literally grows into shape.

So now not only can you insulate yourself against the cold with a piping hot bowl of wild mushroom soup - you can put the stuff into your homes and keep the whole family warm!

Another four down!

2008-05-27T10:45:00.003+01:00

Four more people have died and six others are in hospital in the Central Highlands of Vietnam after eating poisonous mushrooms.

A woman in the family, Y Vung, said she had picked white and tasty-looking mushrooms in the mountain believing they were edible.

When will these people ever learn? To be really safe, I suggest you buy your wild mushrooms from our friends at Wild about Mushrooms?

A Morel dilema?

2008-04-14T11:22:00.005+01:00

A man out foraging in the good old US of A struck gold when he stumbled upon a giant Morel crop.

"I've been mushroom hunting since I was a kid," he said. "I've found some big mushrooms before, but nothing like this." said the gob-smacked yank.

The largest specimen measured more than 12 inches long with a three-inch diameter base. Morel mushrooms are a prized commodity, selling at his local farmer's markets for as much as $35 to $40 per pound.

But like any good mushroom hunter the bloke refused to cash in on his crop - and ate them instead!

Well what else could he do?

Into war - against pollution!

2008-03-28T08:29:00.004Z

In the war against ocean pollution, environmentalists have turned to the humble mushroom. Mushrooms have a unique ability to take dead things and make them pretty again by turning decomposed matter into nutrients. In fact, they’re so adept at tearing down and rebuilding chemical compounds that even oil spills are no match for their natural abilities.

In November 2007, when an oil tanker sprang a leak in San Francisco Bay, 58,000 gallons of oil seeped into the water and beaches. A group of local activists decided to take the clean-up into their own hands, using a technique originally developed to dispose of used motor oil. They headed for the shore and laid out mats made of human hair that were covered in oyster mushrooms. The hair quickly soaked up all the oil, while the mushrooms digested the dangerous chemicals. Within 12 weeks, only harmless compost remained.

The process is so simple and cost-effective that grass roots organizations and local governments are now calling for it to be recognised as a way to clean up contaminated soil on old factory sites.

Mushrooms help prevent breast cancer?

2008-03-24T08:11:00.003Z

We hear much about the healthy properties of our humble mushroom - and we're always wary about broadcasting food advice based on its value to medical science - but now we hear that mushrooms are being promoted as one of eight ingredients that can help prevent breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, accounting for one in three of all women cancer cases diagnosed. While age (over 65) and family history are unchangeable factors associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, there are other factors that can be controlled.

One of the ingredients reputed to assist prevention is Vitamin D3. This vitamin helps control cellular growth and inhibit the growth of cancer cells. According to holistic healing and natural health author Donald R. Yance Jr., "Vitamin D3 may also inhibit the activity of hormones such as estrogen in breast cancer, thereby decreasing its spread."

A University of Birmingham study also found that vitamin D3 encourages healthy breast cell growth while making cells more resistant to toxins.

One way to get vitamin D3 is through sun exposure--one study found that safely exposing your skin to the sun reduced the risk of breast cancer by 30 to 40 percent. If that is not possible, you can get vitamin D3 in salmon, tuna, cod fish, cod liver oil, egg yolks, shrimp and some wild mushrooms.

March Recipe of the Month

2008-03-22T14:49:00.003Z

Check out our delicious new recipe of the month - see right.

Don't forget too to check out our archive of recipes here..

Threat to Cumbria's last mushroom farm

2008-03-22T14:14:00.002Z

Cumbria's last mushroom farm is on the brink of closure because of cheap imports and rising costs. Brindle Farm, near Carlisle, was started 30 years ago but low prices and high input costs forced him to get a full-time job four days a week in to subsidise the farm.

A major decline in the last five years has seen the number of mushroom farms in the UK drop to around 60.

And the problem?

Yes, you've guessed it Polish mushrooms!

Mushroom tells us spring has arrived!

2008-03-18T15:19:00.003Z

A mushroom that isn't usually seen in Britain for months has emerged in February for the first time on record. Half a dozen Shaggy Inkcaps have burst forth in South Devon after days of sunshine.

Professor Alan Gange, an expert on fungi from the University of London, said: "I am quite astonished by their appearance now and can only assume it is because of the extraordinarily warm weather.

"I have checked our database of 58 years' worth of data and this is the first report of this species fruiting in the spring.

"In our data, the earliest recorded date for the species is June 11."

So, spring is here is it?

Have they looked out of the window??

Is nothing sacred????

2008-03-03T09:29:00.004Z

Two highly distinctive ornaments have been stolen from a garden in the Midlands Two 3ft-high stone mushrooms!

Police say the mushrooms, which are quite heavy (no!! really?), were bought from a company in the south of England when the owners were on holiday and are not known to be made in the Midlands.

For goodness sake – where are they?

They must be found!

