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["Thom McConathy" <thomm@pacifier.com>]

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----- Original Message -----
From: <rmelrose@bluemoo.net>
To: <redherring@tnaccess.com>; <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2003 6:08 AM
Subject: [NAFEX] Re: frozen cherries & climbing mushrooms


> Pre PS. There is a mention of fruit at the end!
>
> Okay Donna, a velvety brown russula -- I will keep an eye out for
> it. Mostly we get ones that look suspiciously like russula emetica and I
> have never bothered to try to get them all straight; there are some green
> ones a bit later, in mid-August.
>
> I tend to add a couple of `new' mushrooms a year. Ten years ago I knew
> absolutely nothing so it has been very slow and pretty much all from
> books. My general rule is to positively identify mushrooms on five
separate
> occasions before trying one. Now, I claim I have never poisoned anyone,
> myself included, but there was one incident when a visitor put an uncooked
> boletus (a rare one but big and meaty that I knew had to be cooked) into
> the stuffing of a chicken unbeknownst to me. We all suffered vigourous
> upchuck in the middle of the night (nothing worse) and due to renovations
> there was only a half bathroom between three! This was not the power of
> suggestion, but that can be strong. The feeling of a stomach filled with
> glass ball-bearings is not one I will forget quickly.
>
> Our chanterelles are about the same as yours I would say. Rather delicate
> in flavour but very good with eggs.
>
> Florida is very close to my idea of Hell. Strip out the tropical and
> subtropical fruits, and the orchids, (I think the birds have already gone)
> and you would have the real thing.
>
> You should try to find out what is wrong with your fruit trees. Poor soil
> is an excuse, but not a very convincing one since apples will do quite
well
> in most soils, given water and the right rootstock. Do you have something
> seriously eating the roots? It is in fact another of my questions:-
>
> Just how seriously should I take Japanese beetles? (I doubt that the
> Japanese are really to blame.) They are just now into leaf eating but
> presumably are busy the rest of the year on the roots and the numbers seem
> to be going up, no doubt in gratitude for my planting large numbers of
> fruit trees. Is the milky spoor approach the way to go? I have tried
> pheromone traps, but all I get is butterflies -- which just makes my heart
> sink further!
>
> Richard
>
>
>
> On 30 Jul, Kieran and Donna wrote:
> > So, Donna, a russula eater eh. We have 'em but I pretty much ignore
them --
> > I have eaten several lactarius, the blue one for fun mostly
> > YES, VERY AMUSING, WE HAVE THOSE TOO.
> >  and so-called
> > `deliciosa' which isn't really, to my taste.  I HAVEN'T FOUND ANY OF
THEM
> > AROUND US ANYWAY, MOSTLY ACRID ONES.  WE HAVE A LACTARIUS THAT I REALLY
> > LIKE, NEVER DID DECIDE WHICH OF 2 SPECIES IT IS, BUT IT'S ONE OF MY
> > FAVORITES.  SOFT BROWN AND VELVETY LOOKING.
> > My primary exposure to
> > russulas is as the big white/brown monsters that come up first in late
June
> > or early July. WE DON'T HAVE ANY BROWN RUSSULAS, AND NONE ARE ESPECIALLY
> > LARGE.  MOSTLY RED ONES ALL SUMMER LONG NO MATTER HOW HOT AND DRY, AND
> > OCCASIONALLY A DARKER WINE COLOR.  THE GREENS ARE BEAUTIFUL, LIKE
CRACKED
> > GLAZED POTTERY. Whenever I have keyed them out they are non-edible. Pity
> > since they are around in big quantities (and I am not Italian enough to
> > just try them; somehow my Italian mushrooming friends seem to have
kidney
> > or liver problems). OH DEAR, I DON'T LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT AT ALL!!!
