The March mushroom of the month is ๐๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ด, the Shaggy Ink Cap!.
๐ to Jeff for naming that mushroom correctly and becoming the 1,293th member of Central Texas Mycology! Become a supporting member to stay dialed-in with events & discover next monthโs mystery mushroom.
About the Shaggy INK CAP
aka Shaggy Mane, Lawyerโs Wig
This common, saprophytic mushroom grows throughout North America and the UK, and has been introduced to Australia and Iceland. The young fruit bodies first appear as white cylinders emerging from the ground, then the bell-shaped caps open out. The caps are white, and covered with scalesโthis is the origin of the common names of the fungus. The gills beneath the cap are white, then pink, then turn black and secrete a black liquid filled with spores (hence the "ink cap" name)
CAN I EAT IT?
Absolutely
The shaggy ink cap is an edible mushroom that was a part of the culinary experience in generations past. It must be harvested when young because it dissolves itself in a matter of hours after being picked in order to spread its spores. A recipe featuring it appears in the 1899 cookbook โOne Hundred Mushroom Receipts.โ The flavor is mild and cooking produces a great deal of liquid. Large quantities of microwaved-then-frozen shaggy manes can be used as the liquid component of risotto, replacing the usual chicken stock
Foraging tips
The shaggy ink cap is an opportunistic species that thrives in disturbed urban areas such as lawns, alongside gravel roads and in waste area. Here in central Texas. Look for it popping up after rain when temps are mild.
Be careful not to confuse the shaggy inkcap with the 'vomiter' mushroom Chlorophyllum molybdites which is responsible for most cases of mushroom poisoning due to its similarity with shaggy mane and other edible mushrooms.
BECOME A SUPPORTING MEMBER & stay Dialed in with events & discover next monthโs mystery mushroom
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