How to Forage Mushrooms Without Dying: Oyster Mushrooms

This is video #4 in my new series Mushroom Foraging for Beginners! In this video we examin California's coastal oyster mushrooms. Learn to identify these mushrooms, where to find them and how to cook them. Bonus, I pair them with Dungeness crab that we caught the other day to make a one of a kind mushroom-crab melt!
Need a foraging guide or want to join one of my mushroom identification courses? CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE: www.catchncookcalifornia.com/

[@12345637393]

Enjoyable to watch, mouth watering meal you got there !

[@masamunesword]

One of the things I noticed hunting oysters is that they tend to show up on thinner wood earlier in the season then on the thicker stuff later. So if you see a dead standing tree/thick fallen log with no oysters, but fallen branches/smaller stuff nearby with oysters, come back a few weeks later to check the big stuff again.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

That is interesting! I have never noticed that but I will definatly keep an eye out for that pattern this coming season!

[@haroldtakahashi8875]

💛...pick and choose...no catch and release...

[@wyattgrigor1995]

Generally speaking, I dislike being so connected to technology. However, I've been going through a particularly difficult rough patch the past couple months and have been feeling really "down". Without technology, we may have never connected. Your zest for life and good food, as well as your overall calming demeanour, is exactly what I've been needing. Hoping to channel some of your positive energy and I'm so excited to learn all that you have to share. Thanks Kevin, cheers from Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada 👋🏻

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Thanks Wyatt! I decided to start this channel when I broke my leg and was stuck on the couch for a long time and missing the outdoors. I'm not much of a tech person either but being able to watch and share adventures through KZbin is a pretty cool way to share experiences. Thanks for watching and I hope you get out adventuring soon!

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

That's true. I prefer to pick just for personal consumption though. When people pick for money they often over harvest as they stop seeing mushrooms as fungi and begin to see them as $$ which is not sustainable in my opinion. Thanks for watching!

[@PSSKDerby]

Great video Kevin! Dungeness are awesome. So sweet & delicious! And mushrooms are the bomb. Thanks for sharing!!!

[@JohnSmith-pz7vy]

I absolutely love your content, please don't stop! Bring your brother on to do an in depth stove tutorial, and keep making forage and cooks with all the invasive plants

[@fe1tan458]

Nice New Video!

[@LostCoastLiving]

its awesome how i always learn somthing new from you videos!

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Glad to hear it bro!

[@benjovi7007]

man you are one of my fav you tubers I have watched this hole series so fare . dues you brother have a KZbin channel because I would love to watch him make the stuff he gives you. btw I would love it if you could try to arrange another vid with fisher mans life.thank for the internment have a great rest of you're day.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Thank you! He had an old channel but has not posted in over a decade. I will try to get hime to make some of this stuff on my channel. That would be fun! I will reach out to Fisherman's Life for another collab soon.

[@benjovi7007]

thanks dude .@@catchncookcalifornia1574

[@ogoe_joeoutdoors1088]

I found my first amanita today(don'tworry, I'm not about to start eating random mushrooms). Learning to distinguish mushrooms is a thrill I had not anticipated. I've enjoyed this series. I'm hoping there is a morel series somewhere down the line.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Glad you did not eat the amanita but I agree that just identifying them is half the fun. It is quite a beautiful mushroom family.

[@mikePNW]

I love all your videos but these mushroom ones are my absolute favorite! Hope you do it again next season. Thanks, Kevin.

[@patrickwilson1997]

Another amazing video! I can't wait for this coming Saturday and our guided trip with you. Our mushroom permits came in the mail yesterday so my girlfriend and I are all set. We are headed up Thursday and hope to take advantage of the low tides Thursday and Friday afternoons (ocean conditions are looking good according to NOAA forecasts). I am hoping to try your take on Teguyaki and some other mussel recipes. Maybe get lucky with a crab snare at the beach and/or the poke poles I am bringing. Looking forward to meeting in person.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Right on! I hope that you do well in the intertidal! Looking forward to meeting up with you for mushroom identification!

[@desertfairychickres4021]

We're getting the tail end of the California Pineapple express. No chance of edible mushrooms here in the Sonoran desert but a gal can ALWAYS dream. Blessings, K.T. 😊☀️🌵🙏🇺🇲

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

I hear the Madrean Sky Islands of AZ have edible boletes and other species. Not sure what the rules and regulations are about foraging out there though. Thanks for watching!

[@desertfairychickres4021]

@catchncookcalifornia1574 Will Google now. Have never heard of it.? Thrilled though.

[@barbarasmith9809]

You are a born teacher. I always learn something from your videos. This mushroom series is very entertaining. Thanks for sharing your love of the outdoors and your love of cooking

[@michaelandersson2856]

👍

[@k4x4map46]

the right was with 'old bay!!' yes sir

[@andresblanco2186]

Man, I can't wait to connect and attend one of your guided classes. Recently, at work, i found myself walking through the forest, taking advantage of all the rail and finding mushrooms . Great video as always.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

That is great to hear! Stoked that you are finding some good stuff out there!

[@Grits_and_Glamour]

Awesome stuff Kev-O thanks for sharing!

[@yuiyuiyyuiy3200]

another great one!👍

[@asystoleD]

Awesome!

[@VCheckItOut]

Enjoyed your video. I have David Arora paperback with me wherever I go - just haven't found any edible ones yet. Hard to find them in SoCal but I keep on dreaming. lol.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Try the creeks in the willows! My fried just found a bunch of oysters down there!

[@senemeli8898]

Private restaurant pay good money for people that hunt for fresh exotic mushrooms

[@user-yl3fl5ff7f]

Thanks again Dr. Kevin. Love your videos. Candy caps in the intro portion as well?

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Thanks! Yep! They sure were!

[@tblazy3463]

Looked great oysters and crab sounds really good. Would you be able to find a mushroom and step by step identify it through the David Aurora book?😁👍 🍄

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Yup!

[@mrtoast7425]

Do you recommend the Redwood City pier as a fishing spot ?

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

I have never tried it.

[@swyperorion9688]

I wanna do a catch and cook with you I seen you host a group

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Right on! I am guiding coastal foraging, survival skills, feedive spearfishing, etc. up and down the coast. You can check out details at catchncookcalifornia.com Also, the easiest way to keep up to date with what I am guiding is to get on my email list through my website as that is where I first announce where/when I will be guiding and leading classes.

[@seanruggenberg62]

I have 5 books and go with a micro biologists and still don't take any cause I'm worried about getting sick from them

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

I understand your fungiphobia (I was the same way at one time in my life) but truly there are some edible species that look as distinct from toxic species as a sandwich looks from a baseball and if we cannot tell those apart we likely should not be eating at all lol.

[@johnnytieszen1658]

Where in California are you

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Bay Area. Thanks for watching!

[@dankbuds-md5li]

Foraging mushrooms would be dope but I’d probably misidentify and eat poisonous mushrooms

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

That what my mushroom identification courses are for. Join me sometime if you can!