Hunters and Gatherers.. [General]
2007 Sep 22
My parents sometimes go Chanterelle-hunting with their Swiss club in the rainforests of Vancouver Island but I haven't heard of anything similar happening around Ottawa. I love eating mushrooms but wouldn't trust myself to separate the edible specimens from the toxic ones in the wild. If there were some kind of local course or field trip on the subject that would be really cool.
Please note: It was only through Herculean willpower that I was able to avoid making a dumb "fun-guy" pun in the above text. I would appreciate very much if any future contributors to this topic would please also make every effort to exert a similar amount of self-restraint. ;-)
Please note: It was only through Herculean willpower that I was able to avoid making a dumb "fun-guy" pun in the above text. I would appreciate very much if any future contributors to this topic would please also make every effort to exert a similar amount of self-restraint. ;-)
2007 Sep 22
I too would love it if there was some sort of local mushroom picking course in this area. I LOVE mushrooms but do admit that I haven't been so 'adventurous' in trying different kinds of mushrooms. There was king eryngii mushrooms with my meal at Whalesbone last week which were heavenly!
Agreed with FF, I seen people picking mushrooms on the west coast...this was up north though in the forest/mountains of Alaska and the Yukon. There were the most beautifully coloured mushrooms I had ever seen and of all shapes and sizes.....but of course, I was too scared to pick any (lack of knowledge) for fear of becoming ill and/or having a too groovy time!
Agreed with FF, I seen people picking mushrooms on the west coast...this was up north though in the forest/mountains of Alaska and the Yukon. There were the most beautifully coloured mushrooms I had ever seen and of all shapes and sizes.....but of course, I was too scared to pick any (lack of knowledge) for fear of becoming ill and/or having a too groovy time!
2007 Sep 22
I believe the only established mushroom-picking group in the area is Les mycologues amateurs de l'Outaouais (www.mao-qc.ca/). They go out as a group from time to time to pick, and they have experts who will help you identify the mushrooms afterward (to ensure everybody survives the outing!). I haven't been out with them yet, though I hope to. I understand they have a few English-speakers in the group, so don't be shy...
2007 Sep 22
I'd love to take a mycologist led mushroom picking excursion. Where my family is from (Northern Ontario), mushroom and berry picking is quite common, but it requires a proper forest bed to grow in properly, mixed with the right weather conditions, from what I understand. I don't know if Ottawa is an ideal location for this type of food gathering...
2007 Sep 23
Chimichimi,
Trust me, there are tons of mushrooms "out there".....some sites are obviously better than others, and some seasons are better than others. I spend a good 5 out of 7 days out in the woods because of my work, and it irks me to no end that I am not confident enough to even pick the ones I feel I should be sure of. I run in botanic circles---perhaps I can locate a mycologist who might be willing to do this---and I can try to organize an outing next year.
I went to the Outaouais site recommended by Kombu above, but my French is so poor I could not work my way through it. I did note that Larose Forest was listed in one of the expeditions. It's a place I already know and spend a great deal of time in.
Kristl
Trust me, there are tons of mushrooms "out there".....some sites are obviously better than others, and some seasons are better than others. I spend a good 5 out of 7 days out in the woods because of my work, and it irks me to no end that I am not confident enough to even pick the ones I feel I should be sure of. I run in botanic circles---perhaps I can locate a mycologist who might be willing to do this---and I can try to organize an outing next year.
I went to the Outaouais site recommended by Kombu above, but my French is so poor I could not work my way through it. I did note that Larose Forest was listed in one of the expeditions. It's a place I already know and spend a great deal of time in.
Kristl
2007 Sep 26
Many years ago I went on a walk with the Ottawa Outing Club led by Ottawa botanist Martha Webber. She is usually asked to lead hikes by local clubs along the theme of edible wild plants. After paying a quick visit to the OOC website they don't seem to do hikes anymore but you might find her leading hikes with the Ottawa Field Naturalists. She usually leads hikes with already established groups like OFN so you might want to keep your eyes peeled. I'm not sure if Martha ever does hikes focussing on mushrooms but she is very knowledgeable and certainly worth your time if you can join up on one of her hikes.
2007 Oct 15
I just found out from another group I'm in that there is an Amateur Mycologists Association in Outaouais: www.mao-qc.ca/. If you are still interested in foraging for mushrooms their last excursion is this Sunday and the expedition is led by Dr. Yolande Dalpé who is a senior research scientist with the central experimental farm. Not sure if you need to be a member to join their hikes but their outings look interesting.
Kristl
Having only recently joined this forum---I am curious if there is anyone here who (like me) has a peculiar obsession with food from the wild and specifically mushrooms?
What do I mean to say?
I am a botanist-naturalist-horticulturalist by profession who spends a great deal of time hiking around in wild places (both locally and in far-away locations) for my business. I am also European in background, which may explain my obsession (many Germans of my generation at least have a particular and rather profound connection with nature, and the treasures it yields for the stomach, and for health.)
Thus, one of my loves is finding wonderful edibles in the wild and creating yummy things out of wild fruit, herbs, etc. This has a long history in my life---and I could fill pages with what is "out there" and delicious. But....
What is currently obsessing me is mushrooms. Mushroom gathering is a huge preoccupation overseas--and a terrific way to combine a love of being in wild places with being productive. Mushroom gathering is something rarely engaged in by North Americans. Perhaps most individuals do not feel themselves confident enough to separate the edible from the poisonous species. Or perhaps we have all become too disconnected from the sources of our food and would rather just buy what we eat.
Is there anyone on board who knows perhaps more than me about fungi and has an interest in sharing information and locations?
Kristl