Foraging Fungi: Lessons on Safety & ID with Forage Culture [ONLINE]

We start you off with a deep dive into ID. This class is technically heavy, but we’ll provide you with a post-class exercise of interactive items to reinforce the most important concepts. Then it’s important to familiarize yourself with the most deadly mushrooms, look-a-likes, and what mushroom toxicity looks like while still repeating the mushrooms that are seasonally delicious. We round out the series with a class that covers the most useful trees to be able to identify for mushrooming and a fun, interactive storage and cooking basics class.

You have the option to sign up for the full series or take any of the classes on their own. Students who participate in the full series will receive a FREE recording of the introductory lesson, Fungi Families & Mini-Hunt and a discount of $20.

By the end of the full series, participants will:

→ Understand how to read & use a variety of guide books

→ Know where to look for specific tasty, seasonal mushrooms

→ Feel confident knowing exact safety precautions

→ Have the knowledge to ask the right questions

→ Be able to clean, store & cook a variety of mushroom

Additional resources included for full series participants:

→ Powerpoints with detailed photographs

→ Self-guided practice sessions for ID

→ Self-guided quizzes for reinforcement

→ List of mushroom hunting equipment

→ List of mushroom storage equipment

→ Basic recipes for storage & cooking

→ Information on mushroom walks with experts

About the Series

July 7th: Virtual Fungi ID Once you have an idea of the huge variety of edible mushrooms, it’s time to go in-depth to learn how to differentiate specific ID characteristics. By the end of our class, you’ll feel comfortable using a guidebook to identify mushrooms & how to properly utilize online forums. Our virtual class won’t disappoint as we’ve created slides with high-resolution photos of both dried and fresh specimens to compare and contrast at your own pace while a teacher talks you through differences such as gills & pores, partial & full veils, margins, & aromas. We’ll also send you an optional list of easily found items to use as a post-class exercise which will enhance the experience even further.

In this class you’ll:

Have access to a PowerPoint with high resolutions photos of ID features for several edible mushrooms that grow in our region

Go through a comprehensive list of ID features utilized by guide books

Get a list of supplementary sensory items to enhance the class experience

July 21st: Virtual Look-A-Likes & Mushroom Toxicity The more you see dangerous mushrooms, the more likely you are to recognize them. We’ll cover the specific ID features of the deadliest mushrooms along with look-a-likes for several tasty, edible specimens through an interactive PowerPoint with photos that each student can navigate at their own pace. We’ll also cover what mushroom toxicity feels like, some less apparent residual issues, and resources for emergency situations. This is a must-have class for any hobbyist mushroom hunter.

August 4th: Virtual Trees for Mushroom Hunters Most veteran mushrooms will tell you: hunt trees & you’ll find your mushrooms. With high-resolution photos of trees from budding in spring to leafless winter, we’ll guide you to understanding trees through the lens of mushroom hunting.

August 18th: Virtual Fungi Storage & Cooking* Wild mushrooms not only look different from typical grocery finds, they also store and cook differently. In this class, we’ll cover the basics of cleaning, drying, pickling, and freezing, and we’ll demonstrate two basic cooking techniques, a sauté and a braise, to get the best flavor from your wild food finds.

*This class will run for 2 hours (from 7-9 pm) rather than our usual 7-8:30 pm

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About Forage Culture

The mission of Forage Culture is to change the conversation around food production by creating a culture of curious people who ask, “Where does my food come from?” We do this with entertaining & educational group classes, tantalizing dining experiences, and excursions to local producers. Our business philosophy is to live within your reach, and we know that we can honor that philosophy by creating a localized curriculum based on a simple idea: learning and entertainment are a perfect partnership.