{"id":10221,"date":"2021-12-29T10:01:06","date_gmt":"2021-12-29T15:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=10221"},"modified":"2022-08-16T05:02:23","modified_gmt":"2022-08-16T10:02:23","slug":"how-to-identify-wild-lobster-mushrooms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/how-to-identify-wild-lobster-mushrooms\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Identify Wild Lobster Mushrooms?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you forage for wild mushrooms, you come across a lot of different shapes, sizes and styles. Learning to correctly identify each one is an important skill since many edible mushrooms look similar to toxic ones. That said, some mushrooms are easier to tell apart than others. In this article, we\u2019ll talk about how to identify wild lobster mushrooms and whether or not they have any look alikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Lobster Mushroom?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Lobster mushrooms are appropriately named due to their color, texture, and even their flavor. But how they acquire their unique characteristics is a bit of an anomaly compared to other mushrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lobster mushrooms actually begin as russala or lactarius mushrooms. A parasite fungus known as <\/strong>Hypomyces <\/em><\/strong>colonizes these mushrooms, giving the originally white shrooms a red outer shell and improving their taste and texture.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lobster mushrooms only grow in the wild, as they are nearly impossible to cultivate. For this reason as well as their mild seafood flavor, they are considered a bit of a delicacy and are sought out by gourmet chefs and mushroom lovers alike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Do Lobster Mushrooms Look Like?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lobster mushrooms have a distinctive appearance that is difficult to confuse with other mushrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are large, often much larger than an adult\u2019s hand; they are rust-red or bright orange in color due to the parasite fungus, and this fungus also gives them a hard outer shell. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lobster mushrooms have thick stems and ruffly, non-distinct caps; they are white inside, and both the cap and the stem are solid. The reddish \u201ccrust\u201d<\/em> or \u201cshell\u201d <\/em>is harder than the meaty interior, a bit like a lobster\u2019s shell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lobster mushrooms may be similar in shape to chanterelles, but they are much larger and heavier. They weigh roughly the same as a paperweight due to their large size and the fact that they are dense and completely solid inside. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They tend to grow in groups or small clusters; if you find one, keep looking, and you\u2019ll likely find more<\/a>. They grow out of the ground, typically near the base of hardwood trees; you may have to dig around under layers of ground debris to find them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lobster mushrooms grow from mid summer through early fall, usually in July and August in northern regions and into September farther south.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though most lobster mushrooms have the classic red shell, some seem to develop only partially or be less affected by the parasite fungus that colonizes it. These unique lobsters are white and, as you might imagine, less easy to identify without the bright red-orange shell; they also tend to have a more tender texture. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a great visual to help you learn to identify lobster mushrooms, check out this video:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=TfubktQhoYQ<\/a>