BULLETIN OF THE PUGET SOUND MYCOLOGICALSOCIETY
Number 347, December 1998
Electronic Edition is published monthly, September through Juneby the
Puget Sound Mycological Society
Center for Urban Horticulture, Box 354115
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
(206) 522-6031
Agnes A. Sieger, Editor
Dick Sieger, HTML Editor
MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Tuesday, December 8, at 7:30 PM at the Center for UrbanHorticulture, 3501 NE 41st Street, Seattle
“Cookie Bash” and Slide Show: Once againit’s time for our annual holiday gathering and “cookiebash.” There’s no program this month, just eating,socializing, and sharing slides. Bring your favorite holiday treatto share—a plate of cookies, appetizer, fruit and cheese, etc.(Please use a disposable plate or mark the utensil clearly withyour name.)
We’d also love to see slides of the interesting timesyou’ve been having. They need not be mushroom related. Bringalong a few slides (10 max) and give them to the person running theslide projector before the start of the meeting.
CALENDAR
Dec. 8 Membership meeting, 7:30 PM, CUH
Dec. 14 Board meeting
Dec. 19 Spore Prints deadline (early)
Jan. 12 Membership meeting, 7:30 PM, CUH
EMERGENCY MEDICINE ON THE WEB Dick Sieger
Emergency room physicians have published a huge reference workon the web. At http://www.emedecine.com/emerg/is a database of emergency medicine that includes text and audioand video presentations. The electronic medium accommodates farmore information than books could, and it can be updated muchfaster. The database includes sections on mushroom poisoning,giving the properties of various mycotoxins, suggested treatments,and even pop quizzes.
When one is identifying mushrooms in emergency rooms,information about their toxins may be helpful. I carry a copy ofDenis Benjamin’s Mushrooms: Poisons and Panaceas sophysicians can photocopy pertinent sections. They can also get helpfrom our Poison Control Center, and now from the emergency medicineweb site.
BUILDING FUND/INVESTMENT COMMITTEE IrwinKleinman
Knowledgeable members are needed to participate in planning forthe long-term financial health of the Society. Some knowledge ofstocks, mutual funds, bonds, fund raising, etc., is a plus. Thiscommittee reports to the Board of Directors on a quarterlybasis.
FROM THE PRESIDENT Doug Ward
Wild Mushroom Show: The annualexhibit was a GREAT success in spite of the late date and latearrival of the rains. The number of species on exhibit didn’tcome close to the exceptional number from last year, but we didhave a good representation of what is out there in the woods. Thankyou all who worked on various stages of the show, from thegathering of species to the grunt work of putting up the panels,doing the cleanup, etc. It would be impossible to name each personwho contributed, but a special thanks must go to Charles Pregaldinand Marilyn Denny for their long and hard hours.
Membership Renewals: It isrenewal of membership time for all but those who joined in Octoberand November. The membership fee remains the same, $20 for aregular membership and $10 for full-time students. Please note theindication on the upper right side of the label on your SporePrints next to your name. If it is “L” (life),“C” (complimentary), or “1999” you do not haveto renew. If it is “1998” then your renewal fee is due asof the end of the year. A reminder—if you have not renewed,you will not be able to vote on the new Board members and officersand you will stop getting the Spore Prints shortly after thefirst of the year.
AMANITA PHALLOIDES IN VICTORIA Dick Sieger
Adolf and Oluna Ceska of the South Vancouver Island MycologicalSociety visited our annual exhibit and reported that threespecimens of Amanita phalloides had been displayed at theirannual exhibition October 25. They were collected under a beechtree on Government House property in Victoria, where another 20Amanita phalloides grew.
The deadly Amanitaphalloides is rare in the Northwest. It fruits under exotictrees and may be imported with them. In previous years it wascollected twice from under a chestnut tree in the Fraser Valley. Itfruited in Seattle under a variety of oaks and Rhododendronin the Arboretum in 1997, under a birch tree on Mercer Island in1966, and in Seattle’s Mt. Baker neighborhood near northernred oak from 1976 until the tree was removed in 1986.
