Whilst having a little countryside wander this weekend gone I spied something interesting hiding in the hedgerow I was passing by. Now anyone who knows me will tell you that if something catches my eye I have to go and investigate, which is what I dually did on this occasion. Clambering through the spike laden hawthorn bushes I came to a patch of mushrooms quite happily growing beneath the canopy of spikiness. Upon closer inspection it turned out these were the small but pretty GLISTENING INKCAP mushrooms, my first time seeing these little lovelies. There was only a few growing in a little patch of no more than 2 foot across. I double checked what they were with good old Google and it seems I was correct in their identification, I could of picked and checked the gills to be doubly sure but seeing as I wasn’t planning on eating these, they are edible apparently, I much preferred to leave them where they were growing.
Below is a few details that I,ve collated about these little mushrooms:
- Their scientific name is Coprinellus Micaceus.
- You can find them from Spring to early Winter growing on dead and rotting deciduous wood.
- They are only small growing to a size of 2-4cm.
- They are edible but not considered great tasting so best used in stocks and stews.
- They are considered to have antimicrobial properties.
As a little note please do not pick and eat any mushrooms that you are not 100 percent sure are edible. Check, check and double check before consuming.
