Nature Journal: Hunting mushrooms in the winter
Most of those who hunt mushrooms do so from late summer into fall, when a vast array of choice edibles are abundant or in spring when morels are in season. There is, however, a species, the so-called “winter mushroom,” that may not be quite so exquisite tasting as numerous prime-season species, that when found in the dead of winter is especially welcome.
And hunting for them on a bright wintry day is fun.
The oyster mushroom (Pleurotis ostreatus) is common throughout Western North Carolina, appearing singly or in shelving masses on stumps and logs, as well as the living trunks of a variety of deciduous trees, especially poplar and walnut. It may be observed year around, being very white in warm months and more brownish-white in winter.
The genus name refers to the "pleurotoid" habit of the fruiting body; that is, it has a cap which may entirely lack a stalk or a stalk that's noticeably off-center. The species tag "ostreatus" refers to the mushroom's remarkable oyster-like fragrance and flavor.
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There are no poisonous look-alikes for this species that I know about, but still check a field guide every time you harvest any sort of mushroom for the table. It does harbor beetles in the deep gill slits. These are easily removed by immersing the cap in water or tapping the top of the cap and dislodging them. The portion of the cap attached to the tree (and the stalk, if present) is tough and should be severed from the fleshy outer part of the cap.
In “Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America,” David W. Fischer and Allan E. Bessette note that it “tends to fruit in large clusters.” That’s an understatement. For three or so years back in the 1990s, Elizabeth and I harvested baskets of oyster mushrooms from a decaying walnut tree on the north side of the river in Bryson City.
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At times, the lower portion of the tree would be covered with them. Other clusters grew so high on the tree they required a ladder to harvest. Not wanting to haul a ladder around, I was able to dislodge most of them with a long cane pole.
George Ellison is an award-winning naturalist and writer. His wife, Elizabeth Ellison, is a watercolor artist and paper-maker who has a gallery-studio in Bryson City. Contact them at info@georgeellison.com or info@elizabethellisongallery.com or write to P.O. Box 1262, Bryson City, NC 28713.