ARE
> > YOU SERIOUS?  I HATE KEYING OUT NEW MUSHROOMS, SO I PRETTY MUCH STICK
WITH
> > THE 20 OR SO I KNOW, THOUGH LAST YEAR I ADDED A COUPLE THAT I KNEW WELL
BUT
> > DIDN'T REALIZE WERE EDIBLE. ( NOT THAT THEY WERE MORE THAN EDIBLE.)  BUT
> > ANYWAY, BACK AT THE BEGINNING, WHENEVER I'D TRY A NEW KIND OF MUSHROOM,
I'D
> > ENJOY EATING THEM, BUT THEN SIT AROUND AND WAIT TO DIE AFTERWARD.  NEVER
> > HAVE EVEN GOTTEN SICK FROM THEM, BUT DAMNED IF I DONT GET A BOUT OF GUT
PAIN
> > AND PROBLEMS EVERY TIME I EAT LETTUCE THESE DAYS OR ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE
RAW
> > OUT OF OUR GARDEN.  DOES THAT MAKE SENSE???  We do get lots of other,
> > smaller russulas. I suppose
> > someone may complain that these are not fruit and this discussion is
> > off-topic on NAFEX, but they are fruiting bodies! We have many different
> > fine, not just edible, `boletus' in the wide sense. Best is boletus
edulis
> > but `leccinum aurantiacum' (excuse my spelling but I am too lazy to look
it
> > up) is a close second right now and there are several more later in the
> > year. We also currently have plenty of chanterelles, don't you get those
in
> > TN
> > YEAH, ANOTHER FAVORITE, BUT IT MADE ME GREEN WITH ENVY TO HEAR MY SON
TALK
> > ABOUT HOW BIG THEY GET UP IN WASHINGTON STATE WHERE HE LIVES.  THEY
SELDOM
> > GET OVER 2" ACROSS HERE, OUR SOIL IS REALLY REALLY BAD.  (and the bugs
seem
> > to leave them alone)? EVEN HERE, IN DISEASE AND PEST RIDDEN TN, BUGS
DON'T
> > EAT THE CHANTARELLES MUCH.
> > Still, this does not make up
> > for the lack of cherries and shortage of blueberries.DON'T FEEL TOO BAD,
I
> > AM STILL WAITING FOR CHERRY TREES TO GROW, MUCH LESS CROP.  I HAVE FRUIT
> > TREES THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR 8 YEARS THAT ARE STILL SHORTER THAN
ME,
> > WITH TRUNKS 1/2" diameter.  I NOW THROW EVERY BIT OF SPARE ORGANIC
MATTER
> > AROUND THEM IN HOPES THEY WILL EVENTUALLY TAKE OFF.  I'VE PLANTED 6
DWARF
> > APPLE ROOTSTOCKS IN WHAT WAS GARDEN IN HOPES OF FINALLY GETTING ANYTHING
AT
> > ALL THAT WILL GROW ENOUGH TO FRUIT.  ONLY THE PEACH TREES AND THE
> > BLUEBERRIES SEEM PRETTY HAPPY, THOUGH THE FROSTS AND CURCULIOS ALWAYS
WIPE
> > OUT THE PEACH CROP.  THIS YEAR IS OUR FIRST BLUEBERRY CROP.
> >      SOMETIMES I THINK MY HUBBY IS RIGHT, THAT MAYBE TENNESSEE IS NOT
> > PARADISE AFTER ALL.  COMPARED TO FLORIDA WHERE I GREW UP, THE SOIL IS
SUPERB
> > AND THE CLIMATE VERY PLEASANT.  I REALIZE THAT'S NOT SAYING MUCH.
FLORIDA
> > IS LIKE HELL, ONLY MORE HUMID, BUGGIER, AND WITH NO TRACE MINERALS.
> >
> > The weight of opinion seems to be coming down on the squirrels as
mushroom
> > transporters. By the way, they behave as though I am a war criminal,
with
> > some reason (story suppressed for the moment), so I shall not hold it
> > against them.
