Damned stubborn Chinese woman!

[knloregon]

"...We have four edible mushrooms that grow in my yard: shaggy manes, morels, puff balls and chanterelles. I only eat the shaggy manes because I cannot surely identify the others...except for the morel which I don't particularly like..."

 

Lucky sob.... ALL of those are prime edibles, and I can't believe they are growing in your yard ! ---I have to drive to my secret spots...

 

And they all should be very easy to identify--except morels need to be distinguished from false morels, quite easy------puffballs should be cut in half----if the outer shell totally encompasses the inner core---ie. globe----its safe, and can't be a young Amanita, which would show the formation of a cap inside.

 

Each of these mushrooms is substantially different----morels (brain-like top) are soft, earthy, and when cooked, make their own savory gravy----excellent with venison! but unfortuately, a spring mushroom, months away from the hunting season.. Take that venison (or elk) steak out of the freezer !

 

Shaggy mane is a gilled mushroom---but shaggy. Young, it cooks up great! and also produces some liquid. Older, it gets inky---first the gills go from pink to black, (still edible, but stronger taste) then the whole mushroom dissolves into a purplish liquid vry similar to squid ink.

 

Young puff ball is most like the store-bought variety, except firmer, and more flavor, and chanterelle------ah...the great autumn mushroom coming on now! Very firm, (not wet) super fragrant, meaty, and a great mushroom to dry. Still have some from last autumn, and just opening the jar releases its wonderful fragrance---should be a favorite with Chinese cooks---is at this house!