Chicken Of The Woods

How To ID Me And What I’m Good For?

My ID Features:

In situ (on willow)

Topside

Cross section

In situ (on oak)

Chicken Of The Woods

Latin Name - Laetiporus Sulphureus.

Common Names - Crab Of The Woods, Sulphur Polypore, Sulphur Shelf, Chicken Of The Woods.

Family - Polyporaceae (Bracket).

Season - Spring, Summer & Autumn.

Spore print - The spore print is white (sometimes slightly yellow) but it is a little difficult to obtain.

Key indentifiers - Orange or sulphur-yellow colouring whilst young, growing paler with age. Very hard to miss.

Habitat - COTW is saprobic, feeding on dead or dying hardwood timber. Mainly oak, chestnut, beech and sometimes cherry, willow & yew.

Possible Confusion - Young shaggy Bracket [Inonotus hispidus]. Perhaps also Dyer’s mazegill [Phaeolus schweinitzii].

Description - A relatively easy mushroom to identify due to its vibrant colour & its host trees. The mushroom is best collected whilst still young as it becomes tough with age. There are a small portion of people who find this mushroom causes them gastric upset so it is best (as with all mushrooms) to try a little bit first. It freezes down very well and retains its flavour. A great frozen mushroom for the less bountiful winter season.

Safety - Yew is an incredibly toxic tree. It is a controversial subject whether you can or cannot eat it from yew. To be on the safe side, it is best to avoid.

Medicinal Qualities - It’s said it has a potent ability to inhibit staph bacteria staphylococcus aureus and moderate ability to inhibit the growth of Bacillus Subtilis.

Harvesting Sustainability - Cut with a knife at the base of the bracket as this will ensure further fruitings in future seasons. Although we’ve found that fruitings don’t occur on the same host every year.

Important note - It is worth noting that COTW is sometimes growing close to the ground. So make sure you pick away from dog walkers or pollutants.

Never munch on a hunch! Volf takes no responsibility for anything consumed.

Now For The Tasty Bit!

Here Are Our Delicious Recipes Using COTW…