Mushroom "hunting"

[AvHdB]

Has any member ever gone so-called mushroom hunting in Ukraine or Russia?

Once in the Dordogne I did this with some expat and locals. The French called them cepes I think. We first had a repast of sausages, pate and other edibles together with a fair quanity of vieux a sort local distilled prune alcohol. By the we set out at 7 am I wondered if we could see anything.

I understand now is the season in Ukraine/Russia what is it like? Which mushrooms are they harvesting.

AvHdB

[ChrisE]

I am glad you brought that up, I have been wondering that myself! Mushrooms here in the states are about 99% poisonous, with some so deadly that one small taste will do you in. There are only maybe 2 or 3 varieties that can be harvested here in the wild if you aren't an expert because so many look identical to the untrained eye.

Personally I love mushrooms! I would kill for a basket of Morels, or nearly so for the store bought farm raised varieties. Never had truffles, but hope to try them some day soon. Do they grow in Ukraine or Russia as well? I would love to know.

[calmissile]

Somehow I lost my 1st attempt at a response.....
Yes, a month ago my fiance and I went mushroom hunting with another local couple in Cherkassy.  Being an American I was a novice and sort of took the whole thing in.  Ukrainians are crazy about mushrooms.  They go into the forest and pick mushrooms all the time.  I do not know about poison mushrooms in Ukraine (if any) but I was taught how to tell the ones you take home and the ones not worth taking.  The mushrooms grow at the base of trees and stumps. You feel the tops of the mushrooms and if they are firm or dried out, you don't take them.  They should be pliable and soft (alive). 

We brought the mushrooms back to the cabin and included them in the outdoor meal which included a lot of other Ukrainian dishes.

We ran into many natives out in the forest doing their own mushroom hunting.  It reminded me of my childhood in Oregon when we used to go into the forest for wild berries.  lots of people out in the wilderness in search of wild fruits and berries.

With all the mushrooms I ate in the last month in Ukraine I have developed a keen taste for them, probably similar to what the locals are craving

If I can find the photos, I will post some of them in my next post.

[ChrisE]

 Thanks Doug, I will look forward to seeing what you guys are picking!

[calmissile]

Here are some photos of our mushroom hunting adventure in Sept in Cherkassy with some friends of Irina.
Of course we had to have a BBQ before the big 'hunt'.
The photo in the car feels like we are on a safari.
The photo of Irina is what it feels like when you are stuffed after the feast.  The smile tells it all
I this post gets lost (again) I give up.

[Millaa]

Once I've taken the Dutch for mushroom hunting... He's still discribing his adventures in russian forest as I left him alone in wild taiga for bears and wolfes... 
In fact it was not true... After 10 minuties of seaching he realised that understood nothing in mushrooms, and mosquitoes were much worse then bears... so he asked to go home and drink his beer in peace... I told that I never returned without full basket and would be back in an hour... just forgot to tell that russian hour may be a bit longer...   Well, never seen this calm and balanced person so excited 

Its not amanita, it's so called kings mushroom ... tasty and eatable

[molly35ru]

I understand now is the season in Ukraine/Russia what is it like? Which mushrooms are they harvesting.

It's late October so for the north of Russia where i live si the season is over here. Unfortunately I don't have the pics from our mushroom hunting but there is google 

Here's what we hunt for in our region, sorry for some Russian
подосиновики


лисички (my favourite  )


рыжики


белый гриб (боровик) -the king of all mushrooms


моховики


маслята


грузди



волнушки


серушки (млечник)


Of course there are many other kinds mushrooms but these are the most common here.

[Chris]

Ukrainians love their mushrooms and incorporate them in to all sorts of dishes, they make some very nice soups from them too.

One Christmas I was ill while I was over there and my wife made me a mushroom soup, they have them most of the year round, either fresh or dried, anyway, this soup was full of all sorts of mushrooms, I asked her how she knew which ones were safe to eat, they had a pantry full of jars of them and other assorted and pickled fruits and vegetables.  Anyway, I asked her how she know which were safe, her answer, well we use them from the same jar and make a soup or cook with them, if you die we throw that jar away and don't use anymore mushrooms from it 

I still don't know how they know which are safe, (we even get some shipped over from Ukraine now and again)  but she says she will teach me next time we go over if its in season, we will go and pick some, I tell her I get mine from the farmers market or grocers    well anyway, so far so good, I am still alive, despite her feeding me with them whenever she can 

[Halo]

I do not know about poison mushrooms in Ukraine (if any) but I was taught how to tell the ones you take home and the ones not worth taking. 

