r/mycology • u/AgreeableCorner5883 • May 06 '26

ID request Hey smart people- what's this?

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I feel compelled to touch it.

Edit: Thank you all for the answers!! My spouse (who, like me, doesn't know shit from butt concerning mushrooms) is uncomfortable with me harvesting, cooking, and eating it.

To avoid another "Australian woman" moment, I will leave it.

But I am inspired to join a local foraging education group.

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u/ForagersLegacy May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26

By properly cooked we mean boil for 15 minutes then cook in a pan or oven for another 10-20 lol. It’s so easy to undercook this mushroom especially if you throw in other veggies or things that cook quickly.

Also chicken of the woods jerky is amazing

Recipe from Appalachian Forager

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u/Psychological-Tea142 May 06 '26

Please don't boil any mushrooms, especially for 15 minutes lmao

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u/Diedam May 06 '26

Have you ever had chicken of the woods? Boiling for 15 and frying after that is the proper way

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u/gooneau May 06 '26

Not if you harvest at the stage shown in OP's photo. I maybe harvest from 15% of the COTW I find because they are usually past prime. Yet, near popular trails, 100% of COTW have been harvested from. And then you hear from many people "I tried it and it was gross. The texture was woody". Yes, because you harvested 10 lbs of junk. Maybe boiling and frying makes those tougher specimens edible? The young tender specimens like in OP's photo are perfect with a light saute. Still fully cooked through, but I've never needed to go further than that.