Mould problems when drying and storing Kind Alfred Cakes

[user24]

Hi all.

My Dad gave me a few King Alfred cakes (aka Crampballs, Daldinia concentrica) about 6 months ago and I stored them in an airtight tub for a few months. Then I noticed they had some small spots of white mould growing on them, so I threw away the worst affected, wiped the rest down with a tissue and left them on the windowsill to dry out for a month or two as I noticed they were quite damp feeling. Today I noticed that one had orange spots of mould so that went straight in the bin.

I just wanted to know if you guys store them, and if you've got any tips?

I read somewhere about wrapping them in newspaper and putting them on the radiator, which sounds like a good idea to me.

Something else I thought about was microwaving them to kill anything in them, not sure if that would work. I'd still want to dry them to prevent anything growing on them subsequently. Also not sure if you'd want to use your microwave after doing that!

Cheers

 

[Toddy]

First up, if you microwave them be incredibly careful....the heat builds up inside like charcoal and they will go on fire.

Secondly, I just dry them out hard and store them in a plastic tub. I've never had them go mouldy or fungus'd. If yours have then there must be moisture enough in them for the fungus/mould to grow.
Paper bag and hang them above a radiator for a while to dry them out really well, should work.

It's usually wee white wormy maggots that eat the tinder fungus, tbh.

cheers,
M

 

[leon-1]

In the old days we used to store them in paper carriers that came from chinese takeaways, now though you can get paper bags for your kitchen compostable bin and they'll do the job. This is what I use for mine.

As Toddy said a lot of the time it will be little grubs that'll cause your Cramp Balls to disintegrate, but if there is any moisture in them they can go mouldy.

 

[Thoth]

I usually dry them out by placing them on top of a radiator for a few days. I put them inside a paperbag first as they sometimes release sooty black spores which can make a bit of a mess. I usually only harvest dead crampballs mind, so I'm only looking to dry out any rain that has got in.

 

[Clouston98]

I store them when so dry they're nearly weightless, but to dry them i let them rest in a dry, warming room for about 2 months, usually split in half but some whole.

Hope this helps!

 

[tom.moran]

the lot i dried were wrapped in an old microfibre towel and on the radiator for a few days till dry. they are currently in my non airtight tinder box on my windowsill behind the radiator

 

[Macaroon]

Anything damp in an airtight container is a disaster.................as said above, dry them first then store them in paper; I've never once had any go moldy on me, and they're my main tinder and have been for many years..................

 

[quietone]

I never dry them in an airtight container, methinks you're asking for them to mould up if you do. I dry them on a shelf high in one of my wood stores. They stay dry, get plenty of air circulation too. Never had any mould on them doing it that way.

 

[British Red]

Anything damp in an airtight container is a disaster.................as said above, dry them first then store them in paper; I've never once had any go moldy on me, and they're my main tinder and have been for many years..................

This .

 

[ozzy1977]

Anything damp in a sealed container is asking for trouble.

 

[muracada]

Sainsburys (0ther supermarkets are available) very kindly provide paper bags to keep your mushrooms in = they even have pictures of mushrooms on, but not daldinia c

 

[gowersponger]

paper bag on top of the radiator works a treat for me

 

[user24]

Thanks everyone Yeah I've seen things eating them before (not these ones). I will try wrapping them in paper and putting them on a radiator for a few days. Thanks again!