One of the most precious edible mushrooms when it comes to mushroom picking is the Chanterelle cornucopioides. Its common name is trumpet of death and, although it has this sinister name, it is considered one of the most delicious edible mushrooms there is. It is usually collected easily since there is little confusion with this mushroom. Even the newest mushroom picker can pick them up without fear.
In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics, habitat and possible confusions of the Cantharellus cornucopioides.
Key features
Hat and foils
This mushroom has a hat that is quite easy to distinguish from other mushrooms. It is usually about 10 centimeters in diameter. The color of the hat is variable in color depending on the degree of humidity in the environment. These colors, although they vary, have shades ranging from black to matte gray. It has a smooth cuticle and sometimes slightly streaked. It has some fibrils with an irregularly lobed edge.
The common name comes here for a trumpet-shaped hat. It has a cavity in the center that extends almost to the base of the foot. This is one of the distinctive characteristics of this mushroom with respect to others. It just has some confusions and they are not dangerous.
It is a fungus that does not have laminae and its hymenium is completely smooth. It can be easily distinguished because it has an ashy gray color and is sometimes weakly wrinkled.
Pie and meat
As for the foot, it is simply considered an extension of the hat. It does not have a prominent foot as such. It is hollow inside since it is simply a cavity that the hat has that will extend to the base. It can be seen that its color is similar to that of the hymenium, although slightly darker.
Lastly, its meat is scarce. Although it has a good taste and a pleasant aromatic smell, it has a somewhat springy consistency. Its color also varies depending on the humidity of the environment. It varies in shades ranging from gray to blackish.
Habitat of the Chanterelle cornucopioides
This mushroom can be found in great abundance in oak and beech forests. Its season begins in the fall months. They are usually found in numerous specimens together and rarely isolated. It needs moist soils to be able to grow. There are several ways to collect it. Depending on the use you want to give it, it can be used to consume at the moment or it can be dehydrated and used the rest of the season in different ways.
If we want to find a large number of these specimens, we must look for those lands with a large amount of humidity. Beech and oak forests tend to have a littered soil. The litter is the leaves that fall from the trees and that are decomposing into organic matter feeding on nutrients from the soil. In addition, this litter helps to retain high humidity levels so that they give good conditions and the mushroom can develop well. Since they need a high level of humidity, it is common to find this mushroom near mosses and lichens.
An area with a great abundance of Chanterelle cornucopioides his own the walls of the ravines. We can also find them in peat bogs where large amounts of moisture and decomposing organic matter are stored. Although autumn is the time when there is more number of specimens there, it can also appear at the end of summer and extend its abundance well into winter.
This is because they are mushrooms that tolerate cold very well and low temperatures are not a problem. Depending on the rainfall that has occurred during the summer and spring, the time of appearance may be anticipated. As for its area of distribution, it is quite wide and varied. The peninsular forests make there are many specialized stores selling wild mushrooms. In these stores we can find the trumpets of death throughout the year.
Many people use it to dehydrate and use throughout the season. If we collect it, it will need to be refrigerated and consumed after a maximum of several days. It is considered one of the most grateful mushrooms at the time of its collection given its easy conservation.
It is considered a great edible even if it does not look very appetizing. It is often used as an accompaniment in some stews.
Possible confusion and collection of Chanterelle cornuccopioides
This mushroom is not usually confused with others, since its morphology and appearance are quite curious. However, if there are some confusions with mushrooms from the same group. The most abundant confusion with this mushroom is the Cantharellus cinereus. The main difference between the two mushrooms is that The hymenium has well marked folds. There is no need to be too concerned about the confusion of this mushroom, as it is also an edible species. There is no risk of toxicity at the time of consumption.
Collecting this mushroom can be complex if you do not know its texture. It must be borne in mind that in order to collect this mushroom it must have a sufficient degree of humidity to be able to pull them without breaking them. If we collect it broken, its conservation will be worse and for less time. They usually grow in numerous groups and in large numbers. If we find a copy of the Chanterelle cornuccopioides, we will probably find a fairly large group around him.
The best thing for their collection is to be cautious. If when pulling they do not come out well from the ground, it is best to use a knife to extract them from the ground. It will also help us to clean the remains of earth that have adhered. By not having a dangerous confusion, a homogeneous color and a unique morphology, the trumpet of death it is one of the most satisfying mushrooms to collect for those hobbyists. You just have to be careful when harvesting it if you want to take advantage of its exquisite flavor accompanied by other vegetables and some meat in a stew, for example.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Cantharellus cornuccopioides.