An Idaho chanterelle emerges large and robust!
Compared to the chanterelles one sometimes finds in markets and online, Idaho chanterelles form and emerge large and robust. They're an easy-to-see presence in the Idaho woods during the second week of October.
So yesterday, I drove 18 miles to my fungi collecting sites where in Spring I gather morels and coral mushrooms and in the Autumn - tasty chanterelles. Chanterelles are often referred to as "chanties" by their fungi gatherers.
Eighteen miles from my beloved Forest Trail, is this section of woods where I gather gourmet fungal secrets!
The second week of October into the third - best after a rain if possible - chanterelles emerge in golden resplendence. Of course, this timing will depend upon your area and elevation. Chanties in Idaho don't start out small, they form large under the soil and emerge in triumph as likely the largest chanties on the planet!
One can almost hear them trumpet their presence. And, sometimes can even smell their rich, fungal aroma before finding them. Who needs a mushroom hunting canine for these beauties!
Upon arriving home after the hunt the chanties must be cleaned. A cheap paintbrush used only for brushing off forest duff from "shrooms" is ideal. An old, clean tooth brush aids in removing the final bits of detritus from their ridges (ridges, not the gills common to many other types of mushrooms) which helps to distinguish chanties from other forest "almost" look-a-likes.
Now cleaned, these chanties are ready to place on a clean kitchen towel to drain.
I allow the chanties to drain and evaporate moisture for about an hour, then they're chopped and placed in a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil and a handful of chopped shallot. Saute the mixture until the chanties release their internal moisture.
The chanties will release internal moisture as they cook.
Allow the released moisture to cook off. Once cooked off I add a pat or two of butter and saute the mixture for a few more minutes.
Now I make "chantie pucks"!
After a brief saute in butter, the chanties are ready to be frozen for future incorporation into recipes calling for delicious mushrooms.
Chanterelles are a highly-prized gourmet edible so I save them for specialty soups, pilafs, and pasta dishes...even quiche, crostini, and omelets. They also go well alongside steaks and as a garnish on roasted asparagus.
The easiest way to make recipe- or serving-sized portions of cooked chanties is to spoon them into cupcake tins. I freeze the tins several hours until the chantie mixture is completely frozen. Briefly running a little hot water over the bottom of the tins loosens the butter/oil they were cooked in and they pop out of their tins easily with the aid of a knife.
Sauteed chanties ready for the freezer.
After the chantie pucks are frozen and popped from the tins, I put them into a Ziploc baggy and store them in the freezer until needed. To use them simply remove a puck or two from the baggy for use in a recipe. Thaw or defrost, and use! Frozen pucks may be added directly to soups and stews. They'll thaw as the recipe cooks.
Not all areas of the forest contain fungal treasures. It can take years to find those areas that do. The search is made easier by asking and watching what others are doing in the woods during the proper seasons, or joining a mushroom club where you'll be introduced to some spots, but maybe not the super secret spots each club member has discovered for himself or herself.
Just beneath the forest duff magical mycelium lies unseen. At particular times of year certain types of mycelia "bloom" and produce gourmet fungal treasures that people have foraged in nearly all parts of the world for eons.
If you live in an area that is a producer of edible treasures, take a class - as I did - to learn how to identify them and the types of places to look for them.
Nature can produce poisonous or gastro-upsetting mimics, but with knowledge, a forager can unerringly identify the goodies from the baddies.
Each foraging season I dry/dehydrate some of the chanties in addition to freezing some.
To dry or dehydrate chanties, clean them and allow to air dry for a couple of hours. Thinly slice the chanties and layer them singly on a wax-paper or parchment-covered baking tray. You may dry them in a warm spot (such as on top of the fridge) until completely dried, or...in a dehydrator checking every hour or two for doneness, or even in an oven on the "keep warm" setting until dried. Just check them every hour until completely dry and stiff.
Store your dried chanties in a baggy or lidded jar. They may be re-hydrated by pouring on boiling water and allowing them to sit for 30 minutes, or longer.
Covered with just enough water to submerge them and heated on high in the microwave for 30 seconds, allow them to sit for 30 minutes, as well. Drain and use, but save the rich soaking broth to add to recipes as part of the water. This broth may be saved and frozen, too.
The dried chanties may be added directly to soups without re-hydrating if the soup is to cook for 30 minutes or longer.
I love Autumn! The heat of Summer has departed. Leaves put on red, burgundy, orange, and golden colors and fall to the ground surrounding trees with deep, leafy blankets. Wood smoke from fireplaces perfumes the air which is crisp with the nip of coming Winter.
It's time to picnic in the woods around a stone-bordered fire pit to roast "somemores", marshmallows, and barbecue on a grill set just above glowing coals. We gather in front of the roaring campfire and sip hot tea and cocoa. It's just a lovely time of year! The gathering of chanties simply adds to the magic of Autumn!
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