Description
While edible mushrooms can be found year-round in the Pacific Northwest, the peak season truly kicks off with the first heavy rains of autumn.
We headed out hoping for a basket full of chanterelles, but the forest had a different plan. Instead we stumbled upon beautiful patches of a completely different species: the parasitic fungi known as the vibrant Lobster Mushroom! This unique mushroom is actually a mold that attacks and transforms a host mushroom, turning it into one of the most highly prized and meatier edibles in the forest.
From forest floor to kitchen table, I show you how I clean and cook these mushrooms. Then a taste test ensues!
► Important Foraging Safety Note: Please remember that proper mushroom identification is critical. I am only a mushroom enthusiast and not a professional mycologist. Do not rely solely on this video for identification. Always consult multiple, reputable field guides written by mycologists and verify your identification with an expert or seasoned forager before consuming any wild species. When consuming any new edible mushroom, try only a very small amount first to ensure your body does not have a negative allergic reaction.
Here are some books I refer to:
Mushrooms Demystified by David Aurora: https://amzn.to/46LS0s1
All That the Rain Promises and More: https://amzn.to/46vo7vN
Note: This video was filmed in October 2025.
► VIDEO CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro & Previews
0:26 Foraging somewhere in Washington
1:19 Already found a chanterelle!
1:37 Chicken of the Woods
2:42 Climbing Steep Hills
3:12 Hedgehog Mushroom
4:03 About Chanterelles & Lookalikes
5:01 FOUND LOBSTER MUSHROOMS!
6:02 How Lobster Mushrooms are formed
10:24 Cat’s Tongue Mushroom
10:37 What other foragers found
11:20 Exploring the Area
11:59 Prepping the Lobster Mushrooms
24:34 Using the Dehydrator
25:37 Cooking the Lobster Mushrooms
26:57 Eating Lobster Mushroom for the First Time!
30:56 Join my Patreon for exclusive vlogs
31:02 My Pottery
► Other videos you might like:
○ Hunt & Cook: We find Bear’s Head & Chanterelles: https://youtu.be/-Ev_5R_IGOo?si=cTlwlx5AeAyzezPO
○ Foraging MATSUTAKE MUSHROOMS: https://youtu.be/xaNjMRkHWHI?si=PgXKV0Cj99_wCZYl
○ Growing Edible Mushrooms at Home (ep 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR6OfcN1LY8&t=3s
○ GROWING CORDYCEPS at Home: https://youtu.be/aB_uWcSxtG8?si=1gPvAxGurEW8D0Sf
All my Mushroom videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCI9ZY_KMzQ&list=PLkrsEPn1nU_VsP5kjh1jYuizOJxdksg6m&pp=gAQB
“Growing Mushrooms at Home” Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR6OfcN1LY8&list=PLkrsEPn1nU_X0NVUseazrBx5M7k6cT5X3&pp=gAQB0gcJCa4EOCosWNin
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