THEMOUNTAINEERS/PSMS FIELD TRIP Coleman Leuthy
On October 17–18, some 75 people formed for our annualjoint weekend of collecting, identifying, learning, and eatingmushrooms. In spite of the dry season and there being few mushroomsabout, we identified 75 species. There were also many grouped bygenus as “sp.” Great meals were prepared by Wayne Elston,assisted by Patrice Elston and several Mountaineers. We had a lotof white chanterelles, which garnished and added to several coursesand Sunday’s soup. Sunday morning, we had petite cinnamonrolls prepared by Patty Polinski-Clarr as a prebreakfast bite withcoffee at 7:00 AM followed by breakfast at 8:00 AM.
Kudos go to our field trip leaders and identifiers: Russ Kurtz,Harald Schnarre, Ron Post, Doug Ward, and Charles Pregaldin.Organizer/identifier Coleman Leuthy talked about gilled fungiSaturday evening and, because of the lack of edible mushrooms andbecause collecting had been exhausted on Saturday, talked aboutnongilled fungi on Sunday morning. Then Wayne Elston had anoverflowing kitchen as he talked about using mushrooms anddemonstrated general tricks of the trade he uses in foodpreparation. A great time was had by all. Watch for nextyear’s schedule in the September and October SporePrints.
THE BEST QUESTION I WAS EVER ASKED ABOUT MUSHROOMS Dennis Krabbenhoft
During the several years I have taken responsibility for thefeel and smell table at our annual mushroom show, visitors haveasked me many questions about mushrooms. When the questions wereeasy, I would sometimes talk at length, giving more informationthan necessary. There have been other questions that exhausted myknowledge in a few words, and others that displayed my completeignorance. These I have often passed on to experts at theidentifications table.
I’ve especially enjoyed questions asked by children,whether in their early teens or much younger. They seem to sensethe strange and mysterious nature of mushrooms, and their facesoften express a mixture of curiosity and fear, loathing anddelight.
I think the question I enjoyed answering the most was asked thisyear on the second day of the show by a five-year-old boy. Hisfather was holding his hand as the two of them approached the feeland smell table. The father was friendly and courteous, and heasked several intelligent questions. As he and I talked, his littleson appeared to be listening carefully. Then the father thanked me,and the two of them turned and left. In a few seconds they wereback.
“He has a question he wants to ask you,” said thefather. I was seated in a chair at the end of the table. The boyand I were at eye level. I smiled at him and leaned forward tolisten.
In a shy and serious voice he said, “Are there ever anygnomes under mushrooms?”
I caught by breath. I didn’t laugh. I paused and said,“That’s a really good question.”
I paused again. Leaning forward a little more, I quietly said,“A lot of people will tell you that there aren’t anygnomes under mushrooms, but I don’t think they’re rightabout that.”
Both the father and the soon seemed satisfied. I think it wasthe right answer.
NOVEMBER 14 OUTING Doug Ward
About 45 members, mostly new, gathered at noon on Saturday,November 14, for an introduction to mushroom hunting and gatheringby Brian Luther. After the initial coffeeand goodies, we gathered around a table where Brian identifiedseveral mushrooms that had been gathered prior to the outing andthen gave us a good lesson on the equipment needed when you go intothe woods to hunt mushrooms, how to collect and save mushrooms foridentification, and the features you use to identify mushroomsproperly. We then took off on a 2 1/2 mile walk through the woods.Along the way Brian and Sara Clark identified the fungi we foundand pointed out the habitat and mycorrhizal relationships of thevarious kinds of mushrooms. We carefully gathered and broughtinteresting examples back to the shelter area for furtheridentification. After refilling our coffee and tea cups, we onceagain gathered at the ID table where Brian talked about the speciesthat had been collected.
A surprising number of species were gathered. Among them wereInocybe sp., Coprinus sp., Conocybe sp.,Boletus zelleri, Clitocybe nuda, Pholiota sp., Boletuschrysenteron, Lepiota rachodes, Amanita muscaria, Suilluslakei, Cortinarius sp., Armillariamellea group, Pleurotus ostreatus, Lactariusrubrilacteus, Gomphidius sp., Agaricus campestris, Agaricuspraeclaresquamosus, Stropharia ambigua, Cantharellus cibarius(2), Limacella sp. (fairly rare)
As always, everyone was given the standard caution about nevereating a mushroom that had not been positively identified by aknowledgeable identifier.
