We were out in North Derbyshire last weekend for our very last foray of the season, and weren’t sure what to expect so late on in the year. But this ultra mild weather has had a fantastic side effect, which is to provide the right conditions for ceps to keep growing into November. So a short step away from the car park we found Scarlatina Bolete (Boletus Luridiformis), then Penny Bun (Boletus Edulis), and not just the odd one. Masses were turning up! Later in the walk we found some fantastic Slippery Jacks (Suillus luteus), and Bay Boletes (Xerocomus badius), not to mention a smattering of the Miller (Clitopilus prunulus), some blewits (Lepista nuda), a perfect Saffron Milkcap (Lactarius deliciosus), a Hedgehog Mushroom (Hydnum repandum) and a chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius), Not bad for a Sunday in November! Some of the mushrooms found their way into the fry up and very tasty it was too.
We’re heading back to West Sweden shortly for another bout of picking Winter Chanterelle (Cantharellus tubaeformis). The temperature there has plummeted this week but it’s a hardy little mushroom which we have picked before while frozen, so we’re not unduly worried. It has an incredible flavour when dried, robust and pungent, like the forest floor in a mouthful, so if you haven’t already tried it then I recommend you to try one of the recipes we have on the website. If you ask us which is our favourite way of using it then we’d plump for sauce to serve with wild meats or a pate like the Stilton & Winter Chanterelle recipe. Deliciosus!