Most obviously they have spongy gills totally unlike those of any shop-
Most obviously, they have spongy gills totally unlike those of any shop- bought button mushroom, which are white at first before gradually turning yellow. The result is that when they try to identify the two dozen species in their basket, the process takes hours, with the majority of the haul remaining in the “not sure” pile. Of those identified with absolute certainty, the chances are that none will be edible.A far more sensible introduction is to search for just one particularly edible type. At this time of year this might be chanterelles (on gently sloping mossy banks beneath oak, chestnut or beech), parasols (in rough unimproved pasture) or, best of all, ceps (along damp woodland edges and hedgerows).The last, Boletus edulis – sometimes known by its Italian name of porcino – is the perfect beginner’s mushroom.
Novices, though, almost always make the mistake of collecting far too much. This was just the “first flush”, and the October rains should trigger another burst of activity.To take up mushrooming, essentially all you need is a good field guide. It seems that the British have an innate distrust of wild fungi. Most of us believe the only good mushroom is one which sits safely on the supermarket shelf, neatly wrapped in cling film and blue plastic.This is pity, because Britain’s mild. wet climate is ideally suited to many of the most delicious species of edible fungi, and this autumn conditions are particularly good. September, for example, saw a record crop of ceps (I picked well over 50 kilos in four one-hour forays).
Given this largesse, there for the taking, one might expect a miniature repeat of the Klondike. Certainly that is the situation across the Channel, where every weekend the woods are alive with townsfolk collecting fungi of every conceivable shape, size and colour, both for their own use and for sale.
Things are different here, however. This autumn, conditions are particularly good for mushrooms. Daniel Butler offers a guide to finding the tasty cep, or ‘porcino’. Photograph: John Miller/GPL
Britain’s woods at this time of year are full of gold.
Across the country wild fungi, worth pounds 15 a kilo wholesale and up to pounds 40 retail, are thrusting their way through pasture and leaf mould. The only thing that frightens her is the possibility that she may fail.But she has every intention of succeeding. Naturally, she wants to become the first person to make the crossing; but, far more than that, she is determined to show the world that cancer is not invincible, and to lighten other sufferers’ darkness by “putting out a stunning image of survival”.Funds are still needed to finance the expedition Call 01865 863391 for further details.. We’ll travel the final 2,000 miles down the Yukon River, on the ice, and the temperature may hit 70 below.” From previous visits she knows that the Yukon is “some mammoth river”, a mile wide, with banks in places 400ft high.As she left England, she professed herself undaunted by the physical hazards ahead. After a slow start, Wendy is hoping to average 50 miles a day, and to complete the route in six months. Because she will need a lot of fat, to keep out the cold, she will have every excuse for indulging her one serious gastronomic weakness – for mayonnaise and bacon sandwiches.”We won’t hit true wilderness till we get to Whitehorse, in the Yukon,” she predicts “That’s when the real adventure will start.