We left at about 5:00 PM with brains full of new knowledge andthankfulness that the promised terrible rain had held off untilafter the outing.
PRESERVING AND STORING MUSHROOMS Tom Blades,Mycena News, Myco. Soc. of San Francisco
Should you be fortunate enough to find more mushrooms than youcan reasonably consume while fresh, here are some ways you can dealwith this delectable dilemma.
Preserving
Always start with fresh specimens. Remove dirt and any badparts. Slice into 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick pieces. Some of the mostsuccessful methods of preserving your bounty are given below.
Sautéing and freezing
Sauté in butter or oil, but not olive oil since it addsother flavors. Don’t add any salt. You can use oils with noflavor of their own, but the results are not as good as withbutter.
Mushroom varieties that require a lot of cooking and that hold alot of moisture, such as chanterelles, can be dry sautéed,that is, without using oil or butter, simply placed in a hot pan tocook in their own juices. Place in airtight containers and freeze.For even better results, use a vacuum packer so air in thecontainer won’t make the butter go rancid over time.
Drying
Dry in a food dehydrator for the best and quickest results, butbe sure to set it no higher than 115ºF (if it has athermostat) so the mushrooms are dried without cooking them. Airdrying on screens in the sun works well, but bring them inside atnight. If you are drying on screens inside, you can speed theprocess along by using a heater or fan to circulate the air underthe screens. A convection oven set to no more than 115º alsoworks well. Leave the door slightly ajar to allow moisture toescape. You can also slice and string mushrooms on a string orthread to air dry. You can dry small specimens whole this way.
Blanching (parboiling)
Blanch in salted, boiling water for 2–3 minutes. Plungeinto cold water to stop further cooking. Transfer onto paper towelsto dry. Store in plastic bags in the freezer. Again, a vacuumpacker keeps them longer.
Storing and Reconstituting
Once you’ve preserved your mushrooms, you need to storethem and, when the time is right, reconstitute them.
Storing
Package dried mushrooms into airtight jars. Store in a cool darkplace. You might freeze them for a few days to kill off bugs orkeep them in the freezer. You should place sautéed mushroomsin air-tight containers in serving-sized portions and freeze them.You may process sautéed mushrooms in a food processor untilthe size of rice grains. Then place them in ice cube trays andfreeze them. Store the cubes in plastic bags and use one or twocubes to flavor any soup or sauce.
Reconstituting
Soak dried mushrooms in warm water for 30 min or more. Simmertougher varieties. Save the soaking water for stock or reduce anduse with sauces. (You need not reconstitute mushrooms when makingsoup. Simply toss them into the liquid.) Allow frozensautéed mushrooms to thaw slowly and use immediately.
Tips For Different Species
Morels: Drying works best. You can dry the small oneswhole. You may also sauté and freeze them whole. Don’tfreeze them raw; they turn to mush.
Chanterelles: Sautéing and freezing is best. Whiteand golden chanterelles dry but are leathery. The best preservationmethod for black chanterelles is to dry them.
Boletes: Slice and dry. Pores can be removed from olderspecimens. Dried boletes age well and increase in flavor intensity.Boletes do well sautéed, and you can freeze rock-hard buttonswhole. Grind dry boletes into powder and use for flavoring soups,sauces, etc.
Hedgehogs: Sauté or blanch and freeze. You canalso dry or pickle them.
Lepiota: Slice and dry.
Oysters: Cut into strips and blanch, then freeze.
Agaricus: Dry. Use this method if you find them atbargain prices at the market.
Matsutake: Freeze or pickle. If dried this mushroom losesmuch of its flavor.
MUSHROOM ASTROLOGY Bob Lehman, LAMS
Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 18): You are plodding but thoroughin your mushroom hunting. While Aries has gone off to explore adistant grove of trees and Sagittarius is busy extolling the virtueof mushroom hunting, you work your way through well-tested huntinggrounds and find a respectable number of mushrooms. Your organizingand planning abilities can be valuable in making a foraysuccessful. You make careful identifications before eatinganything.