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Les conseils du Muséum
Practical advice for mushroom hunting
With autumn in the air, let's take a look at some of the techniques that can make mushroom picking easier! Which to find when? How to identify them? The Muséum and its specialists share their tips and tricks!
When to pick mushrooms
We often associate autumn with mushroom season. Many mushrooms, however, can be found at other times of year! Here are a few to keep in mind.
Pieds-bleus (Lepista nuda)
CC BY-SA 3.0 J. C. JacobsAutumn
Of course, with its rainy, mild climate, fall is the favourite season for mushroom picking!
In the forest, you'll be able to find milk-caps, brittlegills, some chanterelles and ceps! Later in the season, with the first frosts, you'll start to see clouded agarics (Clitocybe nebularis), wood blewits (Lepista nuda) and trooping funnels (Infundibulicybe geotropa).
Collybie à pied velouté (Flammulina velutipes)
CC BY-SA 3.0 R. BloWinter
Cold weather is not ideal for mushrooms, and frosts mark the end of the season for many species. However, you can still find the velvet foot (Flammulina velutipes) in the winter months. This species is mainly grown for consumption. The black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) also makes an appearance, adding flavour to your recipes beginning late in the year!
Entolome en bouclier (Entoloma clypeatum)
CC BY-SA 3.0 J. Opiola - Creative CommonsSpring
With the rebirth of nature come new mushrooms! In early March, the well-named March mushroom (Hygrophorus marzuolus) is all the rage. Particularly sought after in the mountains, it is sure to delight mushroom lovers. Then, as trees and shrubs begin to bud, the various morels and the shield pinkgill (Entoloma clypeatum) appear. And don't forget St. George's mushroom (Calocybe gambosa) with its remarkable flavour.
Summer
In early summer, the first chanterelles emerge, along with the summer cep (Boletus aestivalis) and the dark cep (Boletus aereus). If the weather is wet enough, Ceasar's mushroom (Amanita caesarea) will also make a forest appearance, especially during periods of late summer storms.
Learn to smell mushrooms
Russule (Russula aurea Pers.)
CC BY-SA 3.0 archenzoMany species can be recognised by the particular aroma they give off. The girolle, for example, smells much like an apricot, whereas the white button mushroom is what we tend to expect a mushroom to smell like.
How to smell a mushroom?
To get a good idea of a specimen’s scent, don't hesitate to rub it in places like the gills, pores or spines. Then take a whiff... It won't be easy to tell them apart at first, but eventually you'll be able to distinguish various notes of broccoli rabe, fresh flour, pear brandy, burnt sugar and even locomotive smoke! Some experienced mycologists will be able to advise you, and such references can help you to avoid serious mistakes!
Finding 'good mushroom spots'
Cèpes de Bordeaux (Boletus edulis)
© G. Sandalova - stock.adobe.comAre there really techniques for finding good mushroom spots? In fact, mushrooms can be found everywhere, and harvested in what seem the most unlikely places. When it comes to mushrooms that are associated with tree roots however (i.e. chanterelles, ceps, brittlegills, etc.), it would be impossible to find them anywhere other than in wooded areas. It is also helpful to know which kind of tree the mushroom you're looking for is associated with. For instance, delicious milk-caps (Lactarius deliciosus) grow near pine trees. Each species has its preference, and you can certainly learn what they are!
Lire aussi —
Beware of poisonous mushrooms !
Don't fall for folklore!
Many are the claims we hear about mushrooms: "if an animal eats it, we can eat it" or "poisonous mushrooms turn onions brown". Beware. Don’t trust them. You could be risking your life! A lot of mushroom lovers will repeat old wives’ tales about how to tell the difference between good and bad mushrooms, but in reality, they aren’t true. To know whether a mushroom is edible, you need to know exactly what species it is and what its specific characteristics and traits are. And don't hesitate to consult professionals! There are far too many accidents every year to be satisfied with a casual approach based on popular misconceptions.