Well at last we started a new year and one I think we all hope has rather less worry and uncertainty than the last couple. January is one of the slow months in the fungi world, there will be jelly ears and the odd Scarlet elf cup around but mainly we are just left with aged weather beaten fungi left from the autumn months. I find the months of January and February not only cold and baron of fungi here in the fens, but also a period of time in which I can plan projects that wander endlessly in my mind. These ideas and dreams include many thoughts of traveling to beautiful moss covered woods and forests where the amazing gems of the fungi kingdom await to pose for my camera lens and ancient churchyards where stunning waxcaps nestle in clean green moss knitted grass. This year my main objective is to record a complete year's fungi finds in and around Upwell and Outwell. Here in the fens of East Anglia we lack the woodlands found in many other a...
One thing that never fails to amaze me is the beautiful lighting effects that mother nature uses for her spring and summer show. Being in the woods and forests on fungi hunts I get to see for myself how the light plays with the trees and their leaves. Early spring mornings or summer afternoons, each has their own way of lighting the woodland. It's like each path through the forest has huge green chandeliers hanging above your head and whats ever better is the fact that these beautiful light sorces change colours as autumn arrives. Next time your out walking the woods on a lovely summer day, raise your eyes and take note of the light show mother nature has lit for you.
It's that time of year when the fungi kingdom shows less of its species, most fungus prefer the damper warmer months and not the frost covered months of mid winter. One of winter's edible fungi are the Wood Ear/Jelly Ear fungus(Auricularia auricula-judae). This very common fungus can be found all year round but is usually more often found in the colder months. Collected by lovers of edible wild fungi in the winter, these red-brown ear-shaped fruits are often used in Asian cooking such as stir fry and soups but have nothing special in terms of flavour. Wood Ears are mainly found on dead or living Elder in large numbers, but can be found occasionally on other wood such as beech. I've found this fungi in many places including my own garden, I have yet to try them as edibles.
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