Come along with me as I stumble into an outrageous patch of Candy Cap Mushrooms in a forest in the Pacific Northwest.
This specific species, Lactarius rubidus, is the western variant of Lactarius fragilis. I show you some of the key things I look for when identifying candy cap mushrooms.
As a member of the Milkcap (or Lactarius) genus, these mushroom exude a milky latex when cut. I have noticed that if you have an older candy cap that has dried out a bit, it may not display this characteristic as prominently as those that are young. Be aware, however, that there are a lot of lactarius species out in the forest that look very similar to candy caps, and also display this characteristic of exuding milk when cut. Here are the key difference that I notice between the Candy Cap Mushroom and its imposters:
--the milk is thin and displays the consistency of skim milk (it is not thick and opaque)
--the stipe (stem) is hollow and both it and the cap are brittle, breaking easily when handled (this is where the latin species name "fragilis" comes from - it is fragile)
--the cap is rough and bumpy, often feeling somewhat dry to the touch even when wet (people describe the texture as feeling like an orange peel or like newt/salamander skin - the cap is never sticky and not characteristically smooth or slimy to the touch)
--lastly, and this is huge, it has one of the most distinct smells of any mushroom I've encountered -- it has a very, very strong smell of maple syrup, with hints of butterscotch, burnt sugar, and fenugreek...although...there is a catch -- you often can't detect this scent clearly until the mushroom is dried. So this is the ultimate test for me - if I'm unsure, I bring some home and let it dry on the counter. No smell, no candy cap! If it is a candy cap, the aroma is potent and unmistakeable! Some people even bring a lighter with them in the field so that they can get a more instant confirmation from the characteristic scent.
Also, candy cap mushroom spores are white and you can often see evidence of these spores on the caps of mushrooms that are stacked underneath others. You'll notice a spore print that I took of Lactarius rubidus at the end of this video.
Once you add Candy Cap Mushrooms to your pantry of baking supplies there is no going back. There are tons of candy cap mushroom recipes online, and favorites include candy cap mushroom ice cream, candy cap mushroom syrup, candy cap mushroom cookies, and candy cap mushroom powder to work as a spice in your favorite baked goods and dishes - some people even add candy cap mushroom to curries! They are also great sauteed fresh in butter, somewhat reminiscent of salted caramel - but they really shine when they are dried, as that brings out the true richness of the flavor.
In terms of drying, it is best to dry candy cap mushrooms at the lowest temperature possible. They shrink down quite a bit. Whereas a typical mushroom will require 10 lbs to produce 1 pound of dried mushroom, these require 15 lbs to produce a single dried pound. But a little bit of this dried mushroom goes a really long way, and some people report that using too much of the dried powder in baked goods can turn what would've been the sweetest tasting maple flavor you can imagine into a flavor that has some bitterness.
I hope you learned something here and enjoyed the video! Please like, subscribe, comment... all that good stuff! Happy hunting!
Music Credits:
Arcadia - Wonders by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
#mushroom #candycap #mushroomrecipe #mushroomhunting
25 авг 2024
