‘Cogwheel’ less pronounced, base of stem has wooly scales, smells of aniseed – not quite so good to eat, though still excellent if eaten soon after picking. urinascens) – very similar to horse mushrooms, though getting even larger (up to 30cm across cap compared to 25cm with horse mushrooms). Some of the wild cousins are well worth keeping your eye out for: There are at least 40 species of agaric growing wild in the UK – and countless other cultivated strains growing in darkened chambers. Then order this – it will blow your mind!! Incidentally, the ability of fungi to absorb both ground and airborne toxins is a hot field of research at the moment: check this out and this fantastic insight by fungi-guru Paul Stamets. While there is some doubt how much of these are actually absorbed through the gut wall, it isn’t a good idea eat too many picked from busy roadsides, but I am comfortable with a handful a year from our quiet Galloway lanes. If, like me, you find many of your horse mushrooms on roadside verges, you should be aware of their capacity to absorb and concentrate heavy metals – notably cadmium and copper. Sometimes horse mushroom rings can be 10’s or even 100’s of years old – check out this amazing one on the Welsh border (NB: It isn’t a sheep formation dance troop!): Please read and share this on sustainable mushroom picking. Fortunately, the superior and more substantial horse mushroom is a little more versatile in its choice of habitats: I find most of mine in wood edges and hedgerows, often growing in “family groups” and rings that can make for a good harvest of young and mature caps, and still leave plenty behind to perpetuate the colony. Such is the pressure on natural grassland, there is the very real prospect of the once prolific field mushroom ( agaricus campestris) going off the wild food menu altogether in some areas of the UK. The phosphate-heavy fertilisers and fossil-fuel based practices that many farmers use to grow unnaturally green silage generally inhibit mycorrhizal activity – a bit of an expensive (financial and environmental) own-goal when you consider that many of these fungi actually stimulate plant growth. They are just one of many excellent wild mushrooms (waxcaps, field mushrooms, parasols etc) that thrived among the convivial husbandry of yore but are dwindling amid the industial-chemical agro-business of today. They earned their name due to a liking for generously (horse) manured fields. Horse mushrooms are still relatively common despite being generally on the decline due to habitat loss. They are still the makings of epic breakfasts and the finest soups though. Older specimens will have lost some pizzazz, but make up for that in size and meatiness (just like humans really). Young caps, simply sliced, seasoned, dressed with a light oil and lemon juice and served with wood sorrel, sweet cicely (which echoes the aniseed aromas – see recipe here) and a few shavings of parmesan, is one of the finest mushrooms dishes you can eat. This is truly a gastronomes mushroom and it is, paradoxically, only its physical similarity to cultivated mushroom that keeps it out of top kitchens. The texture can be a wonderfully rare combination of light, crisp and succulent. The pink gilled caps of young horse mushrooms have a sweetly fragrant aniseed aroma that I rate nearly as highly as prime ceps, and certainly in my top table of gourmet wild mushrooms. How often do you see horse mushrooms on a menu compared to chanterelles, ceps or even vile “pretend” wild mushrooms like enoki? On the other hand horse mushrooms tend to be overlooked by wild mushroom aficionados in favour of their weird and wonderful woodland cousins. On the one hand it is pounced upon as a “proper mushroom” by the non-fungi literate because it resembles its tamed relatives (mostly derivations of agaricus bisporus), blisfully ignorant that the poisonous yellow stainer ( agaricus xanthodermus) is virtually identical (at least until eaten). It also has the curious dual distinction of being commonly misidentified and widely underrated. Habitat – fertile pastures (without artificial fertilisers), verges, hedgerows, wood edges.Ī horse mushroom in its prime is a thing of great beauty and superb flavour.Distribution – 3/5 – These once abundant mushrooms are becoming less common due to habitat loss. GREEN STUFFED HORAE FULLIdentification – 3/5 – beware of yellow stainer ( agaricus xanthodermus) – see below for full details.
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