Mushrooming and berry picking in Finland I: chanterelle, russulas and blueberry

 

September 2022

Chanterelles (in finnish "kantarellit")

Chantarelles are delicious, highly valued mushrooms. They have yellow-orange colour, funnel shaped cap which has wrinkled and decurrent ridges on the underside of the cap.

Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) 

There is identified around 70 species of true chanterelles (genus Cantharellus) in the whole world, 10 of them are in Europe. The most common species found in forests is the Golden Chantarelle (Cantharellus cibarius), which is also the species sold in markets. The latin word Cantharellus comes from the Greek word “kantharos” meaning “cup” or “goblet” which refers to their shape. The specie name of Golden chantarelle “cibarius” comes from the Latin, referring to food (Cibus = food, cibarius = suitable for food). Cantharellus cibarius can be translated as the cup of food.

Chanterelles can be found in coniferous forests formed by pines and spruces, but they also grow in deciduous forests in association with oaks, birches and beeches. In Finland they most often grow in forests with birch and in relatively open places, typically in edges.  

Golden Chantarelle (Cantharellus cibarius) 

They dislike too wet forests. They are ectomycorrhizal fungi, which means they colonize roots of certain trees. This relation is mutually beneficial as Chantarelles gets carbohydrate nutrition from trees and in exchange they provide to trees better access to nutrients. The best time to look for chantarelle is couple days after heavy rain followed by warm weather. Warm humid weather provides optimal growing conditions. They often grow in large numbers and groups. In Finland Chantarelles are fruiting from June to September. Most of them can usually be found in August and September.

Chantarelles are bioindicators of the quality of the environment, their presence indicates low pollution of the locality.

Chantarelles have thick consistency, thus they are very rarely attacked by worms. There is no need to check their health condition in the forest, just doing the essential cleaning is enough.

Chanterelles are good source of many nutrients, they contain vitamin D, potassium, iron, and selenium.

Russulas (in finnish "haperot")

Russula is a genus of mushrooms which is cosmopolitan and contains around 750 species, 250 in Europe. Caps have often bright colours – yellow, red, violet, green, blue and others. On the other side of the cap there are brittle gills. Young individuals have them snowy white, older ones greyish. The stems have no rings and a fragile consistency. In Finland, Russulas are growing from midsummer through mid-fall.

Edible Russulas
 

Most of the species of this genus are edible. But some, such as the Sickner (Russula emetica), can cause stomach cramps. If you are not sure, it is possible to taste a tiny piece. If the taste is mild and not hot, too bitter or otherwise unpleasant, the mushroom can be put into basket. This approach is applicable to Russulas as the inedible species are not truly poisonous, just causing a half day belly aching. Definitely not wise to do taste test with other kinds of unknown mushrooms.

Inedible Russula the Sickner (Russula emetica) 

Edible Russulas have very delicate taste and flash like texture. Their big advantage is that they are less demanding, and usually are plentiful in many places.

Russulas are ectomycorrhizal, growing in deciduous and coniferous forests. They are very important seasonal food of squirrels, deers and slugs. They are very liked by worms, so it is advisable to do the worm test already in the forest. Just cut the leg and cap and see what is the situation.

Russulas are good source of zinc and iron.

Blueberries (in finnish "mustikat")

Blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) are keystone species of boreal forests. They support many groups of insects, specifically butterflies and moth caterpillars. They provide important food supply to pollinators as well as to birds and mammals.

For example, for the bird Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), which is in Central Europe threatened, blueberries are a crucial source of energy as they help it to store body fat for winter. Therefore, blueberries are a key factor for Capercaillie when making habitat choice. Blueberry shrubs are also necessary for Capercaillie chicks because an important part of their diet are Lepidoptera larvae found on blueberries.

Blueberries are also good for us. They are very rich in antioxidants and phytoflavinoids. They contain good amount of Vitamin C, B6 and potassium. They lower cholesterol, reduce risk of heart diseases and cancer. Moreover, they are beneficial for digestive system and put us in better mood.

Tip for a mushroom restaurant in Finland

Very good place where to have mushroom meal is at the hotel Punkaharju (Hotelli Punkaharju) in Eastern Finland. We had delicious chantarelle risotto and lovely blueberry dessert. Moreover, there is a "mushroom table" with finnish names of mushrooms!

Video 

Refrenceres:

• Atlegrim O. & Sjöberg K. 1995. Lepidoptera larvae as food for capercaillie chick (Tetrao urogallus): A field experiment, Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 10: 278—283.
• Eckerter, T., Buse, J., Förschler, M., & Pufal, G. 2019. Additive positive effects of canopy openness on European bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) fruit quantity and quality. Forest Ecology and Management 433: 122—130.
• Marrone, T., & Sturgeon, W. 2016. Mushrooms of the Northeast: A Simple Guide to Common Mushrooms. Adventure Publications.
• Pilz, D. 2003. Ecology and management of commercially harvested chanterelle mushrooms (Vol. 576). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station.
• Storch I. 1995: Habitat selection by capercaillie in summer and autumn: Is bilberry important? Oecologia 95: 257—265.