Mushroom Foraging- Oyster Mushrooms

I have the good fortune of living in an area with quite a diverse mycological array. I find bright purple mushrooms, pink mushrooms, orange jelly fungus, lots of beautiful and diverse specimens.

But what I really like, are my prized Boletes and Oysters.

The fall 2016 season is getting well underway, the early rains have really helped. Usually I don't find any boletes until it is close to freezing in temperature, but there are some other fall goodies that I've seen popping up.

The Agrocybe praecox are doing well this year, I personally don't eat this species but it can be done.

The Oysters are popping, which is what I really like to see. I have a special spot on our property across the creek, where I have been gathering oyster mushrooms off the same hardwood stump for a few years now. Its location and details are top secret, known only to those in my household!

Today, I kind of just had an urge to go look in my spot and see what I could see. I'm glad I did!! Maybe I could hear the mushrooms calling out to me, I don't know how else to try and explain this. I just HAD to go look, immediately.

I found a nice haul of Oyster mushrooms in the expected spot. Oysters are easy enough to identify of you pay very close attention to detail, and as a bonus I have actually cultivated oyster mushrooms before so feel very comfortable with IDing them.
Oyster mushrooms are one of my foolproof foraging species, something I am never afraid to bring home with me and cook up for dinner.

Here's what I got today. These were chilled until evening in the refrigerator then carefully cleaned up, sliced and thrown into the soup pot with some beef and vegetables. They are delicious!