Chanterelles love hot, humid, damp weather. They grow throughout the United States except for Hawaii and do exceptionally well in hardwood forests near water sources. Where is the best place to find chanterelles?
Chanterelle mushrooms, or any kind of mushroom, grow on soils which have low nitrogen levels, has a good drainage, and have a low p. H When wanting to grow chanterelle mushrooms, you should also consider the kind of soil that you are cultivating it on.
What are chanterelle mushrooms used for?
According to TCM, chanterelles are often used to treat eye conditions such as night blindness and eye inflammation. Chanterelles are also used to treat dry skin and to tonify the mucous membranes that may be caused by a Vitamin A deficiency. Chanterelles contains a high amount of Vitamin A.
Chanterelle mushrooms survive and thrive in soil that is loose. Because of this, it’s best if you use a rake on the soil now and then. This is the most effective way to loosen the soil that it’ll grow on. You should also be extra careful when you’re walking around the tree because chanterelle mushrooms grow bigger when they are left undisturbed.
Chanterelle mushrooms are an excellent source of polysaccharides like chitin and chitosan. These two compounds help to protect your cells from damage and stimulate your immune system to produce more cells. They’re also known to help reduce inflammation and lower the risk of developing certain cancers.
How do you know when chanterelle mushrooms are in season?
Chanterelle Mushroom Season Heavy, consistent rain, interspersed with hot weather, is always a great sign that a good chanterelle patch will start producing. Chanterelles grow very slowly and require a lot of rain to really get going.
This process minimizes storage space since 20 pounds of fresh chanterelle mushrooms can be reduced down to one small jar (chanterelles are about 95% water). We use our chanterelle powder to flavor food throughout the year: in soups, as part of a coating on chicken, in sauces, etc.
What are chanterelles?
“Chanterelles” are actually a very broad descriptor that may refer to a wide range of mushroom species in the genera Cantharellus and Craterellus, depending on what bioregion you live in. For instance, there are species of white chanterelle mushrooms on the west coast that we don’t have here on the east coast.
Our favorite answer was if you have heavy rain for a day or two, followed by very humid hot days, that’s the perfect time for chanterelles to emerge. Read my full guide of How to Grow Mushrooms to learn more about growing mushrooms, different approaches, and more.