Sulphur Shelf Buy Edibles Canada Mushroom
The sulphur shelf (Laetiporus sulphureus) mushroom is also known as chicken-of-the-woods or chicken mushroom. It’s a bright orange or yellow mushroom with a unique, meaty flavor.
Growth
Sulphur shelf mushrooms grow on hardwood trees in North America and Europe. They are widely distributed east of the Rocky buy edibles canada Mountains in the United States.
These mushrooms can either act as parasites on living or dying trees, or derive nutrients from dead trees, such as rotting tree stumps.
Sulphur shelf mushrooms grow on trees in shelf-like clusters. They are commonly found on large oak trees and typically harvested during the summer and fall months.
It should be noted that sulphur shelf look-alike Laetiporus species exist. They grow on conifer trees should be avoided, as they can cause severe allergic reactions in some people
Identification
Sulphur shelf mushrooms are typically orange or yellow in color and grow in overlapping shelf-like clusters on hardwoods, such as oak, willow, and chestnut.
The caps of the mushroom are fan-like or semicircular in shape and typically 2–12 inches (5–30 cm) across and up to 8 inches (20 cm) deep.
The sulphur shelf does not have gills, and the underside of the caps is covered with tiny pores.
This mushroom has a smooth, suede-like texture and yellow-orange color, which fades to a dull white when the mushroom is past maturity.
Many sulphur shelf mushrooms may grow on a single tree, with individual mushrooms growing heavier than 50 pounds (23 kg)
Nutrition
Like most mushrooms, sulphur shelf mushrooms are low in calories and offer a good amount of nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, potassium, zinc, phosphorus, and magnesium.
Sulphur shelf mushrooms also contain plant compounds, including polysaccharides, eburicoic acid, and cinnamic acid.
They have been shown to have antifungal, tumor-inhibiting, and antioxidant properties in test-tube and animal studies (18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source,20Trusted Source,21Trusted Source).
Sulphur shelf mushrooms should be eaten cooked — not raw. You can bring out their meaty texture and hearty flavor by sautéing them with butter, adding them to vegetable dishes, or mixing them into omelets.
Poisonous mushrooms to avoid
Though many wild mushrooms can be enjoyed safely, others pose a threat to your health.
Never consume the following mushrooms:
- Death cap (Amanita phalloides). Death caps are among the most poisonous of all mushrooms and responsible for the majority of mushroom-related deaths worldwide. They grow in many countries around the world (22Trusted Source).
- Conocybe filaris. This mushroom grows in Europe, Asia, and North America and contains the same toxins as the death cap. buy edibles canada It has a smooth, cone-like cap that is brownish in color. They are highly toxic and can be fatal if ingested (23Trusted Source).
- Autumn skullcap (Galerina marginata). Also known as the “deadly Galerina,” autumn skullcaps are among the most poisonous of mushrooms. They have small, brown caps and grow on rotting wood (24Trusted Source).
- Death angel (Amanita ocreata). Related to the death cap, the death angel grows along the West Coast of the United States. This mushroom is mostly white and can cause severe illness and death if eaten (25).
- False morels (Gyromitra esculenta and Gyromitra infula). These resemble edible true morels, making them especially dangerous. Unlike true morels, they are not completely hollow when cut