tripsis Posted March 22, 2011 (edited) Went hunting in the mountains on Sunday. The number of saffron milk caps is massive. We collected around four shopping baskets full and didn't even dent the population. Plenty of delicious blackberries around too. Lactarius deliciosus Suillus luteus. Thought I'd give them a go again. Flavour wasn't so bad this time, but the texture is not pleasant in the slightest. Tricholoma virgatum Miniature Agaricus species. Amanita muscaria Possibly Mycena amicta. Looks extremely similar to a bluing Mycena species I found in India, which I believe is M. amicta. The ones from India as a comparison: Anyone know what this is? Edited March 27, 2011 by tripsis Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marcel Posted March 22, 2011 Awesome Tripsis! Me and my family are heading out in a week; the Polish grapevine is a-buzz with news of masses of L. deliciosus. My mum can't sleep at night for the excitement. It's good to see photographic proof of the start of the season. Great ID on the T. virgatum too. I've been trying to work those out for ages. And as for the unknown LBMs, maybe they're Laccaria proxima? Though the stipes on your photos look a little less robust, and more watery, almost like a mycena. And Slippery Jacks; I think they're best as a drying mushroom. Peel off the slimy skin and dry them to cracker dry and store them, adding little bits to winter soups, stews and other such hearty meals. They smell divine when they're drying! (Traditional Polish mushroom drying is done by threading twine through sliced up mushrooms, and hanging them up in front of a sunny window.) -M Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted March 22, 2011 I've not seen so many milk caps before, it was really astounding. I've not been picking at the start of the season mind you. Was a real treat to be able to pick so many young buttons. Filled up most of a basket with them, then moved on to another patch of forest. This time it was packed full of monsters, unbelievable amounts and many of them in pristine condition, despite their sizes. Filled up another two shopping baskets in a matter of minutes. We've got tonnes to dry now. It'll take a while... I don't think those LBMs are Laccaria proxima, the colour of the stipe is wrong and the overall stature different. I'll give drying those slippery jacks a go then. The dehydrator is flat out, but they're in the fridge, so should be fine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ferret Posted March 22, 2011 i think it is something in the old collyboid group- marasmius, collybia, gymnopus etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ayjay101 Posted March 22, 2011 Cool, nice finds. I think this year is going to be INSANE, given all the water we've had around over summer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ferret Posted March 22, 2011 ah yeah those milkies look mouthwateringly pristine! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
punkin Posted March 22, 2011 There are mountain pine plantations near where i live, the Lactarius, are they an easy identifier? They look quite distinct, but are there some others that are similar looking that i need to be careful of? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted March 22, 2011 Very easy to identify, with no look-a-likes that I know of. When broken, they bleed bright orange latex and bruise green. Those two characteristics alone should set them apart from any others you might get confused with. There are other species of Lactarius which are quite similar, but they're not in Australia. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jamison Schuetz Posted March 22, 2011 That sortof looks like psilocybe pellucilosa and psilocybe cyanescens like here in Oregon in some of the pics. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mysubtleascention Posted March 22, 2011 (edited) how about some favourite LD /saffron milk cap/recipes..i have some blanched and deep freezed slices still waiting their chance.. Edited March 22, 2011 by mysubtleascention 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NSF Posted March 22, 2011 The spanish love them and they say it's the only shroom not to cook with butter. I like to fry a finely diced onion in lots of olive oil, add some chopped bacon and the shrooms, stalks up. Turn the heat down and cook slowly, put a lid on for a bit to speed it along if you are impatient. Chop lots of flat leafed parsely, serve the shrooms, add parsely to pan and give a quick stir then spoon the mix over shrooms. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marcel Posted March 22, 2011 Nice one NSF. Polish style saff milk cap cooking: fry on butter and oil mix, and once they're nearly done, pour cream onto the pan/BBQ and keep stirring for a while. Serve with dill, fresh bread rolls and cold potato. Preferably all done on a BBQ in the forest or in a park on the way home from the hunt. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
punkin Posted March 22, 2011 Might take the Bourbon girl up the forest for a look on the weekend. We went apple picking last weekend. Got three garbage bins full of apples off wild trees on the side of the road. 40 odd litres of juice fermenting as we speak Picked some cactus fruit during the week and found a persimmon tree loaded and nearly ripe. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JDanger Posted March 22, 2011 Me and my family are heading out in a week; the Polish grapevine is a-buzz with news of masses of L. deliciosus. My mum can't sleep at night for the excitement. It's good to see photographic proof of the start of the season. Hilarious! I'll be going out with mum, too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
omsource Posted March 23, 2011 Yup, went out with a mate last week and found tons of Lactarius delicious, just gotta figure out the best way to dry the harvest! any suggestions? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
themushroombloke Posted March 23, 2011 Yup, went out with a mate last week and found tons of Lactarius delicious, just gotta figure out the best way to dry the harvest! any suggestions? grab a long piece of string and thread through the center of the stems of your mushroom haul, then hang near a sunny window till dry. or use a food dehyrator or if you have a gas oven dry the shrooms on the oven racks with only the pilot light on Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
themushroombloke Posted March 23, 2011 my wild guess for the small orange shrooms - flammulina velutipes...... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NSF Posted March 23, 2011 I still can't get over how pristine, perfect and massive those saffies are! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted March 23, 2011 I don't think they are F. velutipes. I think ferret is right with them being collyboid though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mysubtleascention Posted March 24, 2011 (edited) I should add my favourite recipe for the saffron mc ,since I asked for the other people ones .. It's my humble creation.. saffron milk caps /I usually use sliced,blanched and deep freezed/ some thick tomato paste sliced onions/or garlic/ salt cinnamon extra virgin olive oil Cook all the ingredients in a pan till ready..if the cinnamon is powdered add at the end.. after removing from the heat add some olive oil for richer flavour.. Enjoy !!! Edited March 24, 2011 by mysubtleascention 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
room Posted March 26, 2011 Anyone interested in going for a mushroom hunt on Saturday 2nd Arpil in the mountains? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
incognito Posted March 26, 2011 room i will be heading o oberon that weekend to hunt some ld's if ur keen? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
punkin Posted March 26, 2011 Well the trip to the forest was a nice day out with the girls and kids. Found lots and lots of mushrooms, heaps of the milky cap ones i'm positive. Could have picked bags full, but wasn't sure they were to my taste, so only brought a dozen or so home. Got a feed of blackberries too Heres some pics... My breakfast; Plenty of unidentifieds too... Pretty sure this was the only one of these we found. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Undergrounder Posted March 26, 2011 (edited) room i will be heading o oberon that weekend to hunt some ld's if ur keen? I'd be up for the mountains, probably not Oberon though.. bit of a trek from Sydney and you can still get nice edibles in the BMs Punkin: Your unidentifieds (top to bottom) look like Amanita muscaria, unknown brown mushrooms near a pinecone, Amanita xanthocephala and maybe a Tricholoma? Edited March 26, 2011 by Undergrounder Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted March 27, 2011 Sorry, images were down due to a mistake made on my part with my Flickr settings. All should be good now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites