Edible Wild Mushrooms Of North America

Boletes

Mushrooms of this large family, technically called the Boletaceae, look like the gilled cap-and-stalk mushrooms. Setting the boletes apart, however, is a layer of vertically arranged tubes in the cap that have openings or “pores” at the bottom. Most polypores (see p.121) grow on wood, while boletes are normally found on the ground. Boletes can be distinguished from the few polypores that grow on the ground by two typical characteristics. First, the boletes are fleshy; most polypores are tough (leathery to woody). Second, the boletes’ tube layers can be easily separated from the cap flesh with a blunt knife; the polypores’ tube layers are almost impossible to remove.

Members of the Bolete family are very diverse. Some are large and statuesque; others are small and inconspicuous. Cap, stalk, and pore surface colors practically span the rainbow. Distinguishing among many of the species is generally difficult, even for professional mycologists. The number of species known in North America (and other parts of the world) is the subject of continual study; however, the entire group is a remarkably safe one for the mycophagist, provided two simple principles are followed.

First, many of the species whose pore surfaces are orange to red are poisonous. Second, parts of many species will bruise blue, usually quickly but sometimes more slowly, and many of these species, too, are poisonous. All boletes known to be poisonous or suspected of being feature one or both of these characteristics. Some of the others taste bitter or are otherwise unpalatable, and some that exhibit one or even both of these two warning signs are perfectly safe. Reassuring, though, in such a confusing group of mushrooms with so many delicious species is that recognizing these two characteristics can effectively eliminate the risk of poisoning. Some longtime mushroom hunters even insist that all boletes, except the bitter-tasting ones, are edible, provided they’re well cooked. We discourage such experimentation.

The three bolete genera with the greatest number of species are Boletus, Leccinum, and Suillus. In general, the caps of Boletus species are smooth and dry to moist, and Suillus caps are scaly or slimy to tacky. Also, most suilli have a partial veil. Leccinum species are distinguished from the other genera by the scabers—tiny, stiff, granular points—on the stalk surface. On mature specimens, the scabers are always darker than the color of the cap.

Beyond these quick-and-easy field characteristics, accurately identifying many species requires studying each specimen thoroughly with the aid of the ever-changing technical literature, chemical reagents, and a microscope. Spore print color, shape and arrangement of the tubes, color, bruising reaction (if any), habitat, and a variety of other features are used to distinguish between the several hundred species in this large mushroom family.

Boletes are, as a rule, mycorrhizal with trees. Many are associated with specific tree species, especially various conifers; others are more versatile. Most boletes are summer mushrooms, fruiting before most of the large gilled mushrooms do. A few species are found as early as midspring, but bolete season, especially for the species with orange or red pore surfaces, is really under way by midsummer. As summer progresses, cool rains will bring out a greater variety of boletes, including many of the most popular edibles. Fruiting continues right into autumn when the Suillus species are most abundant. In most species, the mycelium is perennial, producing mushrooms year after year.

Boletes, in general, lend themselves well to preservation by drying. If the cap cuticle is slimy, it should be removed. This is also true of the tubes if they’ve become soft and mushy.

I had barely begun trying to identify mushrooms with a single field guide when a short stroll in the woods produced three specimens of a handsome, smooth-capped bolete. I knew from the field guide that the family was fairly safe (and these specimens featured neither of the two warning signs) and that some species were highly prized by gourmets.

I was sure I had found the King Bolete (Boletus edulis). An anxious review of its field guide description—I was far too smart to make a foolish mistake!—confirmed my identification, except that my specimens lacked a white reticulation. (A spore print, of course, seemed wholly unnecessary.) This single inconsistency didn’t sour my appetite, though. I knew that there were many similar species, all wonderfully edible.

At home, I cut one mushroom into pieces, threw some butter into my pan, and tossed the pieces in to sauté them. What a delightful aroma! Surely, this must be the King Bolete, I decided. If it tastes only half as good as it smells, it will be wonderful! My wife agreed, eyeing the pan hungrily.

When the mushroom was cooked, I removed the pan from the heat and gently pushed the tines of a fork into the tender flesh of a piece of the cap. I was not just anticipating, I was drooling. With great expectations, my nose tickled pink by the aroma and my heart rejoicing at my prize find, I put the small piece in my mouth and began chewing.

I wonder what my wife thought as my smile quickly gave way to a bitter, hurt expression. I dashed to the kitchen garbage pail and spat the offender out.

“Yech!” I said. “This is worse than baking chocolate!”

A more detailed review of my field guide pinpointed my error. I had found the common Bitter Bolete (Tylopilus felleus). Since then, I have heard this same sad story (with variations) from many mushroom hunters. My nickname for this species? Fool’s Bolete. But I won’t be fooled again.

–DAVID FISCHER

KING, CHALKY-WHITE, AND WHITE KING BOLETES

Boletus edulis

B. albisulphureus

B. barrowsii

King Bolete (Boletus edulis)

KEY IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS

1.Cap dome shaped to flat; mature specimens four or more inches wide; white, pale gray, or dull tan to reddish brown; surface smooth, not slimy

2.Cap flesh white, mild-tasting (taste a tiny bit and then spit it out)

3.Pore surface white to yellow, not pink, orange, or red; not bruising blue

4.Stalk thick, white to pale yellowish brown, with distinct, white to pale yellow, netlike ridges over the upper portion or all of the stalk

DESCRIPTION: The King Bolete (Boletus edulis) cap is pale yellowish brown to reddish brown with a moist surface. It is three to ten inches wide and dome shaped when young but nearly flat when mature. The stalk is thick and firm and often club shaped; it is white to pale yellowish brown, three to ten inches long and 1–3-1/2 inches thick, with distinct, white, netlike ridges over (at least) the upper third. The flesh of the cap and stalk is white and mild-tasting. The cap undersurface has a white to yellow pore surface that doesn’t stain blue when bruised.

The Chalky-white Bolete (B. albisulphureus) is similar overall but has a soft, dry, milky white cap and stalk. The cap is much smaller, only two to five inches wide; the stalk is two to five inches long and 3/4–1-1/2 inches thick, with distinct, yellow, netlike ridges near the top. The pore surface is yellow and doesn’t bruise blue.

The White King Bolete (B. barrowsii) has a dry, white to pale gray or dull tan cap and stalk. Like the King Bolete, its cap is large—three to ten inches wide. The stalk is typically club shaped, especially in young specimens, and measures three to eight inches long and 3/4–2-1/4 inches thick. The stalk also has distinct, white to pale yellow, netlike ridges on the upper part. The pore surface is white to pale yellow in young specimens and greenish yellow in mature ones. It doesn’t bruise blue.

Chalky-white Bolete (Boletus albisulphureus)

KS White King Bolete (Boletus barrowsii)

The spore prints of these species are greenish brown.

FRUITING: These boletes are found on the ground singly or in groups, during summer and fall. The King Bolete is found throughout much of North America in woods, often in great quantity. The Chalky-white Bolete is primarily a species of southeastern U.S. oak and pine woods and commonly collected as far west as Mississippi. It has also been reported from northeastern areas including Maine and New Jersey. The White King Bolete grows under both deciduous and coniferous trees in the southwestern United States and in parts of California, where it is often collected during winter.

The Bitter Bolete (Tylopilus felleus), which is inedible (see p. 163), is often confused with the King Bolete; however, it has dark brown netlike ridges and bitter-tasting flesh.

EDIBILITY: All three of these species are choice edibles. They are large, firm, and meaty, and they tend to fruit in large quantity wherever they’re found. Unfortunately, they are as much a prize find for insect larvae as they are for the mycophagist. The best way to harvest them, once you understand their key identifying characteristics, is to check the stalk for larvae. Cut it off at the base, then look to see if larvae have invaded. If they have, cut farther up and look again. As a last resort, break the stalk free from the cap, and check to see whether the larvae have reached the cap. If they haven’t, you’re in luck!

Like morels and a few other kinds of mushrooms, boletes lend themselves well to drying. For more information on this, see part 4, “Wild Mushrooms in the Kitchen.”

ADMIRABLE BOLETE

Boletus mirabilis

KEY IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS

1.Cap two to eight inches wide; dark maroon, maroon-brown, or reddish brown; surface granular or roughened

2.Pore surface yellow to greenish yellow, slowly staining darker yellow where bruised

3.Stalk maroon-brown; enlarged at base, with coarse, netlike ridges on upper stalk

4.Found on or beside rotting stumps or logs

DESCRIPTION: The cap is two to eight inches wide; it is dome shaped at first, often remaining dome shaped but sometimes becoming nearly flat or even depressed at the center in age. The cap surface is dark maroon to maroon-brown at first, becoming reddish brown to dull chocolate brown in age. The cap surface is granular and/or roughened, slippery in young specimens but velvety and dry in mature ones. The undersurface of the cap bears a spongelike layer of tubes with a yellow to greenish yellow pore surface that slowly stains darker yellow where bruised. The pores are round or angular, and quite large. The cap flesh is thick, firm, and mild-tasting; it is pale lemon yellow, tinged red near the cuticle, and does not change color when bruised or cut. The stalk is thick, firm, and solid; it is four to eight inches long and one-half to two inches thick with an enlarged base. The stalk is maroon-brown to dark reddish brown with yellowish streaks and has a coarse pattern of netlike ridges near the top. The spore print is greenish brown.

