A late-Autumn walk in the woods, foraging for edible fungi and enjoying the Great Outdoors. South Island, New Zealand. Sorry about that loud 'humm' at times: it was a serious big machine, trimming hedges nearby.
Hey Diarmuid , just wondering if these mushroom types can be found all over NZ, I'm in kaiapoi just outside Christchurch . Would be great to forage some food from the woods here. Enjoy your weekend mate . Slan go foill
Porcini can be found all over Canterbury, and likely Shaggy Parasols and Peppery Boletes (the little rusty ones) and Birch Boletes also. Just head out there (after lots of rain and no frosts: Nov-May especially), and checkout the dampest, shadiest, quietest areas of your local parks and reserves and Red Zones and wooded areas and rural road-sides and you'll eventually find some of these wonderful, wild, edible fungi. Happy foraging.
Thanks Julia: yes, they are delightful little companions on a forage, and they are adept at catching any flies and moths that I disturb from the leaves.
Go for it Luke: there's a world of wonderful, free, healthy, nuke-free wild food out there waiting for you, plus all the simple pleasures of searching for and finding it.
Yes, they reportedly taste quite peppery when raw (I always cook all mushrooms) and occasionally taste peppery even after cooking. Very pleasant little shrooms.
Thanks Tony. Sorry, I know of no such book. When I used to hunt the bush - for Sika - we flew in with the helicopter loaded with wine; beer; steaks; oysters; guitars; more wine; matches and ample dunny-roll :) . We never had to resort to Mullein leaves, nor newspaper (for the long-drop). So as for a 'book', maybe as kindling - if it's wet! We called it 'hut-ning' (why leave the hut!): happy hut-ning out there :) .
Well studied and reportedly hugely medicinal, Velvet Shanks have a mild flavour and an excellent texture: just seriously watch out for any deadly look-alike Galerina: they can grow side-by-side on the same dead log - be sure to watch my 'Deadly Galerina' warning clip at the end of an earlier Velvet Shank video. (Remember teh phrase 'Flaming Orange Cap and Black Velvet socks' - that's Velvet Shanks).
It's a standard camera (no brand plugs): the close-ups are due to a macro lens (different brand) in front of the camera. Glad you appreciate the effort and the detail.
As I understand it, the alcohol issue happens with Common Inkcaps (Coprinopsis atramentaria), not Shaggy Parasols. I've never had any issue eating Shaggy Parasols. They do have a hollow, fibrous stem, which can hold dirt and things, so I usually cut off most of the stem before eating. Any edible mushroom can cause allergies, so I treat each new edible species very cautiously; a little at first; a little more later if all goes well, and always cook thoroughly. Also watch out for evidence of mould; dirt; polluted ground; toxic sprays.
Thanks Pinecone: it's equally 'great' to have someone appreciate these humble offerings. Be sure to do your own research and due diligence before eating or using any wild plants or wild fungi that you are not already well familiar with. Happy foraging.
