Russulas On The Hill!

 I went out today to see if any more Chanterelles had popped up in any of my other hunting locations.   I discovered a few that were of harvestable size, but most of them seemed to be just beginning to "pin".  So...  I though it would be a quick loop and wait until later to come back... Simply taking inventory of the mushrooms that were out. 

But then I noticed a number of Russulas that were fairly fresh.   

   I love Russulas.  ( Also known as "brittle gills")   It was one of the first mushrooms I discovered to "not taste like a mushrooms".  That is to say, I harvested a handful that tasted like Cherries (The Maraschino kind!)  Or almonds!   Wonderfully sweet!  

They can also taste like Habanero Peppers!  And the best way to find out which one is which is to taste them.   A little bite,  touch with the tip of your tongue,  then spit it out.   If your face feels like it is about to burn off...  That one is not edible!

Russulas also come in all kinds of Colors!  (There are over 3000 species in the family I guess) And I have been able to find many of them.    Blacks, greens, yellows, reds and pinks seem to be the most common colors.   I found several that were Burgandy today!  So pretty!

I sifted out the ones I found yesterday from the Chanterelles.    The problem with Brittle Gills is that they are Brittle!   And mashing them in a bag with a bunch of dense Chanterelles will crush them simply with the weight.  In fact, My bag was almost exclusively Russulas today. And just having them was enough to shatter many of the larger ones.  

It didn't matter, because after sampling all of them, I found them all palatable, so they will be destined for the frying pan later.  Last year, I think I missed the Russulas by about a week!   Meaning, I did not find many, and the ones that I did find were "old" and not very desirable.  So I guess they pop out just before the Chanterelles are in peak season. 

My hope is that no one else discovers the Chanterelles before I get a chance to check back on them and see if they have grown a bit larger.   Last year I know several of my spots were ransacked by either deer, squirrels or other mushroom hunters.  ( And all mushroom hunters know what a Chanterelle is.)  In fact, I could see that a number of my Russulas were picked and kicked over.   Probably from a deer or squirrel.   Not many people bother with such a fragile mushroom like a Brittle Gill... ( That is what I want to think at least...)  

I did manage to find a couple of Deadlies.    I thought it was perfect that the yellow Amanita popped up right near the yellow Russulas and the Chanterelles. If you were ONLY harvesting by color, you might accidentally pick this guy and be in a world of hurt!  

Gills!  

But look closer and you will see they are very different.  Chanterelles do not have gills or a really long stem.   

Russulas are FRAGILE!  (in case you missed it...)   Russulas have hollow stems that break easily ( And usually stems that are pretty short by comparison.)  

Destroying Angel!  

But the BIGGEST tell tale sign for me is that Amanitas have a Veil Remnant and come out of an egg.  ( Volva:  A cup shaped feature at the base of an Amanita stem.) Bottom line,   I would not eat anything that comes out of a volva and has a veil remnant. ( Probably not even a Stinkhorn..) 

And it looks like the Destroying Angel mad an appearance.    They are so  pretty, but it is best to only take their picture and not toss it in your basket. (or Bag.) 

 I washed up the Russulas and cooked a few up for some Mushroom and Swiss Burgers.   I think I'm getting better, since I made less of a mess and did not require a fork to eat the burgers.   I still have to work on the seasonings though.  

Tomorrow is my last day of freedom before I begin the new Job.  I will probably spend a portion of it out in the forest searching for more Chanterelles or anything else that might be popping up ( Boletes?)  The good news is that I have currently "Fixed" the bathtub drain and can now take a shower at home after my morning run.   Yeah!   My hope is that it will stay fixed for the remainder of my time here and not require a plumber to come out to dredge out the pipes.  With no long hair to clog up the drain, I'm thinking it should stay fixed for a while.  

I can't believe it is July already.   Summer sure is flying by.   And with the new job beginning on Tuesday, I have to make every second count.