Fungus Among Us

Mushrooms are everywhere in the Pacific Northwest, even right here in south Snohomish County, but you might never notice them unless you pause and look.

Mushroom foragers are also everywhere, but you might not know them unless you think to ask. Every fall, the foraging season tempts swaths of Washington mushroom hopefuls to the forests in search of fungi, but mushrooms also thrive in spring. “You can take all day to hike and search on a beautiful, dark day in the woods,” said Randall Skrasek, a member of the PCC Edmonds produce department.

“When you start to find them, seeing gold mushrooms popping out of a burned-out stump or a yellowfoot chanterelle in the snow, you will go back.” Many a mushroom forager might not remember a time in their lives when they did not venture into the cool, damp Puget Sound weather to search the forests for those tiny, delectable treats we call wild mushrooms.

Others discover foraging on their own, perhaps after enough hikes in the beautiful Cascade Mountains and seeing other hikers leaving with baskets of colorful mushrooms.

Edmonds City Councilmember Susan Paine is one of those longtime foragers, with memories of going out with her dad and sisters nearly every weekend.

“Dad was always a forager,” said Paine. “He grew up going mushroom picking in New England with his mother.” When Paine’s father moved to the Pacific Northwest he went looking for “fungus people” and became an early member of the Puget Sound Mycological Society (PSMS). Paine took her kids out foraging, as well. “It is what we do – going out into the forest and looking for the bright orange and gold.” Skrasek similarly speaks of foraging as a way to be in nature. He began his relationship with forest fungi during long camping trips, talking to everyone he could find who knew about these mysterious and often delicious edibles.

He fondly remembers a general store owner from southwestern Washington who gave him much of his foraging knowledge. “This general store mushroom dude knew all there was to know about foraging. He taught me how to identify mushrooms, how to cut them – just above ground level – using a sharp knife to keep them separated from each other.”

Foraging in Washington is an adventure in and of itself. You can forage at low and high elevations, coastal areas or lower forests, dense woodlands, and recovering forest fire areas.

What you find changes with elevation and environment.

Morels are perennials and can even show up in the first year after a burn, while cauliflower mushrooms can be found in a decaying stump.

Spring brings oyster mushrooms near older trees. Many of us have heard of Lion’s or Shaggy Mane (cook up just like crab), but how about Turkey Tails, Bear’s Tooth, or Puff Balls?

Mushrooms have many uses

All of the many varieties of mushrooms have a number of uses, including 

medicinal, but of course, creating a delicious meal is at the top of the list.

Both Paine and Skrasek shared favorite recipes. Mushrooms can be shredded like meat or separated into noodles, as well as sliced or chopped.

“Chanterelles don’t like to be dehydrated,” said Skrasek, but why would you do that since they taste beautiful sauteed with the tiniest amount of oil and salt? While he forged his own foraging path to learn about mushrooms, he recommends foraging with a buddy “to stay safe and cover more ground.”

Paine has always foraged with family and is a proud member of the nonprofit PSMS, like her dad.

The PSMS is one of the largest mushroom societies in America and highlights foraging rules and norms, with guidance on permits and volume limits. It also organizes mushroom field trips and identification classes and provides access to an extensive library of mushroom-related books.

If you want to get out there and forage a bit yourself, there are many mushroom field guides, like Steve Trudell’s “Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.”

There are risks

Plan to forage? Remember to ask a lot of questions while you’re learning. Any good mushroom forager needs to be certain of the identity of the mushroom they plan to eat. There’s this, too: The PSMS says the riskiest part of mushroom foraging is getting lost. Many of the spots where Paine and her family used to forage are gone, but there are plenty of new places to look.

“You can even find morels in the backyard,” said Paine, but she also made the point that “I know the ones that are edible and the ones that aren’t, and you may have heard the saying, ‘there are no old, bold mushroom pickers.’”

Maybe start with a lovely hike and forage for photo opportunities of mushrooms. The mushrooms are stunning when you can find them. “We live in a fantastic land,” said Skrasek, “so if you want to get out there and learn about mushrooms, get out there.”

So you want to forage for mushrooms?

If you feel an urge to hunt for wild mushrooms, western Washington has you covered (the rain helps). And now is a good time to hone your skills.

There are several well-known and respected organizations here that deal in the joy and the study of the mycological – the study of fungi. Yes, mushrooms are fungi with a plantlike form.

Where to start? You could get in touch with the nonprofit Kitsap Peninsula Mycological Society, where David Ansley is president of the Bremerton-based club founded more than 50 years ago and today has more than several hundred members. Members range in age and knowledge of mushrooms. There are those interested in learning more about fungi, mushrooms, habitat, Pacific Northwest forests, and the culinary uses of mushrooms.

The club meets monthly at Olympic College in Bremerton; the public is welcome at any time. The club offers forays for club members during the two peak seasons -- in May and again in October and November. “These forays emphasize learning about habitat and identification,” said Ansley. “They draw members with a wide variety of experience and interests.”

If you’re interested in going foraging, Ansley offers a few tips.

   ~   Go with people who know the terrain and the mushrooms
   ~   Take steps to avoid getting lost
   ~   Pay close attention to the habitat and trees where you find each mushroom
   ~   Pay close attention to each of a mushroom’s features
   ~   Use Pacific Northwest guidebooks to aid in identification

“If you’re looking for food, do not eat anything without an extremely solid identification from someone who truly knows,” said Ansley. “Some mushrooms are extremely poisonous.” For newcomers, Ansley recommends carrying “A Field Guide to Edible Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest,” by Daniel Winkler, and “All That the Rain Promises, and More,” by David Arora.

Here is more information to get you started. All of the organizations listed here have plenty of photos, tips, identification tips, and much more.

Kitsap Peninsula Mycological Society

Membership is $25. It’s the same price for a family. Benefits include a monthly newsletter, book discounts, and invitations to overnight morel forays in the spring and fall day-trip forays to find chanterelles, cauliflower mushrooms, chicken of the woods, and even the occasional matsutake. Kitsapmushrooms.org

Snohomish County Mycological Society

The nonprofit organization, founded in 1971, has an annual fall mushroom show in October. Its website has an intriguing recipe selection, including Chicken With Morels, Evelyn Bryant’s Pickled Chanterelles, Chanterelle Omelette, and Cauliflower Mushroom Soup. Scmsfungi.org

Whidbey Wild Mushroom Tours

Based in Langley, the organization has public group tours for individuals and small groups who would rather have a more social experience. Foragers will get crash courses in identifying mushrooms and heading out into the forest. Private tours are offered during the week and on Sundays year-round and on Saturdays that are not scheduled for public tours.

Tours are led by Travis Furlanic. “You will also learn to identify various trees and shrubs, an important component to mushroom foraging and identification,” according to the organization’s website. You’ll learn about the various edible, medicinal, and useful plants that are native to the Pacific Northwest. How to cook, use, and store your harvest. Responsible harvesting practices. Plant or wildlife indicators/clues.”

Public tours are $75. Private tours for up to four are $300. Whidbeymushroomtours.com

Puget Sound Mycological Society

The organization, with more than 2,400 members, is one of the largest mycological societies in the country. It has meetings, classes, workshops, and field trips (five in the spring). It was founded 60 years ago.

Members meet in campgrounds in the Cascades or the Olympic Peninsula. The areas are chosen for likely edible mushroom activity; a “Master Identifier” is available to help with identification. 

It welcomes new members throughout the year, from the enthusiast to the experienced. Membership is $30 a year, $20 for students, and includes discounts on recipes and field guides.

Meetings are held September through June at the Center for Urban Horticulture in Seattle. www.psms.org/index.php