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2025 Shrooms

It is still early, but I got some nice ones today from the usual patches on my place and left behind a boatload of little ones.

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I was not surprised to find some, but I was very surprised by how many there were and how well grown they were. I walked these spots 10 days ago and there was no sign of golden life in the duff. I hope this is some indication of what's to come in the next month or so. Could be a banner year for Chanterelles. I ate some with dinner tonight and they were fantastic.
 
Bummer. I have noticed in the last few years that in some of my spots I habitually find them early at the end of June to first part of July, some are reliably right on schedule in mid July to early August and some are habitually later in mid to late August. I have no idea why, but my earliest reliable spot and latest one is only a few hundred yards apart.
 
Brock, you better go check on your Chanterelle patch. I went for a walk Wednesday in my best honey holes and found some Chants every place I looked and brought home about 3lbs worth. I checked my spots on my place today after I got done mowing and they were up everywhere and in better numbers than I recall ever seeing this early. I filled two buckets, about 7lbs worth, with some really nice and pretty ones and will go back tomorrow and get just about than many more. Off to a kick-ass start to Chanterelle season.

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Nice morning in my enchanted mushroom woods. :) That is 12lbs of Chanterelles. Puts me up to 31lbs total so far. FYI, for anyone who is canning these I've been keeping track of how much fungus will fill how many jars. On average, 1 pound of fresh Chanterelles will fill two 1/2-pint jars (or 1 pint jar) after being steamed soft enough to pack in the jars.

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Took a walk around my place again today to check for new fungi. My Chanterelle patches are still pushing up nice mushrooms and some fresh Oysters in the middle of one of them. Has been a banner year for Chanterelles here, and we are only halfway through the best time. I have canned all I care to. I have no doubt that if it keeps raining and stays warm, I'll still be getting them a few weeks from now if I bother to go look. Another good haul today with minimal effort. I'll be eating the prettiest of these but have other plans for the lion's share...

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I'm going to start drying them and grinding into powder. I am also going to dry them in larger pieces to rehydrate later on. It takes lots of mushrooms to make powder. I have been drying older tougher Pheasant backs for a couple of years and grinding into powder in the spring. Makes a tasty sprinkle-on addition for many things, can act as a binder in sauces instead flour. Never mind the nutritional value. Chanterelle powder must surely be even better, right? :D

Here is the caveat.
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My El Cheapo (but perfectly capable) dehydrator as full of Chanterelle pieces as I could get it produced a whopping 1/2 cup of pure mushroom powder. Good thing I can get them by the truckload, lol.
 
Took a walk around my place again today to check for new fungi. My Chanterelle patches are still pushing up nice mushrooms and some fresh Oysters in the middle of one of them. Has been a banner year for Chanterelles here, and we are only halfway through the best time. I have canned all I care to. I have no doubt that if it keeps raining and stays warm, I'll still be getting them a few weeks from now if I bother to go look. Another good haul today with minimal effort. I'll be eating the prettiest of these but have other plans for the lion's share...

View attachment 210596


I'm going to start drying them and grinding into powder. I am also going to dry them in larger pieces to rehydrate later on. It takes lots of mushrooms to make powder. I have been drying older tougher Pheasant backs for a couple of years and grinding into powder in the spring. Makes a tasty sprinkle-on addition for many things, can act as a binder in sauces instead flour. Never mind the nutritional value. Chanterelle powder must surely be even better, right? :D

Here is the caveat.
View attachment 210597

My El Cheapo (but perfectly capable) dehydrator as full of Chanterelle pieces as I could get it produced a whopping 1/2 cup of pure mushroom powder. Good thing I can get them by the truckload, lol.
WOW! That is some haul. I've powdered mushrooms for a long time. Great way to preserve them. I like doing hens in the fall the best. What a concentrated flavor. Same with chants. Great for making a roux. Dehydrating chants always came back rubbery for me.
 
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I left July 9 for vacation. No signs of chanterelles at that time. returned the 26th couldn't check a good spot until yesterday briefly. found only two old ones where I expected to be a graveyard of old shrooms. Last year my best haul was July 16th. I was told it was extremely dry while we were gone. I feel I've missed this season. I'll check a few spots today or tomorrow with the decent rains we had.
 
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