{"id":12765,"date":"2023-03-25T05:19:02","date_gmt":"2023-03-25T10:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=12765"},"modified":"2023-03-25T05:19:04","modified_gmt":"2023-03-25T10:19:04","slug":"mushrooms-that-look-like-wood-ears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/mushrooms-that-look-like-wood-ears\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Mushrooms That Look Like Wood Ears"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Wood ears are distinctive mushrooms<\/a> with a jelly-like texture\u2013but did you know there are quite a few different mushrooms that fit that description? In fact, some of them are quite difficult to tell apart from wood ears. Want to find out more? In this article, we\u2019ll talk about several different types of mushrooms that look like wood ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mushrooms That Look Like Wood Ears<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Mushrooms<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Cloud Ear Mushrooms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cloud ear mushrooms are closely related to wood ears. Both are species within the Auricularia <\/em>genus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cloud ears are sometimes called black fungus. They are commonly cultivated for food but also grow in the wild in Australia, Africa, Asia, and South America.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These mushrooms are extremely similar to wood ears: both types of mushrooms have a flexible, gelatinous texture and may feel silky or velvety when you touch them. Both grow on dead or decaying wood and have a ruffly, irregular, cup- or ear-shaped appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both types of mushrooms can also be light to dark brown in color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main difference between the two is their size and cooked texture. Cloud ears are typically smaller than wood ears, and they tend to be softer and more tender when cooked.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, both types of mushrooms are edible and can generally be exchanged for each other in your favorite recipes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Amber Jelly Roll Mushrooms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Amber<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is another jelly mushroom that is in the same family as the wood ear, though it is not as closely related as the cloud ear above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amber jelly roll mushrooms can be found throughout much of Asia, Europe, and North America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon first glance, it is easy to confuse these mushrooms with wood ears. Both mushrooms grow on dead or decaying wood, and both are generally dark in color with a gelatinous texture.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, amber jelly rolls are typically lighter than wood ears, taking on an amber to dark orange color. They are also much smaller than wood ears, being only about an inch in diameter in most cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more, these mushrooms have a more inverted-cup shape, as opposed to the ruffly ear-shaped appearance of wood ears.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amber jelly rolls tend to fruit during the winter, like wood ears. Both species are edible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out this video to learn more about how to tell these two mushrooms apart:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5NGxJVpXiks<\/a>