A friend of mine likened chanterelles to flowers and from this photo, you can see why. Chanterelles fruited heavily this year and it was a great year for beginners to search for them. I was thrilled to find them for the first time on a foray sponsored by the Sonoma County Mycological Association in Salt Point State Park on the California coast. If you are a beginner mushroom hunter, be sure to go on as many local forays as you can. Although Salt Point State Park is amazingly beautiful and that is reason enough to go, Chanterelles and other edibles can be found right here in the East Bay. A foray is a way to make sure you understand how to identify mushrooms. It can take a few trips with a mycologist to feel secure about foraging and eating wild mushrooms. Forays give you time to get to know each edible and all its look alikes. I grew up collecting and eating wild mushrooms with my family on the East Coast but once I moved out here, I needed to learn the differences in edibles here.
Michele and I spent the past month foraging the East Bay for Chanterelles and found many pounds of mushrooms. We are busy now preparing them to last a few months by freezing and drying them. With all this rain, you may still find them out there. Chanterelles hold a lot of water, therefore; I've found they come out mushy unless I pan fry them in a little butter or olive oil until they release their water. Then I tip the pan towards the flame so the mushrooms are not sitting in the water. Reduce this water until it looks syrupy. Then add it back to the mushrooms, salt and simmer until they brown a little. They are ready to eat or add to pasta, etc. Good luck in your hunt.
Daluca