No comment required

2008-02-26T12:20:00.004Z

Sometimes ... just sometimes, I come across a wild mushroom story that takes my breath away.

I found this on You Tube.

And I'm just speechless.

And before you ask - no, it isn't me!!

When will they learn?

2008-02-18T08:42:00.004Z

Spanish mushroom collector Jose Manuel Hidalgo got into a disagreement with locals in regards to the lethality of wild mushrooms, as he displayed his recently collected mushrooms at a village open day in Fuentes de Leon.

He argued that it was permissible to eat 20 grams of poisonous mushrooms without suffering fatal consequences, a claim disputed by fellow locals and posters on the walls.

Mr Hidalgo proceeded to take bites out of the fungi before displaying symptoms of alcohol inebriation.

The mushroom enthusiast only agreed to be taken by ambulance to hospital after he turned yellow and began to vomit, the publication reports.

Prat.

Underwater mushies?

2008-01-29T08:16:00.006Z

Yep - its true.

A new species of mushroom has been recently discovered by scientists in the Rogue Valley, Oregon.

The new species of mushroom grows underwater and is believed to be the only species of its kind.
Being scientists, of course, they had to give it a snappy title - so they called it Psathyrella aquatica.

I'm more excited by the notion of ready to drink mushroom soup!!

Keep yourself warm this winter with mushrooms!

2008-01-24T07:31:00.004Z

We all know that insulation is key to keeping your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It's important to insulate well in order to reduce the amount of energy you use.

Traditional fibreglass used in insulation batting can irritate your skin, eyes and airways amd foam plastic insulation contains petrochemicals. But now the humble mushroom is poised to come to the rescue!

A new insulating product is set to enter the insulation market within the next two years. The product, called Greensulate, is fire-retardant, biodegradable and requires no petrochemicals for its production - because it is grown from Mycelia, the roots of mushrooms.

Is there no end to the number of benefits to be gained from our fungi friends??

Wild mushrooms fight prostate cancer

2008-01-07T14:34:00.003Z

Israeli scientists claim that a wild mushroom, used in traditional Chinese medicine for a century, could treat prostate cancer.

Researchers at the university in northern Israel said they found molecules in the Ganoderma lucidum mushroom, commonly known as the reishi, which help supress some mechanisms involved in the progression of prostate cancer.

"We already knew the mushroom could impede the development of cancer by affecting the immune system. The in-vitro trials we have done show that it attacks the cancer cells directly," chief researcher Ben Zion Zaidman said."These results give rise to hope about developing medication to treat prostate cancer," he said of research carried out to date only in Petri dishes. The research still has to be tested on animals.

The reishi is found only in remote, wild areas, preferring a habitat of rotting plum tree trunks, sometimes oak trees, in heavily forested mountain areas.The Chinese have tried to grow reishi mushrooms for centuries, but it was only in the early 1970s that Japanese experts managed to cultivate them.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among men, with more than 543,000 cases diagnosed worldwide each year.

Black mushrooms - the new thin?

2008-01-03T09:47:00.001Z

Black-coloured foods are now all the rage in places like Japan. That's because they are thought to have anti-inflammatory properties and perhaps even help protect against heart disease and cancer.

You may have thought about eating black beans, but what about black rice, or black mushrooms?

At Asian groceries, you can even get things like black sesame oil; black vinegar and black soybeans to complement your meals.

So what's the big deal? Well some say these ebony colored foods have more health benefits, and others say they have deeper, more intense flavours.

What next?

Pink foods make you smile? Brown foods make you taller?

Just keep eating my mushrooms - black ones, yellow ones, grey ones ....

Mind how you go now Cobber!

2008-01-03T09:22:00.005Z

Australian health authorities have issued a warning against eating death cap mushrooms after two people were rushed to hospital after eating them.

The death cap mushroom is a particularly nasty 'shroom and apparently it is responsible for 90 per cent of all mushroom-related deaths.

An unseasonably mild and wet November and December has led to an upsurge in Death Caps and now authorities have been forced to issue warnings. Two people have died and about a dozen others have been poisoned as a result of eating Death Caps in Australia in the past 12 years.

Commonly found near oak trees, Death Caps (left) are 40-160mm wide and usually pale green or yellow in colour. Symptoms of death cap poisoning include violent stomach pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Just thought you might to know that - so mind how you go.

And if you are in any doubt about whether the Death Cap is the mushroom for you - there's a clue in the title!

Light up your life with Mushrooms!

2007-12-12T08:16:00.000Z

I found this whilst hanging around for my Wild Mushroom Omelette this morning!

With the arrival of Japan’s rainy season, a mysterious type of green, glow-in-the-dark mushroom begins to sprout in Wakayama prefecture. The Mycena lux-coeli mushrooms, known locally as shii no tomobishi-dake, sprout from fallen chinquapin trees.

