Mushrooms - the quiet invasion

Mushrooms are the quiet invaders of the NSW pine plantations. After the soft autumn rains, they burst onto the scene as far afield as Walcha in the north and Bombala in the south.

Jack Simpson, a specialist in tree diseases with State Forests, and one of only a handful of mycologists (mushroom experts) in Australia, says pine plantations contain a number of recognisable, good-eating mushrooms.

He says these mushrooms are ectomycorrhizal with the pines, which means they help the tree to extract nutrients from the soil.

Jack says these mushrooms were introduced from Europe and North America with small pine trees and are suited to cool temperate conditions. Therefore, they are not as abundant in pine plantations close to the coast or in western NSW as they are on the tablelands.

State Forests has more that 40,000 hectares of pine plantation around Oberon, with places such as Hampton, Jenolan and Vulcan State Forests boasting the best mushrooming grounds.

Mushroomers pour into Oberon to experience the magic of mushrooming among the pines. Coveted by top Sydney restaurants and considered a delicacy in Europe, the best thing about these exotic fungi is that they are free, if you are picking for personal use only.

Mushrooms need a certain amount of light and warmth, so pickers work with their flat-bottomed baskets around the edge of the plantations, in among the pine needles - up tails all!

A profusion of languages break the quiet forest air, indicating that many of the pickers inherit their passion from a long line of European mushroomers. Yes, mushroomers are passionate people. They are passionate about the weather, their stomping grounds and their recipes.

Jack says one of the most abundant edible pine mushrooms is the saffron milk cap (Lactarius deliciosus). Up to 20 centimetres in diameter, the cap is orange and bears distinct concentric zones of a slightly darker shade. Its gills and flesh are orange-red to pinkish-apricot and, when broken open, exude a bright orange latex. Those of a melancholy nature say this fungus weeps orange tears.

According to Jack, Sydney shops have recently started to sell these mushrooms as 'Blue Mountains blood mushrooms'. When picking or buying, Jack says it's best to avoid the older mushrooms in favour of the young, brightly coloured ones. The saffron milk cap should be cooked quickly at a high temperature to avoid stewing and the stalks should be discarded.

Other mushrooms that thrive among the pines are slippery jacks (Suillus granulatus and Suillus luteus) and mousy tricholomas (Tricholoma terreum). The species of Suillus are sometimes called ceps; they sould be peeled before being cooked as the slimy cap may cause gastric upsets.

"It cannot be emphasised strongly enough that you must correctly identify your mushrooms. Some mushrooms contain toxins and will make you extremely sick," Jack warns.

For example, it's an old Polish trick to fry the fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), the fairytale mushroom from Europe, on a piece of tin and then leave it out to kill flies. This mushroom, often used in illustrations in childrens' books, is usually bright red with white lumps. It is poisonous in large doses.

So be very careful - if there is any doubt about the identity of the fungi you have collected, don't eat them, just admire them for their sheer beauty and rich history.

Sarah Chester
Public Affairs, Softwood Plantations Division, Albury