Admirable Bolete (Boletus mirabilis)

FRUITING: The Admirable Bolete is usually found singly, but occasionally in groups, on rotting stumps and logs of conifers, especially Western hemlock, Douglas fir, and Western red cedar. It fruits from fall through early winter, primarily in the Pacific Northwest.

SIMILAR SPECIES: B. projectellus (edible) has a dry, slightly velvety, reddish brown cap cuticle that projects beyond the cap flesh and tube layer. Its stalk is reddish brown and has coarse, netlike ridges over nearly the entire length. It is found on the ground under pines along the East Coast from Nova Scotia south to North Carolina, and it has also been reported from Michigan.

EDIBILITY: The Admirable Bolete truly deserves its name: not only is it very handsome, but it is also a popular, choice edible. The thick, firm flesh, when sautéed in butter, has a distinctly lemony flavor. It serves well in a wide variety of recipes, but is excellent simply sautéed in butter and served as a side dish with fish or meats.

TWO-COLORED BOLETE

Boletus bicolor

KEY IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS

1.Cap dry; two or more inches wide; dark rose red to pale pinkish red, sometimes dull yellow at edge

2.Pore surface yellow, slowly staining blue where bruised

3.Cap flesh pale yellow, slowly staining blue when cut

4.Stalk yellow at top; stalk flesh yellow throughout

5.Lower two-thirds of stalk surface dark rose red

DESCRIPTION: The cap is initially dome shaped, becoming nearly flat in maturity; it is two to seven inches wide. The cap surface is dry and unpolished, dark rosy red at first and then fading to pale pinkish red with a dull yellow edge at maturity. Older caps may be somewhat cracked, and the color often fades to dull yellow with rosy tints. The pale yellow flesh of both cap and stalk is mild-tasting and slowly stains blue when cut. The pore surface is yellow, sometimes with reddish stains in age; it slowly stains blue where bruised (only after several minutes). The pores are tiny and usually appear more polygonal than round when viewed with a hand lens. The stalk is two to four inches long and 1/2–1-1/4 inches thick, nearly equal in thickness overall or slightly thicker toward the base. The stalk has a dry surface; it is yellow at the top but covered with a thin layer of dark rosy red over the lower two-thirds. There is no partial veil, ring, or volva. The spore print is greenish brown.

Two-colored Bolete (Boletus bicolor)

FRUITING: The Two-colored Bolete is found scattered or in groups on the ground under oak (especially where mixed with pine) and aspen trees. It fruits during summer and fall in a range that extends from Nova Scotia south to Florida and as far west as Minnesota.

SIMILAR SPECIES: The Brick-cap Bolete (B. sensibilis) is poisonous (see page 162); it is similar to the Two-colored Bolete, but its flesh and pore surface stain blue instantly when bruised or cut. B. bicolor var. borealis (edibility unknown) has an orange-red pore surface with olive tints.

EDIBILITY: This bolete is as delicious as it is handsome—just as good, according to many mycophagists, as the King Bolete. It is common and often abundant in oak and pine woods on many parts of the East Coast.

CHESTNUT, BLUING, AND PALE-CHESTNUT BOLETES

Gyroporus castaneus

G. cyanescens

G. subalbellus

Chesnut Bolete (Gyroporus castaneus)

KEY IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS

1.Cap one to four inches wide, surface dry

2.Pore surface white to yellow, may bruise blue; pores tiny, depressed around stalk

3.Stalk hollow, at least near the base, in mature specimens

4.Spore print pale yellow or yellow

DESCRIPTION: The Chestnut Bolete (Gyroporus castaneus) cap has a dry, chestnut brown to orangish brown or yellowish brown surface. It is one to four inches wide and round topped in young specimens but nearly flat in mature ones. The cap undersurface has a white to pale yellow pore surface and tiny round to slightly angular pores that are depressed around the stalk and don’t stain blue when bruised. The stalk is pale yellowish brown to brownish orange, smooth surfaced, and typically dry; it is either equal in thickness from top to bottom or slightly enlarged at the base—1–3-1/2 inches long and 1/4–1/2 inch thick at the middle. Also, the stalk is hollow in mature specimens, especially near the base. The flesh of both cap and stalk is white and mild-tasting.

The Bluing Bolete (G. cyanescens) is similar in most respects; however, it has a straw-colored, slightly velvety cap and stalk, and all parts of the mushroom immediately stain blue when cut or bruised.

The Pale-chestnut Bolete (G. subalbellus) has dull white to yellowish cap and stalk surfaces, with tints of apricot or pink, and yellowish brown stains in age. The pore surface is white to yellow and stains reddish brown where bruised. In other respects, it fits the description of the Chestnut Bolete.

These species produce yellow spore prints.

FRUITING: These three members of the genus Gyroporus are found singly or in groups on the ground in woods during summer and fall. The Chestnut Bolete is commonly found in eastern North America (rarely on the West Coast) in deciduous woods (oak trees are frequently noted). The Bluing Bolete is also an eastern species but occurs in both coniferous and deciduous forests. The Pale-chestnut Bolete is found in the eastern United States, west to Texas; it prefers sandy soil in oak and pine woods.

Bluing Bolete (Gyroporus cyanescens)

Pale-chesnut Bolete (Gyroporus subalbellus)

SIMILAR SPECIES: The edible Red Gyroporus (G. purpurinis) is so similar to the three species described above that it fits their key identifying characteristics. Its cap is dry, velvety, and purplish red, and its stalk is dark red and hollow. Like the other Gyroporus species, its pore surface is white to yellow, with tiny round pores that are depressed around the stalk. The Red Gyroporus is an eastern U.S. species; it is associated with deciduous trees, especially various species of oak. No other species meet all the key identifying characteristics listed above.

EDIBILITY: All three of the illustrated boletes, as well as the Red Gyroporus (described as a similar species), are fine edibles. The rule of thumb that warns against eating boletes that stain blue when bruised is shattered by the Bluing Bolete. There are, in fact, a number of perfectly safe, edible boletes that do bruise blue. Unfortunately, most of the others are more difficult to distinguish from their poisonous look-alikes and thus remain—as well they should—prizes reserved for only the most experienced mushroom hunters.

RED-CAPPED SCABER STALK

Leccinum aurantiacum

Red-capped Scaber Stalk (Leccinum aurantiacum)

KEY IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS

1.Cap two to eight inches wide; surface bright to dull orangish red, dry or slightly sticky

2.Pore surface white, staining greenish brown when bruised

3.Cap flesh thick; white, slowly staining wine red, then grayish, and finally purplish black when cut

4.Stalk thick, firm, solid; white with scabers

5.Scabers dingy white on stalks of young specimens, orangish brown to brown or black on mature ones

DESCRIPTION: The cap is bright to dull orangish red; it is dry but slightly sticky in wet weather. It is rounded in young specimens, nearly flat in mature ones, and two to eight inches wide. The pore surface is white, staining greenish brown when bruised; the pores are minute and nearly round. The stalk is thick, firm, and solid; it is white with tiny, stiff, granular projections, or scabers. The stalk is about the same thickness from top to bottom or somewhat thicker at the base. It measures three to eight inches long and three-fourths to two inches thick. The stalk scabers of young specimens are dingy white, darkening to orangish brown as the mushroom grows, and become brown to black in age. The spore print is yellowish brown.

FRUITING: This mushroom is found on the ground singly or in groups throughout much of North America. It fruits in both deciduous and coniferous woods during summer and autumn.

SIMILAR SPECIES: In North America, there are several other Leccinum species, or Scaber Stalks, with orangish red caps. They are generally difficult to distinguish from L. aurantiacum, but each differs from this species by at least one of the features listed above as a key identifying characteristic. As far as is known, all are edible. There have been no reports of any adverse reactions despite frequent consumption by avid mushroom hunters.

EDIBILITY: The Red-capped Scaber Stalk is rated by some mycophagists almost as highly as the King Bolete (Boletus edulis), which is edible (see p. 95), while others say it is only mediocre. This is a good example of the subjective nature of the sense of taste, at least as applied to mycophagy. At any rate, the Red-capped Scaber Stalk is often abundant, especially under aspen and pine, following heavy rains in summer and fall. It often fills the large baskets of delighted mushroom hunters.

