Mushroom boom hits Lowcountry

A mushroom walked into a bar and sat down by a lovely rose. After ignoring the mushroom’s advances for several minutes, the agitated flower finally said, “Do you really think a beautiful rose would go out with a mushroom?” The mushroom, still undaunted, replied “But I’m a fun-gi!” I apologize, once again, for my incurable “dad joke” and pun addictions.

 

Mushroom explosion 

Have you noticed the recent explosion of mushrooms around Daniel Island? They are disappearing now, but the deluge that Tropical Storm Debby unleashed on the Lowcountry brought forth copious quantities of these fungi in many sizes, shapes and colors. They have been here all along, but the tropical conditions really produced a visible surge. 

 

Varieties on DI 

Many varieties grow on tree root systems or in other special underground environments but can experience rapid growth spurts above ground when seasons and conditions are right.

 

Some are helpful to their hosts, and some are harmful. While researching South Carolina’s mushrooms for this piece, I quickly determined that there is far too much information for a 500-word article.

 

According to a recent “Discover South Carolina” story by Libby Wiersema, there are roughly 3,000 varieties found in the state.

 

Lowcountry cultivation 

But I found the rapidly growing interest in gathering wild mushrooms as food in the Lowcountry to be a particularly fascinating topic.

 

In some cases, mushrooms are also being cultivated here. Gathering mushrooms is not to be taken lightly, as some poisonous ones look very similar to edible varieties.

 

There are certification classes available to anyone seeking to gather edible mushrooms, and these classes are legally required before someone can sell them commercially in our state. Mushroom Mountain is one major provider of these classes in South Carolina and in many other states as well.

 

I was blown away by the comments of Josh Goldfarb, sous chef at Red Fish restaurant in Hilton Head. In a recent “Local Life” piece written by Robyn Passante, Goldfarb describes extreme preventive measures to avoid ticks, poison ivy, mosquitos and snakes, including wearing multiple layers of clothes, DEET and snake boots in sweltering Lowcountry heat.

 

Why would anyone endure that, you might ask? Besides finding unique, fresh ingredients for his dishes, Goldfarb says that in good conditions a person can make up to $2,000 per month just selling wild chanterelle mushrooms.

 

Cultivating shiitake and oyster mushrooms now helps sustain the monks of Mepkin Abbey, located just up the Cooper River from Daniel Island. They produce up to 1,500 pounds of mushrooms per week!

 

It has been a long time since my youth when we were told, correctly, that most Lowcountry mushrooms are not edible and that some are poisonous.

 

With new educational resources available, though, more and more folks are augmenting their diets with wild or homegrown South Carolina mushrooms. 

 

I love the Lowcountry’s wild places, but I tend to stay out of the woods and swamps until things cool down a bit in October.

 

If the snakes, ticks, mosquitos and sweltering heat don’t deter you, take a class and head out into the woods. Maybe I will see you out there in the fall.