It’s been a strange mushroom season this year. Even now after a good dose of rain we’re having to walk further and look harder than previous years to find Winter Chanterelles, which normally grow in profusion in Sweden’s densely forested landscape. As you can see from the photo these autumn/winter mushrooms can be hard to spot among the undergrowth at this time of year, but it’s worth the effort to get out there in the wild woods and try and find them where it’s wettest, in the mossy spots for instance.

And when you do go out in the woods with your handy mushroom knife and a basket to collect in make sure you follow our number one top tip:

Clean your mushrooms where you find them (unless you’re taking them home to identify) before you put them in the basket. Cut the bottom of the stalk off and remove any pine needles or moss. If you chuck them all in together without doing this then all of them will be dirty by the time you get home!