Foraging Wild Shaggy Mane Mushrooms

I went on a Wild food & Herbs Foraging walk. Here is an edible mushroom I learned about. Shaggy Manes (Coprinus Comatus). Look at this great big patch of shrooms! The second photo shows one turning inky. The third photo show them at their prime edible stage.

Shaggy Mane Mushrooms have tall caps that are somewhat pointed oval, and covered with frilly, lacy scales. They are normally off-white and oval shaped when fresh, which is when they are edible, then aging quickly to gray and black, often releasing a blackish, ink-like substance that you will not want to get on you.  I've heard of paintings which used shaggy mane ink as the medium!

Shaggy Manes deteriorate very quickly, so if you gather them for the table, choose only truly prime specimens, refrigerate them as quickly as possible, and serve them that day.  Otherwise they will almost surely have started to ink.

Shaggy Manes are among several members of the family called “Inky Caps” and share a family resemblance, though, only one of this family is called Inky Cap, and that is Coprinus Atramentarius.  It starts out dusky gray, and like the Shaggy Mane, ages quickly. Why this should interest you is that Inky Caps (C. Atramentarius) are used in the making of antabuse, a powerful drug sometimes used in the treatment of alcoholism, that sickens people who then consume alcohol. A similar (but milder) reaction has been reported by some who have eaten Shaggy Manes with alcohol, so caution is advised the first time you eat this mushroom in combination with your favorite adult beverage.

Another caution:  Shaggy Manes often grow beside roads. It is always wise to think about where you are picking a mushroom you intend to eat.  Well-travelled roads are likely to have had all kinds of stuff (oil, transmission fluid, and anti-freeze, salt) leaked or spread onto their surface and when it rains, these pollutants get washed to the shoulders, where it can sink in and become a part of what you are thinking about picking.  Areas that are likely to be sprayed with herbicides are another consideration. 

Don't be scared off eating a fine edible that is considered choice by most people, just remember to always be thoughtful in your mushroom gathering and eating!

NOTE- Forage Only When Necessary: Do Not over harvest wild foods. Foraging is fun, but remember that as a human, you have the ability to source your food in your natural environment - wildlife does not. If you must forage for food or herbs for an ailment, only harvest 5% -10% of what you see of any plant or patch you find, so it has a good chance to keep growing and come back next year. Remember that other lives depend on it. 

THANKS FOR YOUR VISITS, FAVS AND COMMENTS. AS ALWAYS, APPRECIATED VERY MUCH!  © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY ELISE T. MARKS. PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS IMAGE ON WEBSITES, BLOGS OR ANY OTHER MEDIA WITHOUT MY EXPLICIT WRITTEN PERMISSION.