Chicken of the Wood glut - what to do with it all?

[Stew]

I came across a new patch of Chicken of the woods mushroom earlier. The amount is huge! I also know two other areas but they don't have much happening yet.

It would be good to use it but as my wife doesn't eat mushrroms, it's just for me so I need a sensible way to preserve them.

Any thoughts on the best way to use this particular fungi? As it's more 'meaty' I wonder if it wouldn't be the best for some styles of preservation.

 

[JonathanD]

I use it to bulk out curries, soups and stews. It goes hard quite quickly though, no idea how to preserve it.

 

[Trev]

Hi ,
You could chop and lightly fry ( in butter )and then freeze ,should last about 3 months. Or if it's likely you'll use it fairly soon you can just freeze it . It doesn't take to drying too well though .
Cheers , Trev .

 

[Retired Member southey]

How long does it last in the ground, could you not return to it as an when you are going to use it? just a thought, as i have no real experiance of this mushroom.

 

[JonathanD]

How long does it last in the ground, could you not return to it as an when you are going to use it? just a thought, as i have no real experiance of this mushroom.

It grows on trees you nugget Goes hard within days of reaching its prime too. Doesn't last long at all.

 

[Retired Member southey]

You know what i mean. tree, ground it's all made of the same stuff. I didn't realise it turned so quickly. could you not pickle it?

 

[JonathanD]

You know what i mean. tree, ground it's all made of the same stuff. I didn't realise it turned so quickly. could you not pickle it?

Remind me never to eat wild mushies you picked Could be wrong, but the thought of the tase of pickling it would make me boak.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Ha, Hey any picked by myself are easy to identify, just scan the bar code and the monkey behind the counter will even tell you how much they are!

 

[JonathanD]

Ha, Hey any picked by myself are easy to identify, just scan the bar code and the monkey behind the counter will even tell you how much they are!

You and me both bro

 

[Retired Member southey]

It'll be a very nervouse moment the first time i eat a mushroom i've identified, It'll probably have gone off by the time i've tripple tripple checked it's good to eat. Came across this site might be of use.

 

[JonathanD]

The one thing you can't mistake is chicken of the woods. Saying that though, and taking into account your first post in this thread, maybe you can

 

[Retired Member southey]

Hey don't get me wrong I love chicken madeof wood.

mabey to much!

 

[Retired Member southey]

here's another site with some good info if a little involved.

 

[Stew]

Yummy!

 

[Retired Member southey]

HOLY MACKREL, what did you decide to do with them.

 

[Nagual]

Is it possible to dehydrate them at all?

 

[Stew]

HOLY MACKREL, what did you decide to do with them.

Nothing yet - I've just been out again so they're still sat in the bowl. I'll save some for eating tonight and the rest will be fried and frozen, as suggested by Trev.

Is it possible to dehydrate them at all?

Trev says it's not the best. I suppose I have enough that I can try it just to see.

 

[Stew]

Oh, and Southey - I filmed this for you.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Hey cheers Stew, perhapse we could this for all the shroom finds that we post, itmakes it a bit easyer to see it moved around rather than a flat image. again thanks Stew.