All mushrooms are edible... some only once.

Mushrooms have many forms.

There are big mushrooms, small mushrooms, medium mushrooms, and tiny mushrooms.

There are red mushrooms, white mushrooms, black mushrooms, brown spotted mushrooms, and striped mushrooms.

There are bell-shaped mushrooms, round mushrooms, tall and thin mushrooms, and short and stout mushrooms.

There are hallucinogenic mushrooms, scary poisonous mushrooms, and yummy edible mushrooms.

Mushrooms are mysterious. And I am terrified of them.

That’s why I decided to learn how to identify and scavenge them.

As we head toward the wintery months of June, July and August, I have my hands and pockets full with last-minute harvesting. Mushroom season only lasts for a few weeks every year, so the clock on the short window is ticking away.

Hongos de pino, suillus leutus, are abundant and relatively easy to recognize in Bariloche. Their roots have a intricate relationship with those of pine trees and pop up only when the humidity and temperature are right. At the right moment, eager scavengers head out with bags, knives posed, to their favorite (and often secret) collecting place.

My mushroom-collecting desire was eating away at me. I looked for people to go with me for moral support and I got a few bites, but Argentinean promises are as flaky as an hojaldre empanada. In the end, I just had to go at it alone. Here goes nothing...!

Virgen de las Nieves is a fantastic, although well-trodden, mushroom gathering place. I arrived ill-prepared, but enthusiastic, not really knowing what to expect.

After about an hour-or-so of crawling under trees and avoiding prickly bushes, I emerged, my hair decorated with pine needles, smiling, and victorious with seven mushrooms in my hands. Ecstatic, I headed to the INTA to confirm their edibility, and although the fungus-expert was in el Bolsón that day, the women at the reception identified them and gave me some cleaning and cooking hints.

Back at home, I peeled and rinsed my precious fungal specimens. The moment of truth was when I cooked and ate them. Delicious, but were they poisonous?

Clearly, because I’m typing this blog entry, I survived. Whew!

Identifying Hongos de Pino (or Slippery Jack Mushrooms):

• Rounded cap (colors can range from light brown to dark brown) usually covered in a sticky membrane (especially after a rain). If the sticky membrane impedes pealing, let mushrooms sit and dry a little while or wipe them off with a moist sponge.
• Speckled stems (not too noticeable until AFTER you cut them!)
• Yellow spongey underneath. Intensity of yellow color depends on mushroom maturity. Young mushrooms have a white veil covering their sponge.

Harvesting Hongos de Pino:

• These mushrooms grow close to the base of pine trees and need a certain amount of moisture to manifest themselves.
• Carry a knife and cut stem without disturbing the root system. If you leave the roots, you can come back later to the exact same place and expect to find a new mushroom.
• Carry harvested mushrooms in a porous bag to allow spores to scatter and encourage more mushroom growth.
• If you find one, chances are you will find more close by.
• Don’t be afraid to put your hands to the earth and get your knees dirty! It’s fun.

Cleaning and preparing Hongos de Pino:

This step is highly debatable. I’ve heard vehement arguments for different procedures. Everyone has their method. Below I will describe what I did, what I did and shouldn’t have done, and what other people say they’ve done.

• I hand-peal each mushroom with a knife. Some might say it’s tedious, but I love it. I attend to and handle each mushroom as if it were a carefully-wrapped jewel. And as I say, you have an option in everything you do: you can enjoy it or you can not enjoy it. It’s really up to you. Why not put your heart into it and enjoy the activity for exactly what it is?
• Once pealed, DO NOT WASH. Yes, I learned this the hard way. If washed after pealed, the mushrooms will become saturated with water and won’t dry properly. They will start smelling really bad after a few days. Really bad.
• Some people have told me that they leave the peal on. And, with the peal on, they rinse the mushrooms. Apparently the water doesn’t saturate the mushroom this way. Others have said that eating the peal results in diaherrea. Everyone has their own theory.

Drying:

• I cut the mushrooms into slices and place them on newspapers to dry. I’ve also heard of people hanging them in mesh bags. Dried, they last for a while. Not sure how long exactly; I haven’t gotten there yet!

Pickling:

• I use the smallest of my mushrooms for pickling. Or I cut the bigger ones into smaller pieces.
• I boil the mushrooms in vegetable oil until tender.
• I prepare the marinade. This usually depends on what I have on hand. Last time I used apple vinegar, water, whole black peppercorns, four bay leaves, rosemary, basil, and red pepper flakes. Next time I will add garlic and salt. And maybe some onions and carrots.
• Boil the mushrooms in the marinade.
• Keep mushrooms in a jar and in the fridge.
• Eat. The extra marinade can also be recycled as a tasty salad dressing.

My knowledge of mushrooms is very limited. I encourage you to consult with an “expert” before eating any mushroom you find. Begin with small portions, just in case your stomach is sensitive, even edible mushrooms can cause upset stomachs in people who are unaccustomed.

I once thought that mushroom collecting was way out of my league; it was to be left to biologists and experts. But I realized with a little bit of curiosity, effort, courage and desire I can equip myself with the right tools and knowledge to conquer my fears. And have a super fun time doing it!

Coming up next...

Taking a turn for sweet indulgence: homemade flan and homemade ice-cream :-)