> >
> > Now DMSO is a rather high-tech approach to winter freeze. How persistent
is
> > it I wonder.  NOT VERY
> > Could this just be another spray regimen, in December, to get
> > things through the Winter?I THINK ONE TIME FOR A VERY BAD FREEZE, NOT
> > SOMETHING YOU'D WANT TO DO TO GROW SOMETHING WAY WAY OUT OF IT'S RANGE.
> > Mind you, I think this might be a little
> > controversial; perhaps it would help my arthritis as well.  I KNOW
EVERYONE
> > SWEARS BY IT, BUT I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO TELL IF IT DOES ANYTHING FOR
ME.
> > I DO THINK THAT IN GENERAL EVERYTHING WITH SULFUR IN IT IS GOOD FOR ME,
BUT
> > SULFUR TENDS TO BE BAD FOR MY HUBBY.  ONIONS AND MUSHROOMS ARE NOW ON
HIS
> > AVOID LIST, ESPECIALLY ANYTHING THAT IS AN IMMUNE SYSTEM STIMULANT.
THAT'S
> > WHAT I SUSPECT ANYWAY.  SHIITAKES, THOSE TASTELESS THINGS, MAKE HIM FEEL
> > TERRIBLE THE NEXT, DAY, BUT SULFUR SHELF GOT HIM THE WORST, JUST ONE
LITTLE
> > PEICE.  I DON'T LIKE IT ANYWAY.  VERY PRETTY THOUGH.
> >     THERE'S NO ONE TO TALK MUSHROOMS WITH AROUND HERE.  I SAW SOME ABOUT
10
> > YEARS AGO THAT LOOKED FAMILIAR BUT I COULDN'T PLACE THEM, WE HAD BEEN
DOWN
> > LIVING IN HELL FOR 18 MONTHS AND I'D FORGOTTEN.  TOOK THEM OVER TO THE
> > COLLEGE HERE AND ASKED IF THEY HAD A MUSHROOM HUNTER, THEY POINTED OUT A
> > PROF WHO SAID HE DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THEM AND THAT I KNEW MORE ABOUT
MUSHROOMS
> > THAN HE DID.  TOOK THEM INTO THE COLLEGE LIBRARY, COULDN'T FIND THEM IN
> > THEIR BOOKS EITHER.  THEN FOUND A BOOK WITH A RUSSIAN AUTHOR'S NAME, I
> > THOUGHT IF THE RUSSIANS DON'T KNOW IT, IT DOESN'T EXIST.  I FOUND A
PICTURE
> > JUST FLIPPING THROUGH THE PAGES, WE USED TO PICK LEPISTA NUDA, THEY HAVE
> > CHANGED THE NAME, BUT ANYWAY, THIS WAS ANOTHER LEPISTA.  NOT NECESSARILY
AN
> > EDIBLE ONE.  L. NUDA ACCUMULATES LEAD I HAVE READ, AND SINCE IT LIKES
> > LEAVES, AND THE LEAVES FROM THE CITY ARE COLLECTED FROM ROADSIDES WHICH
> > PRESUMABLY WERE HEAVLY LACED WITH LEAD FOR MANY YEARS, I'M NOT OVERLY
> > THRILLED TO FIND THEM NOWADAYS UNLESS I FIND THEM IN COMPOST PILES FROM
OUR
> > OWN LAND.  BUT IT HARD TO TURN DOWN MUSHROOMS THAT GROW AFTER KILLING
FROST,
> > WHICH THEY DO HERE.
> >     WHEN I MENTIONED DMSO ONCE BEFORE, A NAFEXER EMAILED ME TO ASK IF IT
> > COLD BE USED TO HOLD THE TEXTURE OF FROZEN MELONS.  I THOUGHT THAT WAS A
> > HILARIOUS THOUGHT, AND SAID IT WOULD WORK, BUT THAT IT WOULD RUIN THE
> > FLAVOR!   DONNA
> >
> >
>
> --
> Richard Melrose
>
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