View Full Version : Mushroom picking in NJ?
Hello, WB! New poster here out of Essex County, NJ. Planning to do some hiking this Sunday with my boyfriend and would like to know if wild mushrooms have started to grow in this area yet and where they can be found.
Thanks! :sun
I hate to burst your bubble but no mushroom picker is going to tell you where their hotspot is.
Well that's not very helpful, but thanks anyway.
I'm trying to use reverse psychology on them. Pickers are secretive maniacs and trickery is the only way you can get them to talk. If that fails, you take a walk in the woods and try to find pickers. Take note of their location and come back the next morning before the sun comes up. Take a weapon with you because they won't be happy.
I'm a veteran of the Morel Wars.
YoungMoose
04-11-2009, 14:19
not to be mean but are you dumb. Just last year 3 people died becuase they ate a wild mushroom. i dont care if you know what type it is. the soil can still be contaminated.
not to be mean but are you dumb. Just last year 3 people died becuase they ate a wild mushroom. i dont care if you know what type it is. the soil can still be contaminated.
Why eat anything then?
warraghiyagey
04-11-2009, 15:31
While there are a few sure bets with wild mushrooms, I leave you with this. . . the highest percentage of mushroom fatalities in the world are 'mushroom experts.' Choose carefully.:)
kayak karl
04-11-2009, 17:02
Hello, WB! New poster here out of Essex County, NJ. Planning to do some hiking this Sunday with my boyfriend and would like to know if wild mushrooms have started to grow in this area yet and where they can be found.
Thanks! :sun
i met a Princeton professor in the pines picking mushrooms. he grew up in Italy. said they have a saying.
"There are Bold mushroom gathers and there are Old mushroom gatherers, but there are no Old Bold mushroom gathers":)
this was his basket.http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/2959023383_ec19fc6a16.jpg?v=0
Toolshed
04-11-2009, 20:05
not to be mean but are you dumb. Just last year 3 people died becuase they ate a wild mushroom. i dont care if you know what type it is. the soil can still be contaminated.
With tact like that I bet you're a real treasure to be on the trail with.
not to be mean but are you dumb. Just last year 3 people died becuase they ate a wild mushroom. i dont care if you know what type it is. the soil can still be contaminated.
Wow! That is one of the most ignorant things I have ever read.:mad:
Dumb is a strong word,especially from a 14 year old talking to his elders.:confused:
The soil? :rolleyes:
I have to quit now,easy target.:-?
Kid,get your ***** together before you spit this crap out. Maybe some parental guidance is in order? :(
Wait'll the kid figures out where KFC get's their birds from.
Wise Old Owl
04-11-2009, 21:21
Please don't bring KFC's or Geno's into this as I worked 24 hours (2 days) there and was sick looking at the racid birds that were frozen & covered in visable bacteria. - Yes I quit.
Wise Old Owl
04-11-2009, 21:25
Kayak & Sunfish, hey if you know what you are doing thats great, I eat things that would make a goat puke.... I eat mushrooms, but I have made some major mistakes in the past and the poison from mussels took 6 months to leave my body and I won't take the chances we are discussing here.
You wouldn't get what his name to bite a head of a bat either........
Okay, I'll weigh in with a book recommendation. It's an older title on my shelf I once bought for my grandfather who was an avid morel gatherer. I once thought I might like to have a copy of my own. A few years ago, it came back to me.
See Orson & Hope Miller's Mushrooms (http://www.mushrooms-millers.com/pages/books_by_the_millers.htm) for more information. Read About the Millers (http://www.mushrooms-millers.com/pages/about_us_dr_orson_k_miller.htm) too if you didn't already.