As they grow, a chemical reaction occurs, causing them to glow a ghostly green.

The luminescent mushrooms were long believed to be indigenous solely to Tokyo’s Hachijojima Island after they were discovered there in the early 1950s. In 1995, however, mycologists found the fungus growing wild in coastal areas of the southern Kii peninsula, as well as in Kyushu and other areas.

All sounds a bit funny to me!

For goodness sake .... wild means wild!!

2007-12-01T06:10:00.000Z

It must be a quiet news week!

The latest crackpot idea from scientists hit the news stands this week with the news that mushrooms could come from trucks. Yep, you heard right.

From trucks!

Apparently, a new concept, known as Made in Transit would see foods, such as mushrooms actually being grown on board trucks on the way to the supermarket. Distributors could become farmers turning their trucks into high density growing facilities and reprogramming what big business see as a waste of time into growing (ie more profit) time.

Here's what the news report said "Our obsession with fresh food irrespective of season and location fuels constant developments in extending their life after the moment of harvest until the point of consumption. Ripening is manipulated through the removal or addition of the ripening gas ethylene, and breathing is slowed down through extensive refrigeration and through modified atmosphere packaging. But these so-called post-harvest technologies are not only economically and ecologically expensive, they are essentially damage control measures that only slow the eventual deterioration down.

‘Made in Transit’ proposes to shift the paradigm from preserving freshness to enabling growth along the way, a shift from ‘best before’ to ‘ready by’ for perishable goods. Growing food on the way would mean it gets better as it travels and that it would be still alive upon arrival, ready for harvest by the consumer (bypassing harvest labour, which for mushrooms can account for 40% of overall production cost). Applied to mushrooms, it also could mean other unexpected things, like more diversity in our supermarkets as some of the most fragile mushrooms (too fragile to withstand transport) could theoretically become available anywhere by growing them on the way. The global industry already shapes our food—thickening a tomato’s wall so it can withstand rough handling, or growing watermelons square so they stack more efficiently. Humans created this global condition. The next step is when the global market starts to produce our food, literally."

For goodness sake, why don't they just leave us - and nature - alone?

Wild mushrooms are called wild mushrooms because they ... errmm .... grow wild.

Or should we just go the whole hog and change their name to Suzuki Fungus?

But beat this for extravagance!!

2007-11-16T15:30:00.000Z

From the Bangkok Nation November 16th 2007

Air Force to probe 'mushrooms flight'

The Royal Thai Air Force will investigate allegations that a helicopter crew used their aircraft to collect wild mushrooms from a relative in Kanchanaburi, a deputy spokesman for the service said.

Group Captain Monthol Satchukorn said the Air Force had set up a committee to investigate allegations the flight crew, from unit 2034 at the Kamphaeng Saen Aviation School in Nakhon Pathom, abused their position to go on the unorthodox mission.

He said the unit, whose main responsibility is search and rescue, often did practice missions to designated training zones in Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi and parts of Kanchanaburi.

At the time of the alleged mushroom incident, the helicopter crew was undergoing flying and landing training in Kanchanaburi. Monthol said the probe committee would find out if the pilots abandoned their helicopter to collect the mushrooms as alleged. If the flight crew members were found to have broken the rules, they would be punished according to the degree of wrongdoing, he said.

The case emerged after a resident of Tambon Nong Khao in Kanchanaburi's Than Muang district, who asked not to be named, filed a complaint with three photos of the mushroom pick-up to a Thai newspaper on Wednesday, saying officials use the state helicopter for inappropriate activity.

The resident claimed the helicopter circled around the area for 10 minutes on Tuesday morning before landing in a ricefield near Wat Nong Khao.

Villagers to rush to help, believing the crew had been forced to land there.

Five uniformed officials got out of the helicopter followed by two pilots, one of whom explained to villagers he was a pilot training at Kamphaeng Saen Aviation School.

Two days earlier, his mother phoned to get him to collect mushrooms at his home in Tambon Nong Khao, he told villagers. And as they flew the helicopter by the area he had landed to collect them from his mother.

The resident said the group then boarded a pick-up and drove off, leaving the helicopter unguarded - till then came back an hour later.

One of the photos submitted to the paper showed officials on the back of a pick-up going away from the helicopter amid a crowd of onlookers.

Bagel Sir? That'll be $1000 Sir!

2007-11-10T08:15:00.000Z

If you've ever been to New York you'll be familiar with the famous NY Bagel shops. And the traditional order for many locals is a 'Bagel and a Schmear' which is a fresh bagel with cream cheese.

But the States being what it is, it has to create something bigger and better and so chef Frank Tujague has now created what just may be the ultimate topping for New Yorkers' Sunday brunch favourite - the $1,000 Bagel and a Schmear.

And what makes it so expensive? Yup - its the humble fungus! Because this $1,000 bagel topping contains Alba White Truffle and cream cheese.

