I can’t remember the last time we had a porcini (cep, penny bun) or steinsopp in Norwegian year here, well over 10 years I think!! There are huge amounts for the pickings…and they were all in good condition with almost no insect larvae nor the parasitic fungi (snyltesopp) which makes them inedible.
There were also large amounts of saffron milk caps (matriske) again unusually for the time of year completely free of insect larvae!
Perhaps the warm dry weather was good for the fungi but not the flies!
I had to stop as I was afraid the load would be too much for the bike brakes on the very steep descent home!
Strangely, the most common edible fungi (chantarelle and hedgehog fungus/ kantarell og piggsopp) were almost totally absent!
Now, the job to dry them and return to the woods a couple more times to dry enough for the next porcini year!
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For a change I cycled to the shops at Sveberg rather than cycling to town…this also gave me the opportunity to check out the fungi in the woods…
The route involves a notorious climb up Vuluvegen. I haven’t cycled this for some years and having hardly cycled since I retired at the end of April, I wondered how it would be, but I’m pleased to note that it was pretty easy :) …and it took me about 35 minutes, so shorter than going to town but more strenuous!
Almost at the top of Vuluvegen….familiar Thomas Thomassen? Robin Arne Barstow? Avellana Wood
At the top!
View from the top of Vuuvegen over Malvik and my house :)
Into the woods…
Just a few minutes into the woods and there were a lot of young chantarelles (kantarell) on the way up…a good sign as it’s not often I find them this quickly…there were also a few hedgehog fungi (piggsopp)
…and a few chantarelles big enough to pick too
Cortinarius spp. (slørsopper)
Cortinarius spp. (slørsopper)
Russula spp.
Apricot Jelly / Traktgelesopp – Guepinia helvelloides – is apparently edible; see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guepinia
Brunsskrubb (birch bolete)? Leccinum scabrum
Rødskrubb (orange birch bolete)?
Lactarius spp. (hulriske?)
Russula spp. (mild tasting, hence edible)
Russula spp. (mild tasting, hence edible)
Alpine bistort / harerug
Back down Vuluvegen, lots of Angelica sylvestris (wood Angelica / sløke) on the verge
…and some with reddish inflorescenses
Flower buds and stems are the tastiest, but I didn’t pick as it’s next to the road
A small but tasty catch and the season has started!
…for an omelette for dinner with spring onions, Scorzonera flower shoots and buds and Malva moschata leaves and garlic…
In all the 35 years I’ve been cycling to work from Malvik to Trondheim, I’d never seen a living hedgehog (pinnsvin)…until yesterday when this little one decided to cross the road at Ranheim….it was sadly visibly limping.. :(
Ironically, 100m further up the road from where I’m standing is a much safer “pedestrian” crossing known as “Pinnsvin Crossing” (Hedgehog crossing)…. ;)
NB! Hedgehogs can’t be nocturnal here as it doesn’t get dark, so not that unusual to see them in the daytime!
The cars had stopped!Limping hedgehog :(Pinnsvinn crossingI routinely report all interesting observations of birds, mammals, plants, insects etc. on our Species observation web site! Here’s the hedgehog observation being registered..
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden
