Black Trumpets Mushrooms = Heaven

Ahh black trumpet mushrooms...This particular mushroom reached a nearly mythic status for Mike and I. For one year we found a total of zero black trumpets. Frankly we were starting to question the very existence of the skinkin' things. Then one day about a month ago we stumbled upon a glorious patch of about 3 lbs of them and I've been finding them ever since. And let me tell you they are fantastic. Their delicate nature belies their rich and complex flavor. The 'big three' of the tastiest mushrooms are, in my novice opinion; morels, chanterelles, and black trumpets. If you offered me a choice between a pound of morels or a pound of black trumpets...Well, I'd really have to think about that.

BUT...But they aren't easy to spot. So here's some tips...Looks for oaks then look on the downhill side of them or a flat area near them. There's a theory I read that they grow best in 'washes' where the soil is moist. I've found many of them on old logging roads and even on hillsides so I guess it depends on the rainfall.

When hunting for black trumpets the going is slow because you don't know if they're there until you are right on top of them. So its step, step, look, step, look, repeat.

Welcome

Hello all,

Welcome to The Novice Mushroomer. If you're looking for expert mushroom info and advice you should probably keep looking. This is a site about discovering and learning about this cool hobby.

I just started mushrooming last August 2010 - oh all the wasted years I could have been foraging! Why didn't I think of it sooner?! Oh well...I've learned a lot in a year, but I'm sure I have a lot more to learn.

Here's a link to an excellent mushrooming website with more detailed and experienced info.

The Obligatory Disclaimer

Some mushrooms are poisonous, blah blah blah...Hey listen, just go ahead and take whatever you find in the forest and pop it in your mouth if you want to. The gene pool will soon be rid of your DNA and that's probably a good thing if you're that dumb. But seriously folks here the skinny...Most mushrooms are inedible (read; tastes bad, not digestible). There are some that are poisonous. Of these there are a small number that can kill you. Start with the ones that are easy and work from there, that's what I did. One rule of thumb is that you shouldn't eat a mushroom with gills unless you know what you're doing. White mushrooms with gills are especially dangerous. Got it? Good.