Laetiporus Sulphureus, A.K.A "Chicken of the Woods"
Mushroom hunters out there are probably smacking their lips at the sight of this gorgeous thing. I spotted it from the driveway on my way to work last week, watching it grow, and I eventually got out there for a closer look.
I didn't know it at the time I took the photo, but it's an edible mushroom, one of the "fearless four" that have no poisonous look-alikes. By all accounts it is tasty when young, fried up with butter and garlic.
However, there are warnings that it causes allergic reactions in some people. Being allergic to just about everything, I decided it wasn't worth the risk.
There are quite a few wild foods on our property, from common ones like black walnuts and wild cherries to the more exotic, like sassafras and nettles. One day I hope to work up the courage to try some of them. So far, bramble berries and morel mushrooms are as wild as we get.
Do you forage for wild foods? Any suggestions?
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