The truffle - a mushroom-related fungus that grows underground - costs $4,000 a pound. "White truffles are a simple, quality ingredient that takes the meal - or the bagel in this case - to the next level," the chef says.

The Chef then infuses his truffle cream cheese with goji berry - to make it healthy, apparently. And to make the point that this is one decadent meal, he tops off his creation with edible gold leaves.

Well if you ever come to Wild About Mushrooms, we can create a similar Bagel for you - but we prefer to use Philadelphia with a sprinkling of chopped Morels.

And you can have that for £1.25!!

Don't say you weren't warned!

2007-11-08T07:19:00.001Z

We all know that mushrooms are the finest food in the world - but we also know that you need to be extremely careful about eating fungus.

Especially if you're unsure of the variety.

And even more especially if you're told the fungus is poisonous!

I found this report from the Spanish press:

A 45 year old man from Fuentes de León in Badajoz, José Manuel Hidalgo, ate some mushrooms to show they were not poisonous, and ended up in intensive care.

It happened last Sunday during an open day being held in the village, which had been proceeded by a day of mushroom collecting and display.

The victim got into an argument with other locals as to how lethal wild mushrooms could be, with a poster warning that as little as 20 grams could be fatal. José Manuel did not believe it, and suddenly to prove his point, started to eat the ‘amanita phalloides’ mushroom. On the second bite he showed symptoms of being drunk, and continued to claim the mushroom was not fatal.

An ambulance was called but it took considerable argument before the patient finally agreed to be taken to hospital in Zafra, Badajoz. By this time he had turned yellow and started to vomit.

He spent two days in the intensive care unit, and finally was allowed out onto the ward on Tuesday afternoon amid concerns that his liver may have suffered permanent damage.

So there you go - if your pals say 'No!' they're probably right!

It's official!

2007-11-07T06:57:00.002Z

You know it and I know it.

But now it's official. Mushrooms are officially very good for you.

According to scientists, there are five foods that should have a place in your diet. Now, OK, the first four are slightly off the wall and very American - but, hey, nobody ever went bust by underestimating the taste of our friends from across the pond! The first four are - wait for it - peanut butter, eggs, coffee and avocados. But there at number 5 is our fave - the humble mushroom!

The misconception is that mushrooms are a low-calorie food with little nutritional benefit. But whilst they may be 90 percent water and have only 18 calories per cup, mushrooms are now getting serious scientific attention. Laboratory reports and animal studies show that compounds in mushrooms may do everything from bolster immune function to suppress breast and prostate cancers to decrease tumor size. And now, American researchers find that mushrooms, from the humble button to the giant portobello, harbour large amounts of an antioxidant called L-ergothioneine. The scientific buzz is that fungi, for the moment, are the only foods that contain this compound.

While scientists work to figure out how these findings will translate to dietary advice, there are plenty of reasons to enjoy mushrooms. Clare Hasler, Ph.D., a well-known expert in functional foods and executive director of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science at the University of California, Davis, points out that mushrooms offer a healthy helping of the blood pressure-lowering mineral potassium. "Most people might be surprised to learn that while orange juice is touted as one of the highest potassium foods, one medium portobello mushroom actually has more potassium," she says. "And five white button mushrooms have more potassium than an orange".

So there you go - it must be true!!

Oh No!!

2007-11-05T16:43:00.000Z

According to the Daily Mail - so it must be true - mushroom lovers could be without their favourite food this autumn because the forest floors are fungi free.

Professional pickers are struggling to find any varieties this season, which is usually the best time for collecting them. The warm, dry spring, wet summer and a dry autumn has led to a dearth of mushrooms, and mycologists and pickers have little to excite them.

Imports have also been hit by the unusual weather and mushrooms the world over are growing at the "wrong" time of the year.

Well don't you worry - I know exactly where to find mushrooms.

Have a look here.

And we thought we loved our mushrooms!

2007-10-24T18:42:00.000+01:00

We don't mind admitting that we love our wild mushrooms - but Canadian Chef Nancy Hinton is barking about the things!

"I'm in the mushrooms constantly. I smell like mushrooms and I dream about mushrooms at night," sighed Hinton as she took a brief break in her busy kitchen. "It's absolutely crazy."

The mushroom menus at her restaurant have attracted a cult following among fungus freaks with demand so big at her À la Table des Jardins Sauvages restaurant - even at $75 per person (bring your own wine) - that most of her sittings have already sold out!

