November 15, 2024
Published November 19, 2024
By Joshua Janusiak
It’s hard to describe the feeling of fulfillment and completely maximizing time that comes with running. Today was a great example of that feeling since a mere 45 minutes literally felt like an exhilarating adventure – and the feeling of saving $60 on groceries by finding them stuck to a tree wasn’t even the most exciting part.
Spotting a Beautiful Cluster of Oysters!
As one does on a gorgeous fall day, my boyfriend, Craig, and I decided to go on an easy four mile run along the Iowa River. I always ask him to keep his eye out for ‘shrooms, and he pretty much always spots at least a few, even when I’m distracted and overenthusiastically monologuing about some idea or issue. During the first few minutes of the run, he spotted an enormous cluster of oyster mushrooms growing on a tree right next to the river, about 12 feet off the ground. We spent the rest of our way out and back contemplating what kind of mushrooms they were, and how to get them down. At first glance, I guessed that they were some kind of maitake (or ‘hen of the woods’), since I’ve seen those growing on trees in similar-looking clusters before.
Upon closer inspection, they appeared to be some giant oyster mushrooms, which they were. Fortunately, oyster mushrooms are a very common species and pretty reasonably identifiable (but always be sure to identify mushrooms correctly by cross-referencing with multiple sources and checking for toxic lookalikes). The only problem was that they were so high up on a very wide tree! Well, what solutions really were there?! Craig suggested getting a ladder (and I had strangely had a dream about him literally suggesting to use a ladder for something the night before, foreshadowing the current events). The bark on this particular tree was perfect for climbing, though, and reminded me of an indoor ‘bouldering’ (untethered rock climbing) wall that I once practiced climbing on in Milwaukee. It was a welcome challenge, and although the ‘shrooms were just high up enough that I was scared I could break something if I fell, I was confident in my climbing abilities and these beauties seemed worth it.
The ’Cleanse’
For a bit of backstory (although this probably wouldn’t have affected my final decision to harvest the mushrooms anyway!), Craig convinced me to do a two-week ‘diet cleanse’ with him for the past (almost) two weeks. We chose to eat vegan (getting protein and nutrients from things like nutritional yeast, soy products, legumes, and mushrooms instead of meat or animal products) and to avoid all wheat/gluten, alcohol, coffee, processed sugars, and unidentifiable/unhealthy/unnecessary additives. It has been a trying experience for me since I love most of those things and have gotten many cravings for them, but it has also been an incredibly insightful experiment, and I have definitely noticed some very interesting changes in my body and mood. Most notably, I have noticed myself naturally waking up early, which is really saying something since my body’s natural disposition is to go to bed at 2 a.m. and wake up at 11 a.m. I have learned how eating a vegetarian diet and avoiding excessive caffeine, alcohol, processed sugars and unhealthy additives affect my mental and physical health, which I am grateful for.
What does this have to do with my harvesting of the oyster mushrooms, you ask? Well, mushrooms are one of the things that I crave (and appreciate) the most, even when I’m not restricting my diet, so the cleanse has really kicked my hankering for mushrooms into gear. I also learned that, when at a comparable mass, dried oyster mushrooms can have as much protein as steak, which is about 30g of protein for every 100g of dried oyster mushrooms (or steak). Aside from that, they offer a delicious umami flavor and many more nutritional and medicinal health benefits and are very good for the environment, helping to break down toxic substances!
Josh and the Mushroomstalk
Upon our arrival back at the tree, I decided to attempt the climb, for lack of any other practical options. The ascent was slow and meticulous due to the crumbling bark and height of the fungal treasure, but once I arrived at the site, I somehow held onto the tree with only one arm and my two untrustworthy footholds, giving the cluster of oysters a few whacks until it tumbled free. The descent was more difficult (and a bit scarier), as it always is when climbing, but I very slowly inched my way back down until I was at a (relatively) safe height to jump back down.
“Good things come in clusters”
We examined the gorgeous ‘shrooms and pondered the mystery of their growth. After positively identifying them as Pleurotus ostreatus, or oyster mushrooms, we looked down and also found two amaryllis bulbs, one of which was sprouting since the drought-like end of summer has seemingly confused many plants in Iowa. While not edible, amaryllis are gorgeous plants that any plant parent can appreciate.