The standard text on this subject when I studied botany was written by Alexopoulos, et al. I read some years ago Dr. Alexopoulos passed on and a quick search revealed the most recent 4th edition of this book may no longer be the preferred text.
catfishrivers
04-11-2009, 22:26
last summer it seemed June was when all the different mushies started showing up in my parts of northern nj. Cheesequake park in southern nj was a great spot. I found so many chicken if the woods there. Eastern cauliflower and cinnebar chanterelles often also. But I doubt there's much coming ip yet even there...
catfishrivers
04-11-2009, 22:33
not to be mean but are you dumb. Just last year 3 people died becuase they ate a wild mushroom. i dont care if you know what type it is. the soil can still be contaminated.
If you take the time to learn how to identify mushrooms, including the 10 or do fatally poisonous ones, then mushroom hunting can be an awesomely satisfying hobbey. Just never eat anything you are less than 100% sure you identified correctly. No need to demonize mushroom hunting. Just educate yourself thoroughly and don't be in a rush to ingest what you find. Eventually, certain types will be easy to spot with ertainty...
Click here (http://www.amazon.com/Joes-Book-Mushroom-Cookery-Czarnecki/dp/0028621743/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1239506853&sr=11-1) for reviews on amazon.com. Joe's Restaurant was a well-known establishment in Reading, Pennsylvania which closed a bit over 10 years ago when it's 3rd-generaton owner relocated to Oregon.
For a real treat, scroll all the way down to read both reviews at the bottom and formulate your own opinion.
To learn more about Jack Czarnecki, click on The Master of Mushroom Cookery (http://www.motherearthnews.com/Nature-Community/1987-03-01/The-Master-of-Mushroom-Cookery.aspx) for an article published by Mother Earth News.
Any book(s) you recommend?
Feral Bill
04-12-2009, 00:31
Wow! That is one of the most ignorant things I have ever read.:mad:
Dumb is a strong word,especially from a 14 year old talking to his elders.:confused:
The soil? :rolleyes:
I have to quit now,easy target.:-?
Kid,get your ***** together before you spit this crap out. Maybe some parental guidance is in order? :(
I've seen lots worse on this site from "mature adults". Read a few more of OBBP's posts before condemming the kid.
sasquatch2014
04-12-2009, 07:57
Just came through there last week not really much popping up saw a few LBM just past a stile but nothing to write home about. The rain will help if we can now get a few good warm days stuff should start to fruit.
If your into mushrooms and you have on demand look at the Science Channel, a show called Brink, then look for the episode called Mushrooms can save the world. Cool stuff.
I really appreciate all of your replies, even the one from the 14 year old. I grew up in Russia and the favorite pastime for all the kids was mushroom picking. Though I haven't been extensively studying mushrooms, I know not to eat everything I pick up and will make sure to identify it before I put it in my mouth. I like mushroom hunting for the thrill of the chase but I wouldn't even know where to look around here. It's not like Russia where you can walk into practically any forest and find edibles. ;)
saimyoji
04-12-2009, 11:30
the great thing about mushrooms is you don't always have to eat it to get sick. in some species the toxins can be absorbed across your skin, and in others the spores are toxic.
that said, i've picked wild mushrooms in the wetlands here in PA and had great meals from. also note that some mushrooms are harmless until you add certain other ingredients that activate the toxins....like alcohol.
Morels are coming. They'll probably be here by the end of the week in my neck of the woods. NJ is probably about 2 weeks away-
http://thegreatmorel.com/2009.html
beakerman
04-13-2009, 04:43
Morels are coming. They'll probably be here by the end of the week in my neck of the woods. NJ is probably about 2 weeks away-
http://thegreatmorel.com/2009.html
zoid...is that middletown as in just up river of TMI? I used to live there on Pine street--the old school house at the corner of Pine and Keller to be exact. Anyway I used to hunt/pick mushrooms all the time around there. I love morels and puffballs--you got to be careful and cut them inhalf to make sure they haven't started to turn yet and don't have gills--those are unopened aminitas--very bad indeed.
Anyway good luck and pick a peck for me too!!
zoid...is that middletown as in just up river of TMI? I used to live there on Pine street--the old school house at the corner of Pine and Keller to be exact. Anyway I used to hunt/pick mushrooms all the time around there. I love morels and puffballs--you got to be careful and cut them inhalf to make sure they haven't started to turn yet and don't have gills--those are unopened aminitas--very bad indeed.
