5 Cool Ways to Expertly Forage for Wild Mushrooms

Becoming a mushroom forager doesn’t take years of school and a fancy degree. Plenty of practice and proper identification are crucial. In this edition, Whitney Johnson, Go Forth and Forage, talks to Garden Culture Magazine about her love of mushrooms and the current ‘shroom boom’.

In our list of 5 Cool Ways to Expertly Forage for Wild Mushrooms, Whitney shares her top tips for success. In her words, “first things first, just get your hind-end outside.” Yes, ma’am. 

1. Regional Field Guides and Mushroom ID Groups

So you’ve moved your butt outside and you’re ready to look for mushrooms. Now what? Whitney says numero uno is to get a regional field guide to help identify mushrooms specific to your area. “I live in eastern Kentucky. There ain’t no need for me to get a book that covers the Pacific Northwest,” she says. Whitney’s guide covers Appalachia, but plenty of books have been written on the subject and are easy to find. Join an online mushroom identification group; find a reputable one on Facebook or Reddit.

“If you can’t identify your mushroom from your field guide, you can submit pictures to different groups to help you verify your ID […] If you do not know with 100% certainty that you have an edible, safe mushroom, do not eat it.” For some hands-on experience, check local activity listings for mushroom walking tours led by experienced foragers.

2. Where to Forage for Wild Mushrooms

We’re not kidding when we tell you that foraging for wild food is a no-frills hobby, because mushrooms are everywhere. Check the local regulations concerning foraging before getting started; some areas allow it, others don’t. Many places have a maximum amount of mushrooms one can pick in a day, and anyone found to be in excess will face stiff penalties. If you’re foraging on private property, make sure you have the proper permissions to be there.

Otherwise, Whitney recommends having your head on a swivel. “I have found tons of roadside mushrooms. The first hen of the woods I ever found, we were just rolling down a country road, and there she was sitting at the base of an oak tree,” Whitney recalls. “If I’m out walking around anywhere, even in the city, there’s trees, grass, and dirt in places, and there can be mushrooms there.” In other words, always be foraging, but make sure you’re allowed to do it wherever you are.

3. Foraging Dress Code

There are no bells or whistles when it comes to proper foraging attire, but the more coverage, the better. Showing skin isn’t recommended on forest treks due to the risk of tick bites. Whitney’s guide recommends comfortable, light-coloured, full-length clothing that isn’t too tight or baggy. Tucking the bottoms of pants into socks may not be the most fashion-forward approach, but it’s precisely what we’re looking for while foraging for that extra layer of bug protection.

In the colder months, Whitney recommends dressing in layers to forage for wild mushrooms, and she always brings an extra pair of socks in case her feet get wet. As for footwear, consider a waterproof pair of hiking boots with good traction. Remember, keep it simple. Foraging for wild mushrooms is fun, but it can get dirty; don’t stress about ruining a designer sweater or pair of pants. 

4. Wild Mushroom Foraging Gear

Let’s face it, some hobbies are expensive. Pickleball calls for pricey paddles and good shoes, and skiing requires… well, skis. However, mushroom foraging isn’t fancy, and neither is the gear you’ll need to bring with you.

Whitney’s supply list includes a $20 backpack, a mesh, breathable sack for the harvest, and a knife for cutting some varieties off tree stumps. “It doesn’t have to be expensive. Take a butter knife; I don’t care! I don’t even use a knife all the time.

Some people say, ‘Cut it. Don’t pluck it.’ It doesn’t matter. Studies show squat. No matter how you pick your mushroom, it’s going to be the same,” she says. “I like to use [a knife] to get big shelf mushrooms. It comes with a little brush on the end so you can brush off your mushrooms in the field […] When you get in the kitchen later, you don’t have all those dirty mushrooms.” If you happen to stumble upon a honey hole and you’re ill-prepared, improvise!

“Flannel shirts are great for carrying big loads of chanterelles out of the hills. I did that once. I looked like a little hobo,” Whitney recalls. 

5. Journal like a Boss

Keeping track of your foraged discoveries is crucial, because trust us, you will forget about them or where you found them. Bring a journal on your treks so you can record the type of species you saw, their location, and the time of year. Include details like whether the area has recently received rain, and snap a quick pic for future reference.

“If you have your own photo that you took of a mushroom versus a stock photo in a field guide, you relate to it more and remember it better,” Whitney explains. She says journaling is also fantastic for keeping track of your personal progress; looking back at older entries and seeing how far you’ve come is a confidence booster! If you want to quickly jot down where and when you found your treasures, you can do so on a calendar and refer back to it the following year when you return to forage for wild mushrooms.