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Wild Mushrooms - False Saffron Milkcap

Finally a break in the weather. I had begun to wonder if it was ever going to stop raining. The new month began with the first frost but the sunshine lured me out to see whether any mushrooms had survived the deluge. I decided to investigate a new area and was rewarded with a dense stand of Norway Spruce ("Christmas trees") which was home to an equally dense collection of mushrooms. Four species dominated the forest floor.

In the foreground are Deceivers (Laccaria laccata). These are edible, but they deserve their common name because they are one of the most variable fungi of all and often fool people into believing they are something they are not. In the background are White Fibrecaps (Inocybe geophylla). Inocybe is a group which is of interest to foragers only because it contains several dangerously-poisonous species, including this one. The third species was a Russula listed as very rare and edibility unknown (R. torulosa), but it was so abundant in this particular location that I decided to take a few home and do a taste test. This was not a great risk, since its closest relatives are edible when cooked and there are no deadly Russulas. Unfortunately this one was too bitter to eat. The fourth and most abundant of all was a good edible species, the False Saffron Milkcap (Lactarius deterrimus).

Foraging notes

Identification:

This species is a very close relative of the highly-prized Saffron Milkcap (Lactarius deliciosus). They were formerly considered to be variations of a single species. Both are commercially collected in Europe and elsewhere. Telling them apart is not easy, the main differences being in slightly different taste and colouring of the milk, pits on the stem of L. deliciosus and the fact that L. deterrimus has a greater tendency to turn pistachio-green when touched or getting old. L. deterrimus only grows with spruce, L. deliciosus grows with various conifers. It could also be confused with a couple of other Milkcaps, but nothing poisonous.

Consumption:

Both species are very good to eat, firm, flavoursome and fried. L. detterimus often occurs abundantly, so this is definitely one for foragers to look out for.

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Wild Mushroom Identification - Recommended Books for All Skill Levels:
Every amateur mycologist should have a decent library of books, here are the top five books I highly recommend for wild mushroom identification:

1) Field Guide to Edible Mushrooms of Britain and Europe - Great layout with superb images - Peter Jordan

2) Mushroom Picker's Foolproof Field Guide - A good all round book - Peter Jordan

3) The Mushroom Book - This one is a proper belter with loads and loads of good technical data - Thomas Laessoe

4) Complete Mushroom Book: The Quiet Hunt - A lovely book by a lovely man. Antonio Carluccio

5) The River Cottage Handbook - Mushrooms - Always a favourite from Hugh's fungi specialist friend, John Wright

It is important to have at least 3 books so you can cross reference and cover as many species as possible


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