Anyway good luck and pick a peck for me too!!
That would be the same Middletown. You used to live very close to my Dad's house... And I know exactly what house you're talking about.
So............. still remember where any of those spots are? Willing to share?:D
beakerman
04-13-2009, 04:59
sorry chief the goldfish has taken over on detail stuff like that. I'm lucky I can remember living there. I only did three years there then moved out west. I only get back to the east coast about once every other year and I go back to Western Maryland when I do so I don't get a lot of refresher moments if you know what I mean.
One of the things I remember most about that place is the huge windows and enormously thick walls which lead to equally wide window sills. I used to set my little weber up on the window sill in my kitchen, close the kitchen door, open both windows and grill steaks in the winter. The boys down at the fire house (just around the corner) thought I was nuts at first until they realized what I was doing.
I also recall the last winter I spent there the snow we had piled up inthe back yard was still there at the end of april. It had snowed almost without fail every Sunday and Wednesday that winter we had blowing and drifting sleet and an ice storm that left a one inch thick coating of ice on my car--I had to use a blow drier just to free the door.
Ahh good times and some fond memories.
catfishrivers
04-13-2009, 08:43
Any book(s) you recommend?
These two books are just really well written, but the second has a bit more of a leaning towards west coast mushrooms. Still, it has a bunch we find here.
-Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora
-All That the Rain Promises and More...
This one is a good beginner book for the North Eastern US:
-Mushrooms of Northeast North America by George Barron
Mostly I use the Audobon Society's field guide, but last summer I tried to focus in on Boletes and got the (huge and heavy and expensive) book, North American Boletes. I found so many boletes last summer but I still need a few summers IDing them before I'd eat them, even though the King Bolete stands out like a sore thumb! ;)
catfishrivers
04-13-2009, 08:48
the great thing about mushrooms is you don't always have to eat it to get sick. in some species the toxins can be absorbed across your skin, and in others the spores are toxic.
Sorry but this info is false. It is a common misconception about mushrooms, part of the pandemic of mycophobia that has gripped the western world. In fact, one of the ways to test mushrooms is to taste a tiny bit and then spit it out without swallowing it. The spores and toxins are not going to be absorbed through your skin.
that said, i've picked wild mushrooms in the wetlands here in PA and had great meals from. also note that some mushrooms are harmless until you add certain other ingredients that activate the toxins....like alcohol.
that part is true mostly...for some species, and some people, the combination of alcohol and wild mushrooms can cause illness. It's best to do your research on any wild mushroom you plan to ingest. Most of the edible mushrooms you are likely to find and be able to identify have a history of consumption, and you will be able to track down info on what to avoid, like alcohol for some species, when you ingest them.
catfishrivers
04-13-2009, 08:52
p.s. - one thing I should state, if you don't know what you are doing, don't taste the mushrooms to identify them. While this is a method used commonly to help add to the information needed to tell certain species apart, it sure wouldn't be a great idea to stick a death cap or deadly galerina in your mouth to taste it.
sasquatch2014
04-13-2009, 09:12
I know may may be thinking it but I'll take the jump and say it. There are some "toxic" mushrooms that grow along parts of the trail that folks look for but there are tons of little brown mushrooms that look like these and the risk is not worth it.
keep in mind that many times mushrooms will tolerate one another. You can have a harmeless one right next to another species that can hurt you.
As far as the taste thing - Don't Do It!!! Some say the best tasting mushroom that they have ever tasted is the also the most deadly, destroys your internal organs with in the week called the Destroying Angel.