SLIPPERY JACK AND ALLIES

Suillus luteus

S. grevillei

S. caerulescens

S. americanus

Slippery Jack (Suillus luteus)

KEY IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS

1.Cap two to six inches wide; surface smooth; sticky or slimy

2.Cap surface bright yellow to golden yellow, yellowish brown to orangish brown, or reddish brown to bright red

3.Cap flesh white to yellow, not staining blue when cut or bruised

4.Pore surface white or yellow to yellowish brown, not staining blue when bruised; may be covered by partial veil

5.Spore print greenish brown to yellowish brown

DA Larch Suillus (Suillus grevillei)

WS Blue-staining Suillus (Suillus caerulescens)

DESCRIPTION: The Slippery Jack (Suillus luteus) has a slimy to sticky reddish brown to yellowish brown cap; it is two to five inches wide, dome shaped at first but nearly flat in age. Young specimens have a white, membranous partial veil. As the cap expands, the veil ruptures, exposing a white to yellow pore surface that soon becomes mottled with brownish spots but doesn’t stain blue when bruised. The cap flesh is white to pale yellow, not staining blue. The stalk is white to pale yellow, with pinkish to brownish dots; it is 1–3-1/2 inches long and three-eighths to one inch thick. The mature stalk is adorned by a membranous ring with a white upper surface and a purple undersurface. The stalk is thick, firm, solid, and fairly equal in thickness from top to bottom. The spore print is greenish brown to yellowish brown.

The Larch Suillus (S. grevillei) cap is two to six inches wide, with a slimy, bright red to brownish red or bright yellow surface. The cap flesh is pale yellow, staining pinkish red when bruised. Young specimens have a pale yellow partial veil. The pore surface is pale yellow to olive yellow, slowly staining rusty brown when bruised. The stalk is dry, pale yellow with reddish or brownish spots and streaks; mature specimens have a white, cottony ring. The spore print is greenish brown.

Chicken-fat Suillus (Suillus americanus)

The Blue-staining Suillus (S. caerulescens) cap is two to six inches wide. The cap surface is sticky to slimy, dull reddish brown to yellowish brown near the center, and dingy yellow near the edge. The cap flesh is pale yellow, staining pinkish. Young specimens have a white to pale yellow partial veil that will rupture to leave a whitish, cottony ring on the mature stalk. The pore surface is medium to dark yellow. The stalk is 1–3-1/2 inches long and 3/4–1-1/4 inches thick; it is dry and yellow to dingy yellow with reddish to brownish spots and streaks. The flesh of the stalk base stains blue to green when cut. The spore print is brown to yellowish brown.

The Chicken-fat Suillus (S. americanus) cap is sticky to slimy and bright yellow with cinnamon brown to reddish streaks and spots. The cap flesh is yellowish, staining pinkish brown when exposed. At first, the pore surface is covered by a yellowish partial veil that leaves no ring on the stalk—rather, it sticks to the edge of the mature cap. The pore surface is yellow, staining brownish when bruised or in age; the pores are large and angular (not round). The stalk is bright to dull yellow, with brown spots and streaks and no ring; it is relatively narrow—1–3-1/2 inches long and only one-eighth to three-eighths inch thick. The spore print is yellowish brown.

FRUITING: These Suillus species are found singly or in groups on the ground under specific kinds of trees. The Slippery Jack occurs in eastern North America under red pine, Scotch pine, and spruce; it fruits from fall through early winter. The Larch Suillus, as its name implies, is found under larch (tamarack) trees and is common in northern North America from late summer until early winter. The Blue-staining Suillus is found only under Douglas fir in the Pacific Northwest and California, fruiting from fall through early spring. The Chicken-fat Suillus grows only under eastern white pine from Nova Scotia south to the Carolinas and west to Michigan; it fruits during summer and fall, sometimes in fairy rings.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Each of these four species has a look-alike, each of which is edible. The Slippery Jill (S. subluteus) is similar to her brother, the Slippery Jack, but has a thicker partial veil that leaves a baggy ring that lacks purplish coloration. S. proximus is similar to the Larch Suillus, but it lacks the bright red cap color, and the flesh of its stalk base stains green when exposed. S. ponderosus is similar to the Blue-staining Suillus but has a sticky to slimy reddish brown to dingy yellow cap and a sticky yellow to orange veil. S. sibiricus is similar to the Chicken-fat Suillus but has a thicker stalk (one-fourth to five-eighths inch) and sometimes has a yellow ring; also, the cap is typically darker yellow to yellowish brown with darker, reddish brown streaks. No mushrooms other than edible Suillus species conform to the key identifying characteristics listed above.

EDIBILITY: All these Suillus species are good, frequently abundant edibles. The slime layer on the caps should be removed; otherwise, gastric upset may occur in some individuals. It is also wise to remove the tube layers because these often become slimy, especially when cooked. This is unnecessary if the mushrooms are to be dried.

Despite these slightly bothersome preparations, the slimy-capped Suillus species are very popular among mushroom hunters. The flesh of both cap and stalk is tender and flavorful and works especially well in sauces and gravies. As with all boletes, drying is a popular way to preserve suilli. Pickling is also a tasty option for these common and abundant mushrooms.