Just for interest sake, here's her seven course menu:

Puffball and sanglichon sausage with black trumpet mushrooms, porcini duxelles en gelée, with wild ginger mustard

Shaggy mane and yellow-brown boletus soup with lemon foam

Lobster and lobster-mushroom fricassée, sautéed chanterelles and corn, in a cattail flour crêpe with sea spinach

Crisp autumn vegetable salad with boletus insignia-scented oil, pickled pine mushrooms, smoked duck, toasted almonds and Fêtard cheese with wild grape coulis and fried oyster mushrooms

Roasted venison in a mushroom salt crust, delicious lactarius, hedgehog, smooth lepiota and blewit mushroom risotto cake, topped with morel sauce

Orange-capped bolete ice cream milk shake with glabrescent bolete and hedgehog mushroom shortbread cookies

Larch boletus frangipane and chocolate tartlet with fairy ring mushroom butterscotch sauce and coconut-meadow mushroom wafers

Mushroom caramel toffee

So, there you go.

Makes a change from Garlic Mushrooms doesn't it?

Look at this beauty!!

2007-10-18T07:02:00.000+01:00

And I thought that the beauty we found in Beckley on Sunday was big.

Well it was dwarfed by several enormous mushrooms, the biggest of which weighed in at nearly two stone (12kg), have been found in an oak forest near his home town of Orihuela del Tremendal in Teruel province, Spain.

Makes you feel kind of inadequate doesn't it?

How far do you travel for your wild mushrooms?

2007-10-17T10:09:00.001+01:00

We know some fungal afficianados travel miles and miles for a good forage. But one of the beauties of wild mushrooms is their sheer unpredictability.

So, we were not surprised on Sunday when we stumbled upon a field full of these beauties - not 500 yards away from our home at Wild About Mushrooms.

These are Parasols and I can vouch for one thing - they fry up great with bacon. So, on Sunday we enjoyed a fabulous brunch which we affectionately call RJTs Bacon Brunch.

Can't beat it!

Now I know that I come across as a bit of a myushroom anorak. That's because I love working with mushrooms and I love cooking with mushrooms. But I have to say I was hard pushed to get excited about a little recipe I stumbled across yesterday.

Apparently, this Friday is National Meatloaf Day in the States (where else?)and this chap here has prepared a wild mushroom recipe to celebrate Estonia's contribution to the occasion - now I don't know about you, but ... I'm not keen!

Magic Mushrooms to be banned

2007-10-13T09:18:00.000+01:00

Of course, as well as our fabulous wild mushrooms, there are other forms of our fungi that are used for purposes other than a fine meal. So-called magic mushrooms are known for their hallucinogenic properties, although the number of deaths from people consuming said mushies is, sadly, on the increase.

Now this staple of the hippy diet is set to lose one of its capital cities. Their sale is about to be banned by the Dutch Government in the latest sign of a conservative backlash against Amsterdam’s relaxed attitude towards sex and drugs.

A series of high-profile deaths and injuries linked to magic mushroom trips has proved too much for the Dutch and the move follows growing official impatience with the unforeseen consequences of traditional Dutch tolerance, which instead of normal-ising drug taking and prostitution has drawn in people-traffickers, dealers and organised crime gangs from across Europe.

In July an 18-year-old from Iceland threw himself out of a hotel window in Amsterdam, breaking both his legs. But what really caught the public imagination was the death of a 17-year-old French girl who jumped from a bridge over one of Amsterdam’s canals to her death in March, apparently under the influence of magic mushrooms.

Ambulance call-outs rose from 70 in 2005 to 128 last year, with nine out of ten cases involving tourists. Britons were the largest group among them.

So now, if you really want a fix from mushrooms, you'll have to satisfy yourself with a portion of Wild Mushrooms - perhaps used liberally in this month's Recipe of the Month?

So you thought mushrooms were valuable?

2007-10-09T09:04:00.000+01:00

Now I know just how valuable wild mushrooms can be. But here's proof!

The North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has given President Roh Moo-hyun, the South Korean leader, four tons of pine mushrooms as a gift following the South Korean leader's three-day summit trip to the communist North.

"The North Korean leader's gift, packaged in 500 small boxes, was delivered to Roh by a ranking official from the North's Ministry of the People's Armed Forces. The official explained the pine mushrooms totaling 4,000 kilograms were collected from the North's Mount Chilbo," said Cheon.

Roh expressed thanks and said he will distribute the gift to the South Korean people, he added.

Following the first inter-Korean summit in June 2000, the North Korean leader also sent three tons of pine mushroom to the South.

So there you go - wild mushrooms - for value and for diplomacy!

Incidentally, the South Korean leader gave the North Korean chap in return a gift of 150 DVDs, some tea, a painted screen and a ceramic dish.

New recipe of the month

2007-10-07T07:36:00.002+01:00

Check out our new Recipe of the month for October.

As Autumn sets in there's no better way to enjoy the darkening evenings than a fine risotto. Our Mama Mia Wild Mushroom Risotto is more than comfort food though - why not try it this week?

You can also check our our wild mushroom recipe archive here.

Wild mushrooms - perfect footie food?