Nicksaari
04-13-2009, 10:41
i ate mushrooms once and lost my *****. it was a euphoric, hedonistic laugh fest. i peed my pants from laughing fits and simply did not care.
and this was just one time. ive have yet to pee myself again.
if these mushrooms are illegal, why did god put them here? only in america do you find conundrums like this.
beakerman
04-13-2009, 19:38
i ate mushrooms once and lost my *****. it was a euphoric, hedonistic laugh fest. i peed my pants from laughing fits and simply did not care.
and this was just one time. ive have yet to pee myself again.
if these mushrooms are illegal, why did god put them here? only in america do you find conundrums like this.
no no no...you did not eat mushrooms you ate 'shrooms...that's a horse of a different color--perhaps pink or fuchsia who knows what you saw.
They are more interesting, and palatable as a "tea" them mixed with cool-aid...not that I would know anything about that.
And before you all cry foul no I did not hallucinate that part is a joke folks---being some folks have troubles with understanding things like that.
catfishrivers
04-13-2009, 20:47
Well you're not likely to find any if those in NJ. You will come across several choice edibles, such as oyster mushrooms, chicken of the woods, hen of the woods, eastern cauliflower, chanterelles, morels, king bolettes, bearded tooth, among many others, but there is only 1 type I know of local to nj, gymnophilus spectabilis (spelling might be off), otherwise known as Big Laughing Gym, but I've yet to uncover one in my hunts, just tons of choice edibles, to which I can't complain! :)
kayak karl
04-13-2009, 21:38
i ate mushrooms once and lost my *****. it was a euphoric, hedonistic laugh fest. i peed my pants from laughing fits and simply did not care.
and this was just one time. ive have yet to pee myself again.
if these mushrooms are illegal, why did god put them here? only in america do you find conundrums like this.
that reminds me. i saw QUEEN play at the Tower in '74 in philly:D
catfishrivers
04-13-2009, 21:40
I guess you could say that post is still on topic if you count freddie mercury as a bearded tooth mushroom.
kayak karl
04-13-2009, 21:53
I guess you could say that post is still on topic if you count freddie mercury as a bearded tooth mushroom.
you should of been there, great concert. oh, you were 2. well it was great. so i was told:D
Tooooooooooooooooo dangerous!
Morels are out here in Missouri. Only thing I hunt and eat. I hunted today in the poring rain and got a hike in to boot. Found three. Yum. Just google morels and you will get alot of information. Edible, safe and not confused with the deadly things. Read up on morels before you hunt and avoid the half trues and the false ones. And we never give up our sites. Before you prepare them, soak them in salt water to get rid of the little critters and soil contaminants.
kayak karl
04-13-2009, 22:10
you should of been there, great concert. oh, you were 2. well it was great. so i was told:D
Thread drift....... i checked the Tower theater. i saw Tull, Bowie and Queen all below $30 a ticket. times have changed. $100+ for any idiot. WOW:) i am old:D http://www.tower-theatre.com/
Morels are out here in Missouri. Only thing I hunt and eat. I hunted today in the poring rain and got a hike in to boot. Found three. Yum. Just google morels and you will get alot of information. Edible, safe and not confused with the deadly things. Read up on morels before you hunt and avoid the half trues and the false ones. And we never give up our sites. Before you prepare them, soak them in salt water to get rid of the little critters and soil contaminants.
I also like to carry them in an onion sack to let some of the spores fall off and fall out of the holes.
Hi Zoidfu, we usually put our in a basket for the same reason. We pinch or cut so to same some at the site. My big tragedy is that a highway is being built over my best secret site. I was out there today between six trucks parked and the only place they have not yet destroyed in our little place. How do you fix yours? Here, we soak em in salt water to scare off the critters and dirt since they are hollow, (see above posts on people thinking we eat toadstools) cut them in half, dredge thru egg and milk dip and roll in smashed up saltines and cook in pure butter. Oh, gosh, my three yellows were pratically a whole meal. Happy Hunting up there in PA.
