Fungi Friday - Coral and Oysters in the Forest

Here are a few finds of the week for this #fungifriday by @ewkaw

Ramaria formosa is out everywhere. Sadly this is not edible and can cause stomach aches if eaten. Also it is rather bland if you do try and eat it.

I wish it was edible because there was so much of it out everywhere.

At least they look pretty cool, like a sea coral of some kind. Some of these ramaria species are edible and they taste great with a sort of pasta texture after cooking. The two best edible ramaria are crown tipped coral and pink tipped coral. There are also some orange and purple colored ones that are edible that grow in South America.

Nearby I found a strange mold attacking some of the older ramaria. This happens when it is hot and humid in summer. The mushrooms get soaked and kind of cooked in the heat then mold takes over.

I found a motherload of summer oysters growing on a dead oak tree.

Sadly these are slightly past their prime. I like to harvest summer oysters when they are a bit smaller before gnats attack them.

Technically these are still edible and they could be harvested, cooked and dehydrated for use in soups.

This batch is a bit too old to harvest. Once they start turning yellowish that means they are starting to rot a bit. Also the summer rains have soaked them with too much water hastening the rotting process.

Summer oysters are best when there is one big rain then a slightly windy day afterwards. This will let them grow into their best form and have a good texture for cooking. If there is just heat and rain they are soggy and rotted and often brittle and end up slimy when cooking. Fortunately these are very common around here and I can check after the next rain for new ones.

That's all for now happy hunting and #fungifriday