Top 20 Edible Mushrooms Popular in Vermont
Boasting a rich and varied ecosystem, Vermont offers an ideal environment for mycophiles. Forests blanketed with deciduous trees and lush undergrowth create a fertile breeding ground for the 20 most common edible mushrooms. In this guide, you will find detailed descriptions, including their unique appearances, distinctive flavors, specific habitats, and versatile culinary uses. So, grab a basket, because it's time to unearth the fungal treasures nestled in the heart of Vermont.
* Disclaimer: Content feedback CAN NOT be used as any basis for EATING ANY PLANTS. Some plants can be VERY POISONOUS, please purchase edible plants through regular channels.
Most Popular Edible Mushrooms
1. Dryad's saddle
A familiar sight to spring morel hunters, dryad's saddle is noteworthy for its large size, striking scales, and watermelon-like smell. Similar to other mushrooms in the bracket fungi family, dryad's saddle can be used to make paper. Younger mushrooms are better suited for this purpose due to their smaller and more consistent fibers.
2. Chicken of the woods
Chicken of the woods is very noticeable in hardwood forests, appearing in clusters on standing tree trunks in bright orange and yellow hues that sometimes last through the entire winter. It is a parasite that causes an unfortunate brown heart rot, and is considered a particularly troublesome pest of Yew trees. If the fruitbodies can be seen, the tree is likely already beyond saving.
3. Shaggy mane
The shaggy mane mushroom is commonly found in North American and European grasslands. Some peoples foraged for its young egg-shaped caps, but it has more recently been found to be a bioaccumulator of heavy metals, meaning it pulls toxic metals up from the soil where it grows. As a result, shaggy manes should not be eaten. The mushrooms usually appear in clusters or “fairy rings.”
4. Bear's head tooth
The bear's head tooth is a white fungus that is often described as having a "shaggy" or mop-like appearance. It gets its common name from the appendages it grows, which resemble long teeth. The fungus is native to North America and grows on both living and rotting hardwood trees.
5. Coral tooth fungus
Coral tooth fungus (Hericium coralloides) is a species of coral mushroom most frequently sighted on dead or decaying hardwoods. Generally, younger specimens are white and become increasingly yellowish as they mature. Found around the world, the Māori refer to this species as pekepekekiore.
6. American slippery jack
A common sight underneath white pines in the summertime, the american slippery jack lives up to its name with its slimy cap, reminiscent of chicken fat's consistency. The subdued, yellow-brown hue is also the same color.
7. Violet coral
The striking violet coral (Clavaria zollingeri) is most common in the eastern part of North America, although it can also be found elsewhere. The clustered, branching fruitbody looks spectacularly similar to an underwater coral, in both shape and color. This species is distinguished by the antler-like pattern with which each frond branches.
8. Pear-shaped puffball
The mushrooms of this species grow in such tight clusters that they may cover fallen trees and stumps almost entirely in a brownish, puffy coat. Pear-shaped puffballs appear all around the northern hemisphere on decaying hardwoods from fall through winter.
9. Giant puffball
These distinctive round, white fungi appear around the world in fields and at the edges of wooded areas. Living up to its name, a single giant puffball can grow as large as a watermelon. They have no stems, and produce trillions of spores that release into the air through holes in “puffs.” They have been used as slow-burning tinder and produce copious smoke when set aflame. Giant puffballs are technically edible, but should only be consumed when the mushroom is young and firm.
10. Common puffball
These puffy mushrooms grow in small groups on the forest floor. Once they're mature, common puffballs turn yellow and "puff out" smoke-like spore clouds when disturbed. Be very careful when identifying these mushrooms, as their young, immature form looks very similar to the lethal Deathcap.
More
