Boletus edulis, aka; Ceps, Porcini,Borowik, Steinpilz or in plain English 'pennybuns' are top of the list on forays and a good find always earns bragging rights amongst foragers much in the the way a fish does amongst fishermen and in fungi land there's also 'the one that got away!' deemed as too old or over munched by slugs and others in the woods, recounted with dismay.
A Cep in it's prime is a worthy prize or reward for the eager hunter, when you find one that is perfect in condition, no bites, no slugs lurking under the cap,it feels good, dense with a powerful mushroom aroma. this is the mushroom that is sought after most for commercial picking, dried it's flavour is intense yet refined yielding up extra 'umami' lifting the taste taste of soups,stews and sauces throughout winter. Check the ingredient listing on a packet of mushroom soup in the supermarket it usually gets a percentage mention.
Some years are better than others for mushrooms and mushrooms appear in different areas at different times, it means patrolling your spots and getting to know when they produce best, because 'it rained yesterday after a few warm days' doesn't necessarily mean your going to get a mushroom, they're a bit too moody for convention.
What to observe.
the cap. Brown
the tubes/gills. White, creamy, yellow turning olive green with age.
the stem/stipe. Thick,rotund, Light brown white with a reticulate{mesh like ridges} surface on the lower half.
the flesh. Firm and white.
the smell. Mushroom.
the habitat. Spruce ,pine, larch forest, Beech woods and with Oak.
 after they've been growing in a dry spell and get a good soaking they explode! |
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| always nice to weigh them in '44gms and perfect shape' |
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| 'hung out to dry' |
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