To Blewits and Beyond, the last Wild Mushroom Hunt

 

What a pleasant surprise!!

Last Saturday’s Wild mushroom hunt was a wonderful success with a great turn out, including visitors from Delhi, Selkirk, and Hamilton!

Though this time around we didn’t find many edible mushrooms, we did find  medicinals and some perfect specimens. Both the mushrooms we captured, and those that evaded us, sparked conversations on multiple topics. Needless to say, the morning

whipped by before we noticed.

 

Everyone came back to the Apothecary’s study, (The  Apothecarium?), after our mushroom hunt, to experience “Oceans of Potions”. To see, smell, taste and talk about some of the healing and fragrant products that can be created with the seasons bounty.

Hunting for Wild Mushrooms reminds me a bit of trying to find cool items at Value Village, you just have to keep going back, often leaving empty-handed, and eventually, you’ll find what you’re looking for. You can’t just go once and expect to hit the jackpot.
Though the weather is cooling down and we are almost into the negative numbers Celsius, it’s still possible to find some delicious Wild mushrooms. In particular Bluets, Blewitts, Blewits or Bleuetes, however you wish to spell it. Lepista Nuda, Clitocybe Nuda, or Wood Blewit, is a substantial, meaty, delicious gourmet wild mushroom that is only found when the weather cools down, often well into November. They are entering their prime now, ( wherever they are hiding!), so it probably worthwhile to go out one more time and see what we can find.

 

 Blewits have a unique, firm texture that makes them perfect for stews, sauces, pickling, and the usual sautéing and frying.  A very versatile Mushroom. When blanched, they can be frozen and kept for months. As pickles in a savory marinade, their crisp and fleshy texture is ideal. They can be breaded and pan-fried, or roasted in the oven with butter, garlic, and your vegetables of choice.

The distinct Lavender to purple colour of these mushrooms, combined with their size, and appearance so late in the season, makes these unusual wild mushrooms unmistakable, and a fairly safe bet for even the novice wild mushroom hunter. If anyone comes across some lavender mushrooms over the next few weeks, feel free to text me a photo at 905-541-2956. I will gladly confirm their identity for you, and share some tips for preparing and storing them.

The Apothecary’s Garden can be put to bed, and tucked in for the winter, anytime over the next few weeks. There is no rush, it’s not going anywhere, and it is definitely a better use of these last pre-winter days to go out one more time and see what we can find.

So,,,, i know it’s last-minute, it is already Friday, and cutting it close for those who like a few days notice to juggle a busy schedule, but,, I only discovered today, that we are going for one more Wild mushroom hunt. Tomorrow!     

        So let’s consider this a formal invitation for anyone who missed the past two mushroom hunts, or anyone who would like to join me again for one last hunt on our trails.

   Come join me this Saturday morning ,(26th), at 9:30 AM at the Apothecary’s garden, The Teaching Gardens, Churchill Park, and we will go a hunting one last time.

Let’s not give anyone the opportunity to tell us we “Blewit” this year, and missed our wild mushroom window.

Hope to see you there!!
Dan
P.S. There is no charge for participating in the Mushroom walks.

 

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