Are Mushrooms a Vegetable?

Are Mushrooms a Vegetable & Where Do They Fit on the Food Pyramid? It’s no secret that mushrooms have been part of the human diet for decades and are a delight in a vast assortment of dishes. However, there’s one question that keeps cropping up. Are mushrooms a vegetable? While mushrooms are typically classified as … Read more

The Mysterious Jack O’ Lantern Mushroom

The Jack O’Lantern Mushroom The Jack O’Lantern mushroom is classified into two main species; Omphalotus illudens from the East and Omphalotus olearius from the West. It is a poisonous mushroom, meaning it’s not edible, named after its glow and dark orange color. Since this mushroom is poisonous and commonly mistaken for edible species like Chanterelle, … Read more

What are the Four Categories of Mushrooms?

What is a Mushroom? A mushroom is a fruiting body of a kind of fungus. A fungus is a group of spore-producing organisms including mold, yeasts mushrooms, and toadstools. There are over 14,000 species of mushrooms among which there are only 14,000 known species. Mushrooms can be poisonous, medicinal or edible. A number of species … Read more

The Best Mushroom Hunting Books

Mushroom Foraging Book Recommendations There is a lot to consider when buying a mushroom identification guide. After all, you want a good one so you can trust the ID. With a plethora of books on the market, it is hard to know which ones are worth the money. The best guides are ones that focus … Read more

How to Forage Mushrooms Sustainably

Sustainable Mushroom Foraging: If You Love Mushrooms, Protect Them Foraging mushrooms means many different things to many different people. For some, it is a casual activity, enjoyed on walks and hikes. To others, it is a treasure hunt, with the goal of finding specific species and types. And then, some do it solely for profit. … Read more

Cooking with Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a nutritious and delicious culinary addition. Most folks are only familiar with the common white button mushroom, portabellos, and possibly shiitake mushrooms. The realm of edible mushrooms goes far beyond this, though. And, each one deserves its’ own culinary treatment. Oyster, Shiitake, Lion’s Mane, Morels, Enoki, Chicken of the Woods, and Maitake mushrooms … Read more

Trees and Fungi: Their Secret Partnership

Trees and Fungi: Their Secret Partnership Trees definitely might be the rock star(s) of the forest, but they co-exist with smaller plant life and organisms.  These little organisms, fungi and mushrooms, are valuable and can demand a high price at market. What is the importance of the relationship between trees and mycorrhiza (a “symbiotic association … Read more

Social Distancing? Why Mushroom Hunting Might be the Perfect COVID-19 Activity

Why Mushroom Hunting Might be the Perfect COVID-19 Activity? These are tough times that we are going through at the moment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to obey the orders and respect social distancing. A real bummer, especially if you are someone who likes to be active. But the truth is that we can … Read more