Remember as we look, that we’re taking in a bird’s eye view of the best times to find wild, edible mushrooms in your area and around the world.
What to Bring When You Go Foraging
Before you head out to find the mushrooms of your dreams, let’s talk gear.
Mushroom Season by Locale
Mushroom hunting very definitely has seasons associated with locations. For the sake of this article, we’ll look at four larger regions with the basic top months for finding the most popular edible fungi in them.
Best Month for Mushroom Hunting in North America
Many of the best edible mushrooms may be found throughout the United States. Be sure to check up on each species before foraging, to ensure they grow in your area.
Chanterelles – April to MayLion’s Mane Mushrooms – April to AugustPorcini Mushrooms – September to NovemberPortobello Mushrooms – Technically year-round, but best in April to May and OctoberCremini Mushrooms – Autumn and winterOyster Mushrooms – April to MayMorels – Mid-March to late June
Be sure to understand if the species you’re looking for grows East or West coast, in temperate or humid climates, and what species of trees they love to grow near.
Best Month for Mushroom Hunting in Australia
Many edible mushrooms species grow natively or have been transplanted into Australian territories. Note that seasons listed reflect local seasons (Australian). Summer is December through February, autumn is March through May, winter runs from June to August, and September through November are the spring months.
Field or Horse Mushrooms – Summer through autumnSlippery Jack Mushrooms – February to MayMorels – February to MaySaffron Milk Cap Mushrooms – February to AugustTurkey Tail Mushrooms – Autumn to late winterBeef Steak Fungus – Late summer into autumnWood Blewit – Autumn and winterOyster Mushrooms – AutumnEnoki or Velvet Shank Mushrooms – Autumn through winterPorcini Mushrooms – AutumnWood Ear Mushrooms – Mid-autumn to early winter, again in early spring
Best Month For Mushroom Hunting in Europe and the UK
In Europe, there are many popular edible mushrooms to forage for. There are far more than we could ever list, but here are some of the top picks for foragers.
St. George’s Mushrooms – April to MayMorels – April to MayFairy Ring Champignons – April to AugustChicken of the Woods – July to AugustPuffball Mushrooms – July to AugustHen of the Woods – July to OctoberBeef Steak Fungus – August to OctoberCharcoal Burner – August to NovemberHedgehog Fungus – August to NovemberHoney Fungus – August to NovemberOyster Mushrooms – Year-roundWood Ear Mushrooms – Year-round
Best Month for Mushroom Hunting in Asia
There are many, many varieties of mushrooms in Asia, both wild and cultivated. The best wild mushrooms can be found as below, many of them specifically Japanese.
Shiitake Mushrooms – Spring and autumnEnoki Mushrooms – Late autumn through winterWood Ear Mushrooms – Mid-autumn to early winter, again in early springOyster Mushrooms – October to AprilMaitake Mushrooms – August through NovemberEryngii or King Oyster Mushrooms – Year-roundMatsutake Mushrooms – AutumnNameko Mushrooms – Autumn through winterShimeji or Beech Mushrooms – Autumn
Tips for Mushroom Foraging
Before we share the other tips, the biggest thing to be aware of as you forage for mushrooms is the need to properly identify the fungi you’re plucking and bringing home. Some mushrooms look almost exactly like others, often with one variety being perfectly tasty and healthy and the other variety being toxic and potentially even lethal, if not dealt with immediately. Because of this, it’s important to know what you’re doing as you forage and learn from a skilled mycologist (mushroom expert) who can help you identify the differences between look-alike mushrooms. Better yet, bring a mycologist along as you forage or bring all your mushrooms to the expert before preparing them for eating. Other tips for mushroom foraging follow.
Use Apps and Books
Since not all of us know mycologists or have them at the ready to accompany us on our foraging outings, there are, thankfully, apps and books that can help us identify mushrooms more safely. One such app is Wild Edibles from Apple or Book of Mushrooms for Android. If neither of these do it for you, there are some lists out there that will likely reveal the one you’re looking for.
Look For Mushrooms After Heavy Rains
Since mushrooms love moist, damp conditions, they’ll be found most easily right after there’s been a good downpour from the heavens. They pop up and grow quickly in rainy seasons or after heavy rain conditions post-drought. Hit up swampy spots along trails, mossy patches, and other locales that seem to collect moisture for best results.
Know Which Fungi Species Grow in Your Area
It might not seem that important, but knowing which species grow in your area can really help you out as you go foraging. Since different species have different favored growing conditions and locations, knowing the species can help you find them more easily.
Find the Right Trees and Fan Outward
Mushrooms have favorite tree species in many cases, and pop up around their roots, on dead trunks, and otherwise nearby these specific species. Morels, for example, love elms and apple trees. Beech mushrooms love – you guessed it – beech trees.
Don’t Pull Mushrooms Out – Cut Them
The parts of the mushroom that we eat are the flowering portions of the fungi. So, like any plant, you’d want to cut the flower off for use, not kill the whole thing by pulling them up out of the ground. Use some garden sheers or kitchen scissors for your foraging expeditions.
Ask Questions and Take Pictures
Because identifying mushrooms can get tricky (and dangerous if done poorly), it’s important to be humble as you do your foraging. Take pictures of the mushrooms you’re not as familiar with and upload them to apps and ask the experts your questions, or ask an expert at your local farmer’s market.
Join a Foraging Club
Chances are, if you’re into foraging mushrooms in your area, other folks are, too. Look online on Facebook, Meetup, and similar social sites to see what clubs are in your area. If there aren’t any, look wider for a non-location specific club. You’ll learn a ton, make new friends, and reduce your chances of picking and eating the wrong mushrooms.
Go After One Mushroom Species
Finally, when you go out foraging, just look for one type of mushroom – not all the types. Starting with one specific species that you can learn really well go identify, research look-alikes on, know how to prepare, and more, will help you build a database over time, and maybe even make you an expert someday.
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