In the late summer and as the rays of sun hit the ground, they reflect the light like happy golden joy, attracting you to get closer. Then the scent hits you, almost like caramel mixed with moss and grass, and the nostrils vibrate.
Finally it is this time of the year again, when the chanterelles (Chantharellus cibarius) start to appear, and in the coming weeks it will be a joy to be out harvesting this delicious mushroom which can be used in so many various ways.
Grabbing the knife and mushroom basket and heading for the woods is for me like a treasure hunt. Even though I have done this for a very long time, it still gives me an adrenaline rush every time I see these yellow beauties, knowing all the good food that will come out of them.
Due to its characteristic color and shape, it is easy to distinguish from mushrooms with potential toxicity that discourages human consumption. Chanterelle is a commonly eaten and favored mushroom, and can be harvested from late summer to late autumn.
Crouching there, gently cutting the stalks and filling the basket, brings me both joy and gratitude, and I humbly thank them for these gifts from Mother Earth. When the basket is full, it is time to head home and do the next step of the process: cleansing.
To me, cleansing chanterelles is pure meditation. Not that there is a lot to clean since there are seldom worms to be found, but mostly it is just to brush away soil and pieces of moss.
After finishing the cleansing, it is time to preserve them for the long winter night coming. We do it either by drying or parboiling them, and both methods preserve for a long time. Some we dry whole by threading them and make long garlands to be hung inside the house, or we chop them into pieces, air dry them and put them in big jars to be used as flavoring for soups, stew, homemade burgers from game meat, etc. We wrap the parboiled in small packages and freeze. Of course, we eat from them when they are freshly harvested as well. Chanterelles are fried in salted butter with a little black pepper, served on toasted bread with a bit of sour cream or crème fraîche… Yummi, it tastes like heaven!
So when you are out there walking in the woods, keep your eyes and nose open, maybe the chanterelles will call for you as well ☺ At the same time, enjoy all the other experiences a forest trip can give if you are tuned in. Just be safe and make sure you know your mushrooms before picking any!
Later in the autumn, another kind of chanterelles will appear, funnel chanterelles (Craterellus tubaeformis). We will get back to this when the season is due.
Morten