Fomes fomentarius ??

[boney gumbo mcgee]

Hi all.

I took my daughter out today to our local woods with the aim of getting some birch bark and hopefully getting some tinder fungus and stopping for a quiet brew. I am pretty sure I may have found some. If I am right it is doing rather well here, less so the Birch trees. It seems funny as last year there was Birch polypore everywhere in this wood.

What do you think please.

Jay

 

[Toddy]

Looks like it to me

M

 

[boney gumbo mcgee]

Thank you. We were so pleased to think we found some. My daughter and I will try and prep it tomorrow. It may not make the best tinder being old but we will enjoy making it together.

 

[Clouston98]

That's it mate! Will make some great amadou when you've prepped it!

 

[boney gumbo mcgee]

That's it mate! Will make some great amadou when you've prepped it!

Thank you, we were really thrilled to find it. Its thanks to all you good people on here that inspired me to have a go at collecting some and providing all the info needed to prep it.

Jay

 

[stuey]

You've struck gold!

If your profile is still correct and you are in bedfordshire you have had a lucky find

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[ozzy1977]

Nice find

 

[boney gumbo mcgee]

Thanks all

I am still in Bedfordshire, Central Beds, it must be the right conditions and or a good season for them as the wood (mixed deciduous) certainly had loads, but they were all only on the birch and none on the Beech. I noticed that they were mainly clustered in the northern section. The last time I went there I couldn't find any but there was an abundance of birch polypore.

I took two home I prepped one this afternoon which I will just dry, and the other I will prep and put in boiling water to see what the difference is like as it is the first time I will have used it.

I now see why it is expensive to buy, its a killer on the hands to peel.

 

[stuey]

Superb! You might be right with the climate changing... If they prefer the damp and wet of scotland they might just be getting it further south now with the wet weather we have had over the last couple of years!

It is a killer to peel especially the nice old ones

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[boney gumbo mcgee]

Thanks stuey

I am going to try soaking the other one for a couple of days and see if it makes it a little easier to peel. Now I know what Chaga looks like, again thanks to this site, I will have a look for it as we have plenty of birch round here, I may be going on a wild goose chase. But its a good excuse to get out.

 

[lighty]

I apologies if I have read your thread wrong, but are you thinking that the Fungus you have pictured is Chaga?

lghty

 

[boney gumbo mcgee]

I apologies if I have read your thread wrong, but are you thinking that the Fungus you have pictured is Chaga?

lghty

No worries, its probably the way I wrote it. I meant that finding the tinder hoof fungus had got me fired up to look for some Chaga next. Which maybe a wild goose chase as I don't know if it grows in my area. But a walk in the woods is never time wasted.

 

[lighty]

No worries, its probably the way I wrote it. I meant that finding the tinder hoof fungus had got me fired up to look for some Chaga next. Which maybe a wild goose chase as I don't know if it grows in my area. But a walk in the woods is never time wasted.

Cleared up then m8, you had me worried.

I do believe that it is only the Chaga that is found in very cold areas, that has the full benifits that has made it famous.
so if you do find any it would probably not be as effective....

cheers

lighty

 

[boney gumbo mcgee]

Cleared up then m8, you had me worried.

I do believe that it is only the Chaga that is found in very cold areas, that has the full benifits that has made it famous.
so if you do find any it would probably not be as effective....

cheers

lighty

Thanks for the info, if I am lucky enough to find some I will try it and report back as to how it is. In my local area we have an abundance of Birch trees so I will be scouring all my local woods with my Hawk Eyed kids.

 

[boney gumbo mcgee]

My kids and I went back to the woods where we found the Fomes, one of my daughters was with me when we found the first one and I thought it would be nice if one of my daughters could find another and point it out for the other. So she set out as guide heading for the original site, I said that is a bit cheating like so she set out for another and found it. It really was a joy to see her set out with purpose and swell with pride on finding it.