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Is this chicken of the woods? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 2 months ago by Kalcifer@sh.itjust.works to c/foraging@lemm.ee

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Found in Cascadia/PNW in mid-August.

If it is indeed chicken of the woods (ie laetiporus), I'm curious as to which species.

Cross-posts:

https://sh.itjust.works/post/23666921

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[–] evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I'm sure I read it somewhere, but I just checked one of my books, and it doesn't say that, and reading online, I can't find anything with evidence either way. Seems like the main risk is of you don't clean them very well and get a lot of plant matter encased in it. Doesn't take much yew to make you sick.

Either way, though, thanks for calling me out! I don't live near any yews, so it's not something I've ever had to think about.

[–] Kalcifer@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

Seems like the main risk is of you don’t clean them very well and get a lot of plant matter encased in it. Doesn’t take much yew to make you sick.

I've heard that one is only supposed to eat the newest/youngest growth on chicken of the woods (the portion along the edge) [1.1][2]. The older/woodier growth towards the middle, and, by extension, the anchor to the substrate where the potentially troublesome plant matter might still be attached, shouldn't be eaten as it has a higher likelihood of causing gastric upset [1.2].

References

"Foraging and Cooking Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms". Paul Stamets. YouTube. Published: 2020-09-06 (Accessed: 2024-08-19T00:38Z). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K8HuTHTyP8
1. - T00:00:44
    
    this mushroom is — it tastes like chicken […] especially on the first two inches of the margin.
  - T00:00:53
    
    [Chicken of the woods] sours with bacteria very quickly. And so I caution you not to eat the interiors or where it's discolored.
2. T00:01:00
  
  here are signs of bacteria growing so this can cause GI upset
"Chicken Of The Woods: A Guide To Sulphur Shelf Mushrooms in British Columbia". Vancouver Island Mushrooms. Published: 2024-03-25T09:54:59 (Accessed: 2024-08-19T00:47Z). https://www.westcoastforager.com/wild-edible-mushrooms/chicken-of-the-woods.
- only the most tender parts of the mushroom near the margin should be eaten.
- Starting at their base, chicken of the woods mushrooms become pale and the texture becomes more like cork as they get older.