Tag: mushroom picking

Pick Shaming: Mushroom Hunting Dos & Don’ts

Social media brings out the worst in people and pick shaming is common in mushroom picking or foraging groups. Just like anything that you post today, you may experience backlash. It happens if you post a photo of a dog, baby, recipe, literally anything can set off a keyboard warrior. Two days ago, my blog…

Read More

Why Pick Wild Mushrooms?

Mushroom picking is a popular hobby all over the world. In the Czech Republic, it is a very popular activity and families will often go mushroom picking with young children. I grew up identifying and picking mushrooms from a very young age. It is a hobby that I still enjoy today! Connecting with the Natural…

Read More

Morels: Easy to Identify Mushrooms

Morels are delicious mushrooms and one of the most desired wild mushrooms in the world. You can buy them dried in stores such as Walmart, but a mere 2 oz (57 grams) will cost you $24! This is because morels aren’t generally farmed – they are gathered in the wild. I am writing about them…

Read More

The New York Mycological Society

There are strict rules about foraging anything in state parks and city parks. The laws aren’t clear at all, so it’s always best to ask someone more experienced. Whenever we go picking mushrooms, we bring a towel/picnic blanket to drape over the basket just in case.

Giant Puffball: Easy to Identify Mushroom in NYC

Puffballs of all sizes grow in the forest, alongside roads, in the middle of a green grassy lawn, they can really grow anywhere! You can stir fry them, cook them in the oven and my absolute favorite, is pretending they are pancakes!

Easy to Identify Mushroom in NYC: Hen-of-the-Woods (Maitake)

I find these mushrooms the most rewarding to pick, because even a small one is enough as a side dish to any meal and the bigger ones can feed an entire family! Every time I’ve looked for hens, I found at least one and usually had 2-4 kilos (4-9 pounds) in just 30 minutes of searching. Of course, you can also find a single mushroom that weighs 13+ kilos (30+ pounds).

Hen of the Woods (Maitake): Easy to Identify Mushroom in NYC

I find these mushrooms the most rewarding to pick, because even a small one is enough as a side dish to any meal and the bigger ones can feed an entire family! Every time I’ve looked for hens, I found at least one and usually had 2-4 kilos (4-9 pounds) in just 30 minutes of searching. Of course, you can also find a single mushroom that weighs 13+ kilos (30+ pounds).

Mushroom Picking in New York City

So many people are curious about picking and cooking mushrooms but fear holds them back. It is never risk-free to eat wild mushrooms, but there are certain kinds that are extremely easy to identify. There are also books, Facebook groups and other recourses that can help you. Never eat anything that you’re not sure about or something that has a poisonous look-a-like.