Foraging Chanterelle mushrooms

Foraging mushrooms in the fall is something I grew up doing with my family and friends in Sweden. We were looking for wild mushrooms in general but hoping to find chanterelles, the crown jewel of the forest.  Sometimes we didn’t find anything. Other times the forest floor was covered in a golden field of chanterelles. Regardless of what we found or didn’t find, just walking around poking at the ground made you feel calm and happy. We could be out there for hours. It felt like being in a meditative state of mind. 

The chanterelles are among the most popular of wild edible mushrooms. They are orange, yellow or white, meaty, and funnel-shaped. The best place to look for chanterelles is around maple, beech, poplar, birch, and oak trees. In the past, I have seen smaller clusters of chanterelles here in Maryland. This year I found large amounts in Patapsco State Park. I picked and rinsed 4-5 lb, which I will savor throughout the rest of the fall.

If you are not as lucky as I was or if your idea of walking in the woods is not as pleasurable as I do, I will let you in on a secret. Every year for a few weeks in the fall, you can find fresh chanterelles at Costco. They are packed in 1lb containers for $10, already rinsed. 

The best way to keep chanterelles for a more extended period is to freeze them or dry them. If you prefer eating them right away, they are delicious, sauteed in butter, salt, and pepper. 

Here’s one of the ways we enjoy chanterelles in Sweden - the Traditional Swedish open-faced Chanterelle sandwich:

• ½ lb of chanterelles (or any mushroom)

• 3-5 tablespoons of butter (or more if you like)

• 3-5 tablespoons of finely chopped shallots or yellow onions

• ½ cup of cream (heavy cream is the best, but you can use half an half)

• 2 tablespoons of dry vermouth or dry white wine (optional)

• 2 slices of lightly toasted bread

• Chopped parsley or chives 

• Salt and black pepper

In a saute pan melt the butter on medium heat, then add the mushrooms and shallots and cook until the shallots/onions turn golden brown. Lower the heat and add the cream and then the vermouth. Mix it and cook until the cream is incorporated with the mushroom, but still, a little bit sauce is left. Salt and pepper the mixture to taste. Toast your bread and spread the mushroom mixture on top of your toast. Top with chopped chives or parsley. Voila!

If you are freezing your fresh chanterelles, I recommend that you do the following:

• Carefully remove dirt and leaves from your mushrooms with a fine brush and a knife. 

• Put the rinsed mushrooms in a pan and add about ½ cup of water.

• Lightly simmer the mushrooms with the water until all water is absorbed - do not add butter or salt and pepper if you are going to freeze them.

• Remove from the stove and let cool before freezing in a ziplock bag or container.. 

Happy Chanterelle hunting! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at dahlen@umbc.edu