WMMA
Charter member Garry Kerrkept
this diary on the growth and development of a fruiting
ofPholiota
squarrosa,which
he discoveredin his raspberry
bed about 5 feet from a huge willow
stump.
Day 1 September 12,
Sunday (perhaps 3-5 daysafter
first breaking through the soil)I
noticed 18-
24 smallgrape-sized puffball
shaped scaly globes in a tightly packed cluster.
Day 3 The globes are
larger, still puffball-like, but now eggyolk
sized. No stipe visible, just a
clump of balls. No insects noticed.
Day 6 Today I noticed
the globes had scaly stalks. Themushrooms
have an excellent mushroomy
smell, like an Agaricus.
Day 8 The scale-covered
brownish yellow caps are nowsilver
dollar sized, but no gills are visible.
Day 9 Caps are larger,
and deforming as they grow into each other. Gills are beginning to show
underneath.
Day 10 Caps getting
teacup saucer size. They still smell good, with a slight almond smell. Still
no
bugs or bug damage.
Day 11 Caps larger &
more irregular
Day 12 Small salad plate
size caps down to silver dollar size. Gills clearly visible on most
specimens.
And I can add that on
day 14, the smell was more of bitter almonds; some of the smaller units
were
coated with brown spores by their taller brothers. The squamules on the
cap were erect and the caps dry,
all the mushrooms joined in a common base.
Sometimes the young
units will appear whitish for a period if they come up in the shade, but
in
even partial sun they turn brownish and yellow quickly.
See Photos
with Kris Love
We love to use those local, natural oyster mushrooms
in any season, since they keep so well. Dried slices keep all
winter in just a plastic bag or glass jar. If they start to look
strange, you can put them in a (clean!) blender or coffee grinder
and whir them into powder. This powder keeps well and it is SO
easy to use a tsp or two to thicken a soup or sauce.
This Stuffing is just one way you can use dried oyster pieces
or powder to flavor up a meal. I usually dunk the oysters in water
and let them soften a bit, but the baking of the bird will cook them
even if they are dry. This will fill a 12# bird.
4 slices of bread (your call)
1 egg
2-3 oz dried oyster mushroom strips or powder
1/2 tthyme
2 tHerbs d’Provance
salt & pepperto taste, stuff it in the bird, and there you go!
