First mushroom hunt of June: Chanterelles and russulas take center stage

Summer is here, and temperatures outside are slowly climbing toward 30 degrees. We went mushroom hunting for the first time. I don’t check a map to see where they’re growing; I just head out at this time of year and let myself be surprised by what I find. This year, things are starting off rather slowly, and given the rainfall, it doesn’t even look like the start of the main mushroom season will be particularly fruitful. Even in the forest, the drought was quite noticeable. I rarely came across any small wetlands.

Chanterelles at the start

The start of the walk was marked by finding the first chanterelles. There were several right away, and they definitely looked quite healthy.I picked them all and could look forward to an excellent chanterelle sauce. Identifying them isn’t difficult at all; they’re so distinctive that it’s practically impossible to confuse them with other mushrooms. I was also surprised that there were no visible traces of slugs on the chanterelles; otherwise, they’ve been everywhere this year. I found the chanterelles in their usual spot; there was no sign of them anywhere else.

Chanterelles: Photo Radek Stepan

There were more russulas, but still not many

Once mushrooms start growing, russulas are a must. I found several of them, including one truly large specimen. Many, however, were heavily slimy from snails. Still, I picked a few bluish ones. They’re perfect for the sauce. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough for cracklings.

A completely worm-eaten oak bolete

Fortunately, I also managed to find one bolete. Yes, the oak bolete was sticking out of the slope, but it was a relatively small specimen. At home, I cut it up completely, and as usual, only the cap was usable. The stem was full of worms. At least that’s how it was. I left the second oak bolete where it was, since a slug had already turned it into a literal torso right before my eyes. There was absolutely nothing left of it.

Oak bolete: Photo Radek Stepan

Oak bolete full of worms: Photo Radek Stepan

A single parasol mushroom, a sulfur tuft, and an oyster mushroom

That’s right. I found a single specimen of a parasol mushroom right by the road. I left it in the forest; it was undoubtedly too small for cuttings. I also found one sulphur tuft and a beautiful log literally covered in oyster mushrooms. You can see for yourself in the photos.

Sources: Author

Photo a and photogallerry: Radek Stepan