There are many poisonous mushroom types in Ukraine.  Every year, about 80 people die after eating poisonous mushrooms, and hundreds become ill.  Media used to provide a list of poisonous varieties, I don't know if they still do.

My Grandmother used to take us mushroom hunting here (in Canada), as we have some of the same varieties as in Ukraine.

[simo82]

Last year in Bukovel (Autum time) we were on top of one of the Ski slopes and saw lots of people in the forests looking for Mushrooms, we went and had a look and found a few but not many, However one of the Locals there, managed to find one of the Rarest mushrooms, that sell for like a years wage or something stupid....It wasn't a truffle but a big fat mushroom........since then i have been very interested in Finding mushrooms in Ukraine.......
The Picture below is what i found!

[simo82]

Are these toads Poisonous?

[molly35ru]

Are these toads Poisonous?

[ChrisE]

Very nice photos everyone! I would love to try them some day if I have the opportunity.

[d672]

 I remember going mushroom picking here in Canada too when I was young. Soon after a rain we would go out to the trees close to home and pick them. Its surprising how fast they grow after a good rain, within 3-4 hours there will be mushrooms there. And you had to go pick them quick because usually by the end of the next day there would be worms in them. There's no comparison in flavor between bought mushrooms and wild ones. My wife was pretty happy to hear that we had mushrooms growing wild close to home here... she loves them too!

 I made friends with a couple in Krasnodar, Russia before I went on a trip there to meet a lady a couple years ago and when I went and visited them they showed me how they grew their own mushrooms in an old shed they had. They had these plastic bags about 4 feet high and about 8 inches in diameter filled with sunflower seed shells that had holes poked into the side of them with mushrooms growing out the holes. They kept them damp and in the dark shed and every couple days they would harvest the mushrooms until the bags didn't produce mushrooms anymore. It was pretty cool, I never saw anyone grow their own mushrooms like that before! 

[molly35ru]

Just make sure a person who'll cook them for you can distinguish between edible and inedible mushrooms

[AvHdB]

Once I've taken the Dutch for mushroom hunting... He's still discribing his adventures in russian forest as I left him alone in wild taiga for bears and wolfes...

I have had a variety of mushrooms and it is amazing the variety in taste and texture. Done correctly mushrooms in a risotto are amazing especially with walnuts (blanched) and a good blue cheese.  I have always wondered about the wild ones and I also understand in North America the mushrooms is a bit like Australia and animals, most will kill you one way or the other.

As for Dutch he just might have had a different idea of what effect the mushrooms would have.

[ChrisE]

I was curious about mushroom hunting in my area of the states, and found it's quite a risky venture for an amateur. The edible ones and the poison varieties often times can only be told by the spores they produce. The poison ones will do anything from allergic reactions to permanent damage to the liver, kidneys, and other organs often resulting in death. The effects also are usually delayed and won't be noticed sometimes until a day or two later.

I think I will leave the mushroom hunting to the experts. 

[d672]

Actually there are only a couple types of mushrooms around home here that are poisonous and they are quite easy to tell apart from the good ones. It isnt too dangerous to go mushroom picking here.

[Millaa]

good ones...

[Millaa]

specially for dutches 

[d672]

specially for dutches 

 Oxumoron!

 You wouldn't really feed those poisonous mushrooms to a dutchman, would you???    

[Millaa]

specially for dutches 

 Oxumoron!

 You wouldn't really feed those poisonous mushrooms to a dutchman, would you???   

Why not? They pay money for the same effect in coffe-shop 

[Rasputin]

I have always wondered about the wild ones and I also understand in North America the mushrooms is a bit like Australia and animals, most will kill you one way or the other.

Not true, there are many perfectly edible mushrooms. These include morels, boletes and one my favorite the shaggy mane.

[Rasputin]

specially for dutches 

Oh yes, the fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) or мухамор in Russian.

[AvHdB]

I have always wondered about the wild ones and I also understand in North America the mushrooms is a bit like Australia and animals, most will kill you one way or the other.

Not true, there are many perfectly edible mushrooms. These include morels, boletes and one my favorite the shaggy mane.

Yes I am certain there are good ones here as well as perfectly poisonous ones in abundance.