Searching for Candy Caps: The Amazing Maple Syrup Mushroom

[@MushroomTrail]

I couldn't agree more with you in regards to the sentiment that Candy Caps are perhaps one of the best kept secrets of mushroom hunting ... so unique! And often coming out just in time for holiday baking! I just recently found your channel and really appreciate your content! I'm in Western Washington and just posted a video of a huge Candy Cap patch that I stumbled upon the other day. I saw that you're located here in the Pacific Northwest too! I just sub'd! Happy trails, and keep the great content coming!

[@masamunesword]

For anyone curious (Much later after the fact) the mushrooms at 3:54 are of the Laccaria genus, probably laccata but it's hard to tell some of the species apart without microscopy or fresh samples of basal mycelium. The thick, wide spaced, purple/pink gills that run onto and maybe only a little bit but not far onto the stipe is the giveaway.

[@WesternEclectic]

Thank you for the information on this!

[@dingledee2704]

This was a great clear spoken video. Thx

[@jmoehr747]

Hi, thanks! Your approach is VERY compatible with mine: enjoy the mushrooms you know and continue cautiously expanding your range. I lived for some forty years in the PNW - if you want to call it that - namely in the south-western most part of Canada, in Victoria, BC. And after a previous career as a hobby mushroom forager, growing up in Germany, I, of course, continued foraging for mushrooms here. I have found lots, got acquainted with lots of new ones and had a lot of fun. And I have read and heard a lot about candy caps, but I never got confident enough to collect what looked like them or look a-likes. And that despite the fact that in Germany, I would draw on some 50 or 60 kinds/species to fill my larder, and here I can rely on some 35 kinds/species. Would love some more information on candy caps. Jochen

[@WesternEclectic]

@@jmoehr747 Hi Jochen, thanks for checking in and for sharing a bit about your background. Learning about mushrooms seems to be an ongoing endeavor; there's still so much more I hope to learn. I was able to collect some candy caps with my daughters a few days ago here in Oregon. They had fun telling the real candy caps from the "fake" ones, the latter having a slightly brighter orange colors and, perhaps, most significantly, a slimy cap. So, it's definitely possible to differentiate between what is a candy cap and what isn't, but you are smart to be cautious. Good luck and happy hunting!

[@salpine]

Had to check these out. There's a candy cap donut at a specialty donut shop in Oakland called Donut Farm and it blew my mind candy cap is a mushroom!

[@WesternEclectic]

Haha cool. If I make it to Oakland I'll have to try one!

[@truyennam]

excellent,

[@6stringgunner511]

Welcome back brother!!! I haven't seen you in a while. GREAT show 👍 😁!!!

[@stingingmetal9648]

Did you find out what the shaggy stemmed at 4:00 was?

[@WesternEclectic]

I hadn't looked into this yet but your question inspired me to check. I believe these may have been Laccaria laccata. I'm not certain about that though, and if I find them again I'll try to get a more solid identification. It's always fun to be able to identify a new species. Thanks for checking in!

[@markmathews1640]

Awesome video. Very informative

[@naturallynorthwest9748]

Just subbed today. Love this content!

[@WesternEclectic]

Thanks Megan! Glad to have you aboard.

[@demokratiaperemoje]

I left my mushroom opinel in the port gamble trails somewhere 😢 it was a gift from my sous Chef! A few years back... I got another to replace it since. I just hope it didn't rot and made someone happy

[@WesternEclectic]

Bummer! Glad to hear you got a new Opinel, and at least the replacement cost isn't as bad as a Benchmade or Spyderco knife. I'm a big fan of Opinel knives and have several. They seem to have good quality without being very expensive. Thanks for checking in and take care!

[@sideslash6938]

Cool!

[@CoolVIguy]

I have watched most of your videos today and quite enjoyed them. One thing is the outdoors around you are exact the same as here. Right down to the Salal underbrush and ferns. Are you on Vancouver Island by chance? Highway even looks similar to BC roadways. Cheers! I subbed, keep at it man.

[@WesternEclectic]

Thanks for checking in; I really appreciate your support! I'm in Oregon... Interesting to hear that things look so similar to BC.

[@rudypease996]

Cool video. I grow up picking chanterelles and would love to pick some different types. Are there any groups or mushroom clubs out there that you know of that take first timers out there? I'm from the Portland area. Keep up the great work.

[@WesternEclectic]

Thanks for checking in! I am not as familiar with what is available around the Portland area, but the Oregon Mycological Society (I did a quick internet search to find them) might be a good place to start as they appear to be based in Portland. Mushroom hunters tend to be super secretive about their hunting spots, but are almost always willing to provide advice on mushroom identification and general hunting tips. To many folks in our area mushroom hunting means only chanterelles, but there are all kinds of other great species out there. Good luck!