2007-10-07T07:17:00.002+01:00

We all know that standard football stadium food rarely bothers the foodies - not, of course, that there's anything wrong with Steak & Kidney pies, greasy chips and Bovril! But how many football grounds do you know of that serve Wild Mushrooms?

A recently published survey collected together data from traveling away team supporters throughout Europe including info on which ground in Europe serves the best food.

Mentioned in despatches were Barcelona, Arsenal and Bayern Munich. But I was rather taken by the mention of Norwich City, chaired, of course, by the wonderful Delia Smith.

And, if you take a trip to Carrow Road, included on the menu is a wonderful Ragout of Wild Mushrooms.

Now there's a footie club with taste!!

Reality TV show blamed for wild mushroom shortage

2007-09-16T12:59:00.000+01:00

Television show Hell's Kitchen is being blamed for putting species of wild mushroom in danger. Millions of viewers saw top chef Marco Pierre White sing the praises of wild mushrooms when he cooked them with Dover Sole on the ITV1 show recently. But rangers on a country estate have now warned that people are cashing in by picking "car boot loads" of the expensive fungi in the countryside to sell to food-lovers in the cities.

The rise in TV shows by celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein, Raymond Blanc and Marco Pierre White has seen a demand for more unusual ingredients such as the wild mushrooms. Some of the gastronomes' favourites are chanterelle, horn of plenty and Penny buns.

But one nature trust has taken steps to prevent the over-picking of wild mushrooms to save them from possible extinction. The Elan Valley Trust have banned visitors from picking wild mushrooms. About 10,000 species of mushroom grow in Britain - and about 1,000 were found on the estate.

Trumpet Chanterelles or Yellow Foot Chanterelle mushrooms are one of the species affected by the growth in appetite for wild mushrooms and Peter Jennings, head ranger at 42,000-acre Elan Valley estate in Mid-Wales said: "We have had people from eastern Europe picking whole car-boot loads for commercial purposes.

"I have been here 20 years and in my time numbers have declined. Jennings added: "Some species have disappeared from sites - and it's no coincidence those are the ones that sell for the most money."

But nature-lover Daniel Butler who runs tours condemned the mushroom picking ban.

He said: "I have been doing this for nine years without any problems, and there is no scientific evidence that I'm causing any damage whatsoever by picking mushrooms.

"They are fantastically edible, but some are only about an inch off the ground and difficult to see without picking.

"I'm not commercially exploiting the valley, but I want to open people's eyes to mushrooms."

Trust chairman John Evans defended the blanket ban - despite protests from some nature lovers who want to study the mushrooms.

He said: "It would be impossible to police if you permit some people to take some fungi, some of the time, in some places.

"We think it is wiser to have a total prohibition on the removal of any fungi on the estate."

There's mushrooms in .....

2007-09-11T05:32:00.000+01:00

Norway!!

Your Mushroom Man took a break from the grindstone to visit the Arctic Circle over the weekend - but there's no getting away from God's Own Food!!

Here's a strange variety of wild mushroom found close to the Lyngen Alps, about 60 miles north of the world's most northernmost city, Tromso,in Norway. The local Sami people are great users of wild mushrooms - and these pretty things ended up in a pot of Reindeer Stew which had been simmering over an open fire for a good few hours.

Not sure what type of mushroom we were eating - but, fortunately I had help at hand to guide me!

Life saving mushrooms!

2007-09-10T16:54:00.000+01:00

Well we always said that mushrooms - and in particular wild mushrooms - were superfoods and full of healthy goodness. Well now proof that mushrooms are not only health-giving - but life saving!

An American couple managed to get lost last weekend after going hiking. In fact so lost did they get, they were missing for five nights and only found over the weekend!

Fortunately, there's a happy ending as the couple were found by rescuers.

And how did they survive?

On a very healthy diet of wild mushrooms and berries that's how!

Read their story here.

So how important are mushrooms?

2007-09-01T12:00:00.000+01:00

Well - very.

That's according to the GulfNews.com anyway.

Because, whilst the rest of the world was reporting, watching or listening to the service to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of the Princess of Wales. GulfNews.com was hunting for Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

And where did they find her?

At Balmoral, picking mushrooms.

That's how important mushrooms are - even royalty pick them!

Finns vote for Matsusake

2007-08-29T06:44:00.001+01:00

I know that you like me to keep you up to speed with what is happening internationally in the mushroom world. So, hot off the press, I can tell you that the Arctic Flavours Association in Finland has just voted the Matsutake mushroom as its mushroom of the year.

The Matsutake is a difficult wild mushroom to cultivate. Whilst it grows in dry forests it needs a rainy summer to prosper.

Apparently there is something of a foraging frenzy in Finland at the moment after a surge in numbers thanks to the awful summer that Finland has endured. And, because the Matsusake is highly prized - and highly priced - in Japan, pickers are experiencing something of a cash bonanza.