I ran the half mile back home with the huge cluster in one hand (which we later weighed to be four pounds), probably developing carpal tunnel in the process. While passing a small wooded area with a little walking trail, we found yet another treasure – a large polypore shelf fungus called dryad’s saddle (Polyporus squamosus)! Intrigued by the distinct odor of the polypore, which smelled exactly like a melon, we did a bit of research on the spot, and found that this was also a perfectly edible species. Harvesting some and leaving some bits to continue “doing their job,” we made our way back home with the largest foraging harvest I have ever experienced from just a brief four mile run. The fungi catalyzed a friendly conversation with some neighbors we had never talked to before, which made the experience all the more enjoyable and worthwhile, although they were a bit skeptical of the edibility of our mushrooms (as anyone should be)!
The Culinary Art of Mushrooming
Anyone who knows me knows that I will gladly use any mushrooms that come my way, and these oyster mushrooms and dryad’s saddle polypores were quite an invitation to get creative with their preparation! Both of these fungi serve beneficial purposes for the environment and for people directly when consumed as a food or medicine. Oyster mushrooms are very commonly used and prized among culinary communities, so it wasn’t hard to figure out some interesting ways to use these. I do love my dehydrator, and the versatility and space-saving nature of powders, so I powdered quite a few of the oyster mushrooms for soups or as a flavoring for other dishes. Craig made a delicious vegetarian cream of mushroom soup using oyster mushrooms and portabellas, which tasted exquisite. I made a pumpkin sage sauce for homemade gnocchi by sautéing chopped oyster mushrooms, and it was flavorful but had a taste and texture reminiscent of seafood. Upon further research, I found that oyster mushrooms are perfect substitutes for seafood such as scallops, clams, shrimp, or fish due to their taste and texture. My next goal is to make a dish where I purposefully use oyster mushrooms as a substitute for seafood in a more typical seafood dish, and I suspect it will work like a charm!
The dryad’s saddle polypore required a bit more creative thinking. Polypores (meaning they have many pores on the underside instead of ‘gills’ like typical mushrooms) are typically more fibrous and tough. The dryad’s saddle is extra unique because it smells (and can also taste) like melon, so I wasn’t exactly sure what the best use for it was. Oftentimes, tougher edible mushrooms can be powdered and used in broths or as a flavoring for other dishes. I came across one popular recipe that transformed the drydad’s saddle into “watermelon candy” using butter and a sugar syrup, which I’m still curious to try, but I opted for making an experimental vegetarian jerky instead! It just seemed perfect, since the flavor tasted a bit more “umami” to me than “melon-y.”
2. A weekend of foraging finds (oyster mushrooms, dryad’s saddle, wild grapes, and some inedible but cool amaryllis bulbs)
3. Dried oyster mushrooms and dryad’s saddle jerky
RECIPE: Easy and Mouthwatering Dryad’s Saddle Jerky
Having grown up on beef jerky, I was absolutely stunned at the delicious and extremely similar texture and flavor of dryad’s saddle jerky. It also doesn’t put you at risk of meat-borne illnesses and doesn’t require the sacrifice of an animal’s life (and it’s healthier). This recipe only requires a day of marinating the fungus and then a day of dehydrating the jerky.
- Thoroughly wash the dryad’s saddle (making sure there are no bugs, dirt, or foreign substances stuck in the pores), then squeeze out as much water as possible.
- Create a marinade with ½ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 Tbsp garlic powder, 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp onion powder, 2 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp chili powder. Feel free to adjust the amounts or add in spices to your liking. Mix well.
- Marinate the dryad’s saddle in the marinade for 24 hours in the refrigerator, making sure it is fully immersed or mixed/shaken occasionally.
- Dehydrate in a dehydrator at around 130 degrees F for about 24 hours, or bake on a low temperature in the oven (perhaps around 200 degrees F) for a few hours or until it reaches the preferred texture.
- Enjoy as an easy and mouthwatering protein-packed snack!
Conclusion
As evidenced by this run, and as I often say, there are SO many wonderful surprises awaiting in nature. Manifest all the good things you want to do and find in your life, and the probability of those things coming true will skyrocket if you are well-educated in your area of interest, if you keep your eyes peeled for all those good things, and if your intentions are good. Happy foraging, cooking, and running!