[@garrettwaiss3525]

What's the difference between the candy caps and the look-a-likes? Also, what is the name of the imposter? thanks

[@WesternEclectic]

Hi Garrett, good question. I believe the "fake" candy caps are actually orange milk caps (Lactarius luculentus). They can be hard to differentiate from candy caps at first, but they lack the candy cap smell and have a smoother cap. A great book (that describes both species) is David Arora's "All That the Rain Promises, and More..." Definitely worth having if you're hunting mushrooms on the West Coast. I hope that helps!

[@garrettwaiss3525]

@@WesternEclectic Thank you! Yes, I have that book and also his Mushrooms Demystified. I thought I saw some candy caps up here in Kitsap County, but wasn't sure if they were quite right. They had hollow stalks and I couldn't get a spore print. I'm new at this and it's so fun but also a little hard to feel confident in ID'ing them. Thanks for the reply!

[@WesternEclectic]

@@garrettwaiss3525 No problem, and it's great that you have both books. The smell of the candy caps (if you dry them it yields a very strong maple syrup aroma) is probably the best way to be sure. This aroma can be harder to detect when they're fresh, so you could always dry some and if you notice the smell that will be a very strong indication they're candy caps. Good luck and keep me posted!

[@m.brettadams1308]

What area of the PNW are you in? I'm in Vancouver Washington and I want to find some Candy Caps!

[@WesternEclectic]

Hi Brett, I hope you find some this fall! I'm in the central Willamette Valley. This isn't terribly far from you so I assume there are candy caps in your area as well. You might check in with local mushroom hunters and see if you can get some information on good spots to hunt. Good luck!

[@SketchybrainD]

I still have never found any hedgehogs. I dont get out to look as much as I would like.

[@WesternEclectic]

I definitely don't get out as much as I'd like either! Work and other obligations seem to keep getting in the way of my mushroom hunting, haha. Good luck when you are able to get out, and I hope you can finally find some hedgehogs. They're a great mushroom and pretty easy to recognize.

[@whoizzy]

it's called a kats tongue(: and it's edible

[@WesternEclectic]

Cool! I never knew the toothed jelly fungus (Pseudohydnum gelatinosum) was also called cat's tongue. I'll have to try them sometime. Thanks for letting me know.

[@AceHardy]

🍭🍬

[@moomoopuppy5810]

Are the jelly ones edible?

[@WesternEclectic]

According to David Arora's book they are "...said to be fairly good with honey and cream--but what isn't?" Haha. I've never found enough of them to be worthwhile to try eating. But they're fun to find.

[@fattymcbastard6536]

Toothed jellies (aka Cat's Tongue) are edible, but completely insipid. That being said, you can make something like a jelly candy out of them by soaking (simmering?) them in flavoured syrup. I haven't tried this, however.

[@alvarsdzenis4739]

i have made maple syrup for over 50 years, i can safely say that candy cap mushrooms do not taste like maple syrup. candy caps are not native here to southern ontario, so it is rare to see them. i can see how some people think it tastes like maple syrup, but to me the flavors are quite different. those that do probably didn't grow up in an environment where maple syrup was consumed often daily and produced every year.

[@WesternEclectic]

That's a good point. To me, candy caps taste a bit more like Mrs. Butterworth's than true maple syrup. (When I was a kid we often had the fake stuff, but these days my family only uses real maple syrup.) I still think it's amazing that a mushroom can have that flavor. I suppose a more accurate title for this video could have been "Searching for Candy Caps: The Amazing Mushroom That Kind of Tastes Like That Fake Maple Syrup Which Doesn't Really Taste Like Real Maple Syrup" but that's not nearly as catchy or concise! 😊 Anyhow. thanks for commenting. I have spent a lot of time in southern Ontario; it's a beautiful part of the world. Cheers.

[@sebasv1920]

like and subbed, please maybe try to find a piece of trash also next time :-) any case, love the vids!

[@6stringgunner511]

What a beautiful area!!! What state are you in???

[@WesternEclectic]

Oregon 😊

[@6stringgunner511]

@@WesternEclectic Cool!!!

[@alexd7466]

lizard at 3'20

[@WesternEclectic]

Good eye! I didn't even notice it when I was editing the video.

[@monicakeehn3052]

I eat the jelly tooth or cats tounge

[@WesternEclectic]

Cool! I didn't know they were also called cat's tongue, but that makes sense. I've never tried eating them. If you get the chance, would you let me know how you prepare them so I can give it a try? Thanks!

[@monicakeehn3052]

@@WesternEclectic I candied them and I made "jello shots". I found recipies online