Tofino mushroom forage: the last forage?
Water is central to all we do on the Pacific Rim: our rainforest ecosystem, recreation and world-famous seafood.
Right now our streams are full of spawning salmon and the first fall storms have us all scrambling for our water-proof gear! If you don't like water the Pacific Rim isn't for you.
The last Thursday of October, as the tail end of hurricane Ana whipped the coast, we prepared for our last guest forage - it was shaping up to be a wet one! The mushrooms were slowing down but our group was prepared to brave the conditions and committed to filling their baskets.
On the hike to our patch, I was asked what triggers mushrooms to bloom and why is the west coast such a prolific environment for mushroom fruiting. This got me talking about water.
I have read that many types of mushrooms will only appear when their survival is in danger. This may be due to a lack of water; too much water; a lack of nutrients; ground disturbance etc. These conditions trigger the mycelium to fruit in an attempt to reproduce by growing a mushroom body and releasing spores. A fruiting mushroom serves the same purpose as an apple on a tree.
The reason the west coast is ideal? Water.
Tofino and Long Beach Lodge Resort is in the fog zone. Fog provides moisture all summer long - even during a dry summer, like the one that just ended. The ever-present moisture helps trees grow, shrubs thrive and all the factors that combine to make happy and healthy mushroom habitat.
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This past summer I ran into a local picker who told me his little secret that I will share here. According to the local, exactly 18 days after the first “big rain” in July, chanterelles will “pop” in big numbers. The only problem is that we never really had a big rain in July this year and I still found solid numbers of chanterelles in my prized patches.
There are as many theories as to why and when mushrooms will flourish as there are types of mushrooms. I just try to get out and take a look whenever I get a chance. Some days are better than others despite being drier than others. I have not found a hard-and-fast rule or condition for a great mushroom harvest.
When we got back to Long Beach Lodge after our October forage, chef Randy used our mushroom bounty to prepare an amazing chanterelle mushroom flatbread for our group to share as we talked mushrooms by the fire in the Great Room. We enjoyed the flatbread with the last of my quick-pickled chanterelles. A group member asked me if I was going to go out again in the coming weeks, or was this the last forage.
It was not the last fall forage for me. Late into the fall and early winter I expect to find winter chanterelles and hedgehogs - both work great with the simple pickled chanterelle recipe I have shared here.
I intend on finding something for the table every month of the year and I will do my best to write about these adventures and share the stories here.
Pickled Chanterelles
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Full baskets.
Ian