Each of the mushrooms flown to Japan receives special treatment and care. They must not be cut with a knife: the mushrooms are picked individually and whole, with gloved hands, to prevent the surface of the Matsutake being contaminated with oil from human skin. Finally, toothbrushes are used to clean the fungi, which must reach the Japanese kitchen within three days of being picked in the north of Finland.

I'm sure you feel better for having this information

Mad about Mushrooms

2007-08-28T17:22:00.001+01:00

I know that we're Wild About Mushrooms but we're not the only people who love their wild mushrooms.

In fact, flicking through copies of my mushroom correspondence I've discovered that there's a whole world out there dedicated to the celebration of the mushroom. Indeed, as we speak, plans are under way for the launch of The Mushroom Festival in Pennsylvania on September 8th and 9th. This two day event includes tastings, demonstrations, foraging expeditions - and a whole load of other activities designed to celbrate our favourite super food!

But whilst our American friends certainly like their mushrooms (we already have our invite for the 48th Annual National Morel Mushroom Festival in Michigan and the Texas Mushroom Festival in October), closer to home you can visit the Aberfoyle Mushroom Festival which takes place from October 21st to 24th.

During the Festival, you can be be taken on Fungus Forays by experts, whilst there will be cooking demonstrations and a display domestic and exotic mushrooms.

For reasons I've yet to fathom, other events during the Festival include a Czech themed dinner and dance, two dog shows to which the general public can bring their dogs, Jacobite street theatre, a craft fair, a candlelight walk and fiddlers’ rally, a charity golf match and a football match between a Falkirk FC Select and local team, Aberfoyle Rob Roy, a Tea Dance, a Duck Derby, and an Afro-Caribbean Salsa Barbeque!

You see? It's not just us who are Wild About Mushrooms!!

New Recipe of the Month!

2007-08-19T11:38:00.001+01:00

Just perfect for what's left of the summer - our tasty new wild mushroom recipe of the month - see the sidebar for Nathan’s Healthy Wild Mushroom and Roasted Vegetable salad.

For an archive of our recipes, visit http://themushroommanrecipes.blogspot.com/

Wild mushrooms for snacks!

2007-08-19T10:59:00.000+01:00

I've been away for a little R & R - and whilst patrolling foreign climes, mushrooms are never far from my mind.

France is a great place to find and eat wild mushrooms - but imagine my surprise when I came across these Wild Mushroom crisps!!

Let me tell you - these go great with a pint of Guinness!

Must have a word with my boss at Wild About Mushrooms - might even get a fiver from the staff suggestion scheme!

Wild Mushroom kills entire family!

2007-08-08T06:13:00.001+01:00

Well we all know the danger of eating the wrong kind of mushroom but sometimes the danger is driven home in particularly tragic circumstances.

Fortunately, fatalities from eating dodgy fungus are rare in this country, but the Nepal News yesterday reported that five members of a family in the Argakachi district died after eating wild mushrooms brought in from the jungle.

Three of the family died immediately after eating the mushroom after cooking it, whilst the remaining two died later in hospital.

Join in the great vote!!

2007-08-01T07:13:00.000+01:00

A few of us at Wild About Mushrooms got into a bit of a flap over coffee yesterday morning.

It all started when the boss told us that we'd taken delivery of the new season's chanterelle - a lovely wild mushroom and certainly up there amongst my favourites - when Nathan started putting up a passionate defence of the cep. Then Thommo waded in and said that the cep couldn't hold a light to the Black Fungus - and that was it! World War III broke out!

So, there's only one way to sort this out!

You decide - and vote on your favourite Wild Mushroom.

See our poll to the right - and when you've voted, you'll see the results.

And perhaps we'll settle this once and for all!

PS Vote for the chanterelle!

Mushrooms? Difficult?

2007-08-01T07:03:00.001+01:00

I came across an article from a chap who claims that mushrooms are difficult to match with wine - not cooking them in it – but pairing with a wine to accompany it.

This is what he says:

"The general rule when it comes to matching a wine with your mushroom is based on how they are cooked i.e. what the sauces and spices are. French cuisine advocates that “less is more” so in other words keep it simple and you will be able to taste the flavour of the mushrooms.

Using mushrooms in hearty casseroles such as Coq au Vin or stews and soups with red meat suggests a terroir driven red. Clarets in particular go well with these types of dishes – and especially the heavier textured mushrooms like Chanterelles, Portobello, Porcini and Morels. The earthy Cabernet Francs, Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignons are ideal.

If you are making a light dish, maybe using a creamy sauce then Sauvignon Blancs are the best choice. Mushrooms with delicate flavours such as Oyster, Enokis and Lobster need a Sauvignon Blanc or an un oaked Chardonnay.

