Foraging Chanterelle Mushrooms

The chanterelle mushroom is one of the most readily available and easiest to find edible mushrooms in Louisiana. They’re especially prolific with the super rainy, hot, and humid weather that we’re so famous for in the deep south.

That’s not to say the deep south is the only place to find wild chanterelles growing. It’s one easy to forage mushroom that you’ll find in not only 49 out of 50 states in the US {Hawaii is the only one missing out} , but growing prolifically worldwide!

The chanterelle is the perfect gateway to mushroom foraging because it is so easy to spot and also has few lookalikes that are easy to distinguish with a little studying beforehand.

Now, before we go any farther…DISCLAIMER: Do your research before you start eating anything including mushrooms that you pick from the wild. There are things growing in the woods that will not only make you very sick but that can actually kill you. Also, many wild edibles have lookalikes that can be extremely difficult to distinguish from the real deal. My dad is convinced that I’m going to kill myself eating something that I picked out of the woods!

Do your research and be double sure that you’re selecting the right mushrooms to collect when you go foraging. If you can find an experienced forager in your area who is willing to let you go out to the woods with them for some hands on experience, that’s even better! If you have any doubt, don’t eat them! It’s really not worth getting sick over {or dying with other wild edible lookalikes}.

Foraging Wild Chanterelles

We’re fortunate enough to have Chanterelle mushrooms growing right here on our little homestead. It’s such a treat to be able to walk out the front door and be picking beautiful chanterelles within minutes!

This year we’ve had so much rain that they’re really popping up in overdrive. I’ve lived here for 6 years and my husband has lived here for almost 20 years and we’ve never seen this many chanterelles growing here. When you get into a patch of them you almost can’t even walk without stepping on them. Don’t believe me? Check out the video below to see the motherlode that we found last week when we went mushroom hunting.

So where do you find chanterelle mushrooms?

Look for the chanterelle mushroom in established woods and forests where hardwoods are growing like oak, beech, sweet gum, birch and poplar. Although not as common, they can sometimes be found near pine as well. They can be found popping up through the thick bed of leaves around their preferred “host” trees. I put it in quotes because although the chanterelle mushroom forms a symbiotic relationship with certain hardwoods, it doesn’t actually grow ON the trees like it’s common lookalike the jack-o-lantern.

Don’t discount other places to look though. We have a clump growing up through the gravel right on the edge of our driveway!

Another distinct different between the chanterelle mushroom and the jack-o-lantern mushroom is how they grow. Chanterelles grow either singly scattered about or in a small cluster of no more than 4 or 5 with separate stems whereas jack-o-lanterns grow in large clusters with their stems attached. Another telling difference is the gills. Chanterelles are often described as having “false” gills since they’re more like ridges rather than true gills like you’re used to seeing on a mushroom…thin, papery, and deep that can be easily removed from the cap.

There are many wonderful videos on YouTube comparing and contrasting chanterelles and jack-o-lanterns.

How To Harvest Mushrooms

To pull or not to pull. That is the question. For the longest time, it’s been taught that you absolutely MUST cut chanterelle mushrooms rather than pulling them up out of the ground so as not to damage their “roots”, or mycelia.

Then you’ll see someone else definitively state that you can pull them up without harming the mycelium and and growth in subsequent years.

So here’s my thought on it: pulling chanterelles may indeed not damage the mycelium of chanterelles growing there, but cutting to harvest the chanterelles definitely doesn’t. Plus you end up collecting way less dirt with your mushrooms. So I bring along a sharp knife and cut the chanterelle stem close to the ground.

What Do Chanterelle Mushrooms Taste Like?

The chanterelle mushroom has a very mild, peppery flavor. The texture remains rather firm and almost a little rubbery after cooking and they have a very faint “fruity” aroma that most people akin to apricot. They really don’t smell mushroomy at all though.

Cleaning Chanterelles

Depending on the conditions that your chanterelles were growing in, they could be very easy or very difficult to clean. The majority of the ones I have growing here end up usually having lots of little pieces of dirt and debris stuck to the undersides and are quite hard to clean.

Many people recommend cleaning your mushrooms with a small brush like a tooth brush. I end up rinsing mine under water and usually have to scrub a bit with my fingers to get all of the little bits of dirt off.

How To Cook Chanterelles

Once you’ve got your mushrooms clean, you can either tear or cut them in pieces. I like to cook mine in a big cast iron pot or a cast iron griddle depending on how many I have. Put a little oil or butter in your pan and add the chanterelles. Let them cook down until all of the liquid has cooked out and evaporated.

I’ve also seen people suggest taking the liquid off before it evaporates and use it for cooking.

Once all of the water has evaporated out, your mushrooms are done and can be seasoned and eaten right away or divided and frozen for later use. I love to freeze mine in individual servings to add to a quick omelet or pasta dish, which is my favorite way to use them.

Why Are Chanterelle Mushrooms So Expensive?

Chanterelles fetch a high price because they’re not grown commercially. Also, the season for foraging chanterelles is limited and not everyone has the place or knowledge {or desire} to go out and hunt for their own mushroom bounty.

How Much Do Chanterelles Cost?

A quick internet search will give you prices for chanterelle mushrooms ranging from $28 a pound fresh to $99 for a pound dried. I’m sure there are price ranges everywhere in between and way higher making it one of the most expensive mushrooms to buy. Which is one reason that foraging your own chanterelles is so satisfying!

Happy Hunting!

I hope you found this encouraging and it inspired you to go out and hunt for your own chanterelles! There’s something especially satisfying about finding something edible growing wild, picking it, bringing it home and eating it. The “work” is just as enjoyable as the reward!

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