A couple of my friends are very keen on eating wild mushrooms, so I arranged to give them a guided tour of some of my local woods, to see what we could find. It was just after several wet days, and everywhere we looked there were all manner of mushrooms and fungi. There were plenty of different types of bolete, from the Penny Bun or Cep, through to the distinctly less appetising Lurid Boletus. It was great to spot things I had overlooked before, like the Oyster mushrooms in amongst the Porcelain fungus on dead branches, and the Amethyst Deceivers - which, though I'm told they are edible, I wouldn't fancy. We found Shaggy Ink Caps (in a heap of pony poo) and lots of different Russulas, as well as a few obviously poisonous ones, like Fly Agaric and Panther Cap. The one we couldn't find was a Chanterelle, although there were plenty of False Chanterelle. We picked just enough to eat, and a few Bay Boletes for preserving, and left the rest. I still can't claim to be an expert, so we won't be adding any wild mushrooms into the picnic menu, but it was a fascinating day out.
Please note that since this blog was written, picking of mushrooms (even for personal use) in the New Forest has been banned.
Please note that since this blog was written, picking of mushrooms (even for personal use) in the New Forest has been banned.
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