Cluck, Cluck, Cluck!!!

[pushbutton]

Time to get out to your best hen spot because the chickens have arrived for their early season. Have been looking up higher in an area that I had found them last year at about this time to no avail, but the boss was out in the woods with Jr. earlier in the day and came across with what she described had to be chickens......thanks to her, found all of these almost right on the ground....kind of nice having a pre scouter So tonight after work brought a few of the muts along for a walk and filled up a shopping bag.

[jerkin'm]

Wow!!! Already????? Those are already pretty far along too...Guess I better get out there in the morning........

[pushbutton]

Just stumbled on to them last June also thinking they were just a fall mushroom, but apparently they also pop up for awhile about this time before it gets real hot. Learned a good lesson a year ago when I left some to grow a little bit longer, and when I came back after it had started cooking in early July......all that was left was what looked like a pile of puke where they were growing........they essentially just melted away. Also, as alluded to, most of the ones found last year were growing up higher on relatively recent broken off oaks and were of the more shelf type variety. These however, are the thicker meatier almost hen like and found on more rotten logs and classic hen type base of tree locations.

[jerkin'm]

Well, due to Pushbuttons finds I had to head out in the heat today.....Found some just as described above, in hen spots on the ground away from the base of oak trees. All of them were shot already... Did find a couple pounds of oysters though to save the outing. Never knew about the spring chicken season.

[Matt Breuer]

Nice work!

I've always considered chickens a summer mushroom, so it seems right. Once you get some 80 degree temps and humidity, bang... I sure wish we had more oak stands up here! Those look delicious!

[pushbutton]

Well, that is good to hear. I have never seen one in in the hot months though, but hate the bugs so have not really looked for them much until fall As far as the taste....they are just ok in my opinion, not nearly as good as many others like chants, oysters, lobsters, ect. While not woody, they certainly have a grain to them....its different....but getting more used to it. This does lend them to a great meat substitute. They are excellent to serve up to your hippie friends in almost anything you would use a small diced or shredded chicken in.....soups, noodle dishes, even smothered burritos. Often will precook them in bullion, which really adds to this and freeze them.....don't usually tell them that though

[Matt Breuer]

From today while searching for a buddies errant shot on the golf course. Only birdie I got all day...

[pushbutton]

Well Matt, looks like you have adapted to how we find them here. Don't always need an oak forest.....any ole park or (cough)......golf course will do Jr. and I got out tonight and all the chickens were shot.

Was probably the last time looking for them until fall...the skeeters were just on terror. We were fortunate enough to stumble on some oysters though. Do not usually find them in this oak stand, but hey....its better to be lucky than smart sometimes.

Tried to explain to him about the big kahuna....he didn't really get it though.......just got a fancy(not really) new camera, so hopefully the really blurry photos have come to and end.

[TonkaBass]

WOW!!!

[jerkin'm]

Never seen oysters with those long, pronounced stems before....they are monsters....

[Matt Breuer]

Elm oysters?

Those are insanely cool!

[pushbutton]

Will have to go back and look at the tree closer, but a lot easier for me to identify when they have leaves on them The shroom was definitely not like any other oyster i have seen. Almost a white fur on them, especially on the long stem. As mentioned have hardly ever even seen one out there before, it is a big time upland oak remnant of the big woods with no water nearby. All the rain we have been having must have sparked them this year, seen a few other "normal" ones out there on barkless rotten logs, something else I have never seen. Whatever the subspecies, they still taste good

[pushbutton]

Just googled elm oyster .....could be. The gills do not seem to run down the stem and not nearly as fragrant as the others, but most of the pics had more of a bell shape then this one did; also noticed it is not an actual true oyster and I ate a mushroom that might not have been what I thought it was......great

[Matt Breuer]

It doesn't have to be an elm tree, just the type of mushroom. I don't eat them, though I've heard they aren't terrible. We have a small clump that grows on the neighbor's box elder tree, and I had to investigate after seeing the stipe. Sure looks and sounds like what you've got there...

[NoWiser]

Were they growing out of knots in the tree, or areas where branches had broken off?

I found a bunch of elm oysters in the fall a couple of years back and they were all growing out of knot holes in box elder trees in groups of 2-4 mushrooms. At the time I didn't know what they were, but was able to tell they were not oysters from the stem, so I did not eat them. After some research I now know that is what they were, and that they are suppose to be decent edibles. So, next time I see them they will end up in the frying pan. The ones I found seemed to have more of a convex top to them, where as yours look more concave?? Different subspecies maybe??

[jerkin'm]

Like stated above, I have seen the single elm oysters on boxelder wounds but have never picked or eaten them. I was a little leary when I saw your pics...glad you survived..

[pushbutton]

Nowiser, I do not know exactly where on the tree they came from, but if they are elm oysters do suspect it was a boxelder as I have never seen elms growing there. Am a little more curious now and will go back and look at the tree a little closer, and yes, they were concave and not convex. At first glance everything about them said oyster, except for the stem.

Jerkin'm, I did not even know anything about an elm oyster I did know that there really is not a poisonous look alike though, and just thought it was a unique oyster subspecies growing in a place where they normally do not grow.....It was a good reminder for me to be a little more cautious.......