Some mushrooms have a spicy clean taste like the Matsukate and I’d recommend a sparkling Cremant to pair with these – it handles the exotic spiciness really well."

Now it isn't for me to suggest that the bloke is talking pretentious twaddle - but in the twenty years I've been eating God's Favourite Food, I've found one perfect accompaniment to the mushroom.

A pint of Guinness!

Honestly, some people!

Not just tasty but ....

2007-07-28T08:00:00.001+01:00

..... good for insulating your home!

Really?

Well, according to a report in the Boston Globe yesterday, our favourite veg is also set to become part of our fight to conserve energy.

Most of the time, having fungus or mould of any kind in your home is a big, big problem. But not so for inventors Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre. Together they have created an organic insulation made from mushrooms.

Both graduates of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, they have created a patented technology called "Greensulate" — a fire-retardant board made of water, flour, and oyster mushrooms. Although the technology is still in development and estimated to be more than a year from release to the market.

What next? Tomatoes to offset your carbon footprint? Broccoli to replace tar in road construction?

You just never know .....

Mushrooms to make poverty history?

2007-07-24T17:03:00.000+01:00

MushWorld is a non-profit organisation devoted to poverty alleviation in the world through mushroom growing. The people behind the Korean-based charity believe in the magic of mushroom growing, especially in developing countries. Mushrooms convert agro-waste into a wonderful food source with high culinary and medicinal value, which makes mushroom growing cost-effective and eco-friendly.

To support poverty reduction efforts in developing countries, MushWorld provides

free, unlimited access to mushroom information
a mushroom information hub where members freely share their ideas on the web
technical and financial support for the growers in the developing countries

If you'd like to know more about MushWorld, visit their website

Tips from the top!

2007-07-22T11:41:00.000+01:00

The poor old BBC has come in for a bit of hammering over the last few days but any TV channel that features Delia is OK by me!

The Beeb have now jumped on the wild mushroom bandwagon with a very informative web page dedicated to Wild Mushrooms.

Take a look here for some good info on gathering and eating wild mushrooms. And, of course with their connections, they are also able to feature great recipes from some of the country's leading chefs. That said, not one of them is a patch on Granny Harrell!!

Further to our chat about finding your own mushrooms, if you are looking and picking, check here for the Mushroom Pickers Code of Conduct

Looking for mushrooms

2007-07-21T14:47:00.000+01:00

"Aaah" we often hear "why should I buy my wild mushrooms from you when they're ... well, wild?".

A good question - but one that's easy to answer.

Although it would make a lovely story, we don't spend our time foraging for mushrooms. Indeed we have a network of growers all over the world who send us their dried mushrooms - we then package them and sell them to discerning mushroom lovers all over the country.

In addition to wild mushrooms we also process fresh mushrooms for sale to the UK food industry - and if you've ever eaten food products containing mushrooms then the chances are that they're ours!

So, you'd expect us to say that we know our mushrooms - but that would be an understatement! We're passionate about mushrooms and barely a day goes by without yours truly enjoying one of nature's finest products.

I have also enjoyed the odd forage too because we're in a part of the country that's bursting with mushrooms - but that's if you know where to look. Of course not everything is as it seems when looking for mushrooms growing wild - so you really need to know your ... ahem .. onions when looking for good fungi.

Here's a website I've found which is a treasure trove of mushroom knowledge - why not check it out before you go hunting http://www.mushrooms.org.uk/.

And you thought my mushrooms were big!

2007-07-16T03:59:00.000+01:00

Blimee - my eyes watered when I saw this story in my Sunday newspaper!

Check this out - a 40lb mushroom!!

Now, that would make a soup!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/12/wmroom112.xml

2007-07-16T03:40:00.000+01:00

Wild mushrooms are found all over the world and I help to prepare them for sale to discerning mushroom customers throughout the UK. We take delivery of our mushrooms in East Sussex and most of them arrive already dried - a process best carried out soon after picking to retain the flavour.

Wild mushrooms come into season at different times of the year and are therefore seasonal. We want our customers to experience and eat wild mushrooms all year round - which is why drying them is best. In fact dried mushrooms have much stronger flavours than fresh mushrooms and lose none of their nutritional values.

Dried wild mushrooms increase in volume by 3 - 4 times when re-hydrated. So a 100g bag of our mushrooms is actually somewhere between 300g and 400g in real volume.

You shouldn't use dried mushrooms until they've been rehydrated - but re-hydration is easy. Simply boil some water and pour into a bowl, add the quantity you require, but remember that dried mushrooms increase in volume to 3 to 4 times. Soak your mushrooms in the boiling water for about 20 minutes or until fully re-hydrated stirring occasionally.

The mushrooms can then be drained from the water and used - but don't pour the used water down the sink! This is now a fantastic broth that should be strained before use to remove any sand/grit and can then be used in many recipes for soups and stews etc. You can even freeze it to use at a later date.