Trad Gang

Just wondering if any of you have ever tried it(the mushroom). I see it all the time when I'm hunting, I found a bunch yesterday, I've heard you only use the outer edges. So what would be the best way to cook it?

According to the survival expert that was our main speaker at the UBM rendezvous several years ago. There isn't any nutritional value in eating a wild a mushroom and the risk/reward isn't worth the risk by eating them.

I'm just saying....

God bless,Mudd

One of the best mushrooms out there but I only find them in the fall around here and as far as I know thats the only time they grow.

You might whant to double check that it is 100% positive a Hen of the woods or Chicken of the woods. There are a few shelf mushrooms that look alot like them and grow year round and they are unsafe to eat.

Got any picks of them??

Tracy

We had them in Washington state when I was growing up.  Not my favorite by any means.  Of coarse we had chantrelles and shaggy manes available during hunting season.

Mike

I'm with Trapper, "chicken of the woods, hen of the woods, rooster comb" all the same but different name.  Only grows in the fall here in Indiana.  Good mushroom, and only need one large one to feed several people.  Tear the mushroom apart and soak it in salt water over night in the refridgerator.  I find this type of mushroom has more bugs, sand and dirt than other mushrooms.  the soaking over night helps rid the bugs and loosen the sand and dirt.
Al

I always thought it was a fall mushroom as well.

Better check it out good before you eat those.

If your not sure don't eat it.  Lots of obituaries occured due to a misidentified mushroom.

I'm with the others, a fall mushroom! Check it out first!

Yes it is a fall shroom.  It is definately my favorite wild mushroom.  It doesn't get any better than a fresh deer strap and a pile of sauted hen of the woods.  We saute them in butter, garlic, salt and pepper to taste.  They are also real good in spaghetti sauce.

Oh jeez I didnt know they were only a fall mushroom, I love finding those big giant puffballs in the fall. I'll try and get some pics next time I run across it. I thought it was hard to confuse this mushroom with any other because there were no other look alikes?

the chicken of the woods is also called the sulfer shelf (laetiporus sulphureus) and is different than the hen of the woods (grifola frondosa). found & ate the chicken (in early summer) - haven't found a hen yet.  Lippe

Being deathly allergic to ALL wild mushrooms, I'll just live vicariously through those of you who can eat them.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/Killdeer/TG%20Uploads/foodforthought.jpg)

These are sometimes blaze orange. There was a huge chicken mushroom at ATAR a couple of Julys ago. Someone harvested it. I have never eaten one. They just LOOK poisonous!   :eek:

One of these days I will.
Killdeer

The Chicken Mushroom or Sulphur Shelf is especially common on large oak trees, logs and stumps, but as implied by the warnings above, it actually boasts a long list of hosts, including those mentioned above and a number of others. It's usually a benign saprobe that decays the wood of dead trees, but under the right circumstances the Chicken Mushroom or Sulphur Shelf can also thrive as a parasite of living trees. The Chicken Mushroom or Sulphur Shelf is primarily a fall mushroom, but specimens may be found from spring through autumn. Be especially wary of springtime specimens, as the visually indistinguishable L. huronensis, which typically grows on Eastern hemlock (especially during spring), has been known to cause gastrointestinal symptoms in many people.

I thought this was going to be a turkey hunting thread......

These are easier for turkeys like me to sneak up on.

Killdeer   :D

Hey, look at the bright side though, if ya can't eat it, smoke it!   :saywhat:

Killdeer thats exactly what it looked like, except it was growing on a dead cherry stump.  I'm gonna just stick to the giant puffballs, I think wakin up dead would ruin my day.

Knowledge is power. Google up "chicken mushroom" and learn about it, then decide.

Killdeer

Yuuuuk!   :D

ummm... can sumbody plz explain to me how you wake up dead?

You've been alive long enough to know that!
You look in the bathroom mirror and your tongue is hanging out and there are little exes where your eyes oughta be.

Killdeer  

Do yourselves a favor and pick up a copy of the "National Audobon Society Field Guide to Mushrooms " Lots of color pics and the book is designed to cross check and triple check so that you know you are eating an edible mushroom.
I have harvested to Hen of the woods and chicken mushroom. (two different mushrooms) Good eating both. Looks and tastes a lot like breast meat of a chicken.
One thing to bear in mind on any mushroom. Mushrooms have absolutely no nutritional value. ie: you ingest a pound of mushrooms and you pass a pound of mushrooms.Eating in smaller quantities keeps from overloading your digestive system. Done it once, not good.

Here's chicken of the woods in July in Wisconsin that I placed next to an Indian Pipe. Get'm fresh and eat the outer edges sauteed in butter, very flavorful but they get tough quickly.

(http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo306/bhaukom/ChickenoftheWoods.jpg)

How do you wake up dead? Not totaly sure but I do know it probly wouldnt be a good thing lol