Hi Zoidfu, we usually put our in a basket for the same reason. We pinch or cut so to same some at the site. My big tragedy is that a highway is being built over my best secret site. I was out there today between six trucks parked and the only place they have not yet destroyed in our little place. How do you fix yours? Here, we soak em in salt water to scare off the critters and dirt since they are hollow, (see above posts on people thinking we eat toadstools) cut them in half, dredge thru egg and milk dip and roll in smashed up saltines and cook in pure butter. Oh, gosh, my three yellows were pratically a whole meal. Happy Hunting up there in PA.
I'm sorry to hear about your spot, that really sounds heartbreaking. I know how it can take years to even find one, let alone a good one.
I prepare mine almost exactly the same although I roll them in corn meal. Oat meal was kinda good too. I also like to stuff a crock pot with them and let them slow cook in butter for about 5 hours.
I also like to fry them while continuously sprinkling them with old bay.... My boss makes an excellent gravy out of them too, I'll have to ask him for the recipe.... I hope he at least gives me that. Whenever I bring up morels he says, "What's a morel????:confused:" hahaha
sasquatch2014
04-14-2009, 09:26
Last year Doggiebag and I were going north from Front Royal up into MD all I know is for a day on each side of Bears Den the Morels were out and we found ton of them. Saw lots of folks hunting them as well. Doggiebag added them to his Mountain House Spaghetti.
squirrel bait
04-14-2009, 10:02
Best mushroom of the forest. When we cut them in half to soak, we always called that "checking to see who is home". Went south to MI alot to hunt morels and then followed them north into IA and then MN. I sure miss them as there are no Morels here on the outer banks of NC. Easy to identify, hard to mistake, a cinch to cook and flat out delicious. Good hunting.
YoungMoose
04-14-2009, 10:40
If you take the time to learn how to identify mushrooms, including the 10 or do fatally poisonous ones, then mushroom hunting can be an awesomely satisfying hobbey. Just never eat anything you are less than 100% sure you identified correctly. No need to demonize mushroom hunting. Just educate yourself thoroughly and don't be in a rush to ingest what you find. Eventually, certain types will be easy to spot with ertainty... thats what im trying to say.
Wow! That is one of the most ignorant things I have ever read.:mad:
Dumb is a strong word,especially from a 14 year old talking to his elders.:confused:
The soil? :rolleyes:
I have to quit now,easy target.:-?
Kid,get your ***** together before you spit this crap out. Maybe some parental guidance is in order? :(why am i an easy target? Also no offense but i dont care if im talking to elders.
With tact like that I bet you're a real treasure to be on the trail with. I am thanks. I am saying that i dont think its a smart idea to eat wild mushrroms. But i am outgoing on the trail to do think that im not.
Why eat anything then? Things are grown in special areas that the farmers are sure that nothing is polluting the food.
From everyone condeming me i know im young and i know dumb is a strong word. But at the same time i do understand if your 100% sure. Also parts of new jersey is really polluted thats why i brought up soil.
YoungMoose
04-14-2009, 10:42
From everyone condeming me i know im young and i know dumb is a strong word. But at the same time i do understand why you would eat wild mushrooms. OOnly if your 100% sure that they are fine. Which other people are saying. Also parts of new jersey is really polluted thats why i brought up soil
catfishrivers
04-14-2009, 12:36
I think maybe you just needed to explain your point of view a bit more. It read like you were being harsher than perhaps you meant.
As for pollution, well, there are certainly areas of NJ, or any state for that matter, where you wouldn't want to pick and consume a plant do to possible contaminents in the soil that the plant or mushroom might have absorbed. Same goes for any type of wildcrafting, fishing, or hunting. I am definitely not going to go fishing on the Hudson river and eat lol, same as I wouldn't pick and eat a chicken of the woods shelf off a log sitting on the side of the parkway.
Next year, I'm gonna try growing my own chicken of the woods mushrooms at home and see how hard it is. I already know of about 10 logs in the area I can take a core section out of to plug and inoculate my grow log. Then there'd be no worries at all!
Seriously though, don't be afraid of mushrooms, just educate yourself and go slow before you rush to cook anything up and eat it.
