What is this?

[Hoytmania]

I know there are different types of mushrooms that are wild and edible. This is growing on a tree out back behind my house. Was wondering what kind it is and if this is something that I might try cooking. If so please give me a few different recipes to try.

[antiqucycle]

need a couple pictures and either you id the kind of tree or pix of tree and close up of leaves. If its growing out of the wood, its probably some shelf mushroom that could be edible if its fresh, not dry and rock hard.

[Hoytmania]

Soory forgot to add the pictures.

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w356/sdlesk/Fungus/DSC01094.jpg
http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w356/sdlesk/Fungus/DSC01093.jpg

I am not sure what kind of tree it is. I will see if I can get a picture of the leaves tomorow.

[cjd3]

Man... Why would anyone consider eating ANYTHING that looks like that. :confused: :biggrin:

[riverdude]

I remember those growing in our woods as a kid. We would knock them off the tree and let them harden. My Mom and Grandmother would use them to make arangments.
I just one a couple weeks back in our woods where we built a new foot bridge. I smiled when I saw it thinking back to when I was a kid. :D

[riverdude]

Hey Hoyt, is this what you have in your back yard on da tree?

Sulfur Shelf (Laetiporus sulphureus)

http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mushrooms/mushroom/images/mush17.jpg

Description: These mushrooms light up the forest with their brilliant orange-red caps and pale sulfur-yellow pore surfaces. Some specimens fade to a peach or salmon color.
The sulfur shelf always grows on wood, usually in large masses of overlapping caps. It has no stem; the cap is attached directly to the wood. The pores are tiny.
Other names include chicken mushroom and chicken of the woods. Size 2" to 12" wide.
When and Where: Summer and fall; in clusters on living trees or dead wood.
Cautions: This is a distinctive mushroom with no poisonous look-alikes. It does cause a mild allergic reaction (swollen lips) in some people.
Cooking Hints: Cook only the tender outer edges of the caps; the rest is tough and woody. Slice and simmer in stock for 45 minutes, then serve creamed on toast.
When cooked, this mushroom has the texture and often the taste of chicken.

[ASTONECOLD1]

have you ever noticed how everything tastes like chicken .... Here , eat this rock ... it tastes like chicken .

[bluefinn]

Kinda looks like a chicken of the woods, but an old one. They're good when fresh.

[antiqucycle]

First guess on the tree is some sort of oak. I think the mushrooms are not fresh. The picture, not sure but its definitely not sheepshead mushrooms which some people refer to as chicken of the woods. and its certainly not the flat shelf mushrooms that grown on dead oaks, sometimes maples. I dont think its the sulfur shelf pictured above.

[antiqucycle]

I finally found a white oak loaded with the above two pictures, probably 20 clumps. I have been trying to get the correct name on them but what I am finding is people calling them hens, or chickens of the woods. the ones I found are extremely tough growing out of the bark in sporadic places. It probably the first time I ever found them.
I also got a sheepshead off another white oak. Very easy to tell the difference in two ways, the above mushrooms are tough and need to be cut off the bark. Sheeps head are growing out of the dirt between roots, not on them. very soft, easy to pull out of the dirt. sheepshead weigh more.

[Alaskancoastie]

have you ever noticed how everything tastes like chicken .... Here , eat this rock ... it tastes like chicken .

twice run over pine martin.....ahhh....tastes like chicken!