YoungMoose
04-14-2009, 14:49
I am trying not to be harsh as what catfish said i should explain what im saying even more. I am saying that it is fine if you eat wild mushrooms. You just have to be 100% sure that they are edible. also depending on the area you dont know if your soild is contaminated from something. even if you know that you didnt contaminate it the person before you could of. Also im just bringing up the fact that last year 2 people died there who knew how to identify mushrooms died becuase of eating one.
Things are grown in special areas that the farmers are sure that nothing is polluting the food.
Ell Oh Ell!!!!!
I've been eating mushrooms for years.
Morels first, then others when I got older.
Morels are tasty, the others are fun.
Zoidfu, thanks for the good tips on cooking. I wish I could get enough to fill a crock pot. We have had so much chilly weather we are hoping this weekend will be good. On the new highway site? Heartbroken is hardly the word. I live in town and to find a treasure trove like this one was a real gold mine. Totally legal on a public right of way. We literally fell on it last year and it has been a treasure trove of beautiful big yellows. Nobody had found it and the morels are large and healthy. Our city has terrible planning and zoning anyway so this is just the epitome.
My boss makes an excellent gravy out of them too, I'll have to ask him for the recipe.... I hope he at least gives me that. Whenever I bring up morels he says, "What's a morel????:confused:" hahaha
So, will you be posting this recipe or is your post just a tease?:-?:)
Lots of rain. Two sunny days. I am out as soon as the five PM bell rings tomorrow evening. Wish me luck!
Wish me luck!
Good luck! Take your camera and post pics.
I was out tonight until it got too dark. I think I have morel scan eye strain. We found 12 beautiful big yellows after three sunny days. Most were from our tiiny little site that the DOT has trucks parked all over. Our morel nest is their brush pile so we really had to crawl over and under dead brush. We have to bushwack for the rest. We found two turtles, saw alot of deer and two turkeys. We are eating ours tomorrow night and out again all day Saturday. Happy Hunting. I take pics but for some reason (basically I am a computer idiot) can't post them. I just end up making a problem for the moderator. I have one on my gallery from last year. Happy Hunting!
Jayboflavin04
04-17-2009, 01:31
shroomnsssssss!!!!
I need to find me a spot because dem shrooms are the best of the best.
So, will you be posting this recipe or is your post just a tease?:-?:)
I will ASAP but he's off the whole week for trout(probably code for morels)
Here is a site that has the gravy plus tons of other recipes:
http://thegreatmorel.com/recipes.html
Do to the bad economy we aren't working in Fridays right now. The good side of that is, I'm on my way out the door to go mushroom hunting. When I was out hiking last weekend, my friend called and told me he had just found a patch. I'm on my way to go check where I normally find them and maybe check a few new places too. Hopefully the cast iron skillet will be going tonight.
Skillet with butter will be going tonight!!!
sasquatch2014
04-21-2009, 23:32
Not in NJ but saw a thing on the web about some guys in IL. that picked 56lbs of Yellow Morels in a three hour time span. Yes you read that right 56 lbs.
Jayboflavin04
04-22-2009, 00:22
I am calling my uncle who is alway out hunting and fishing. I wanna go mushroom hunting. This thread is making me soooo hungry.
Those Illinois guys have themselves a sweet river bottom area somewhere. I am amazed at the numbers people pull off the Missouri river bottoms in our central state area. Hundreds and have the pictures to prove it. After work, my hunter partner and I found one large five inch morel. We split it.
Jayboflavin04
04-27-2009, 06:51
I went out for the first time yesterday with a friend Patti. We went to her aunt farm were they use to find tons. We only found a few little ones. She thinks it may be a little early here in N.E. Ohio. We have not had alot of nice weather yet. I am going out today to a different spot.
Those buggers blend in if they are little.
morels are poppin' in VA. ate my first one ever last week. sooo good. i don't even like mushrooms.
hikingshoes
04-27-2009, 08:46
lol,sounds like a Trip to me,lol