Colder Temps = Winter Chanterelles

As the temperature drops many popular edibles will dwindle, but never fear: the Winter Chanterelle is here! This nutty mushroom has a strong flavor and a firm texture so it doesn't go slimy when cooked. Its only drawback may have been its small stature, but fortunately it tends to grow in groups making finding a meal's worth pretty easy. These yellowy stemmed mushrooms typically grow in the same environment as Chanterelles and Hedgehogs, so don't give up on your favorite honey hole just because it's getting cold.

What Are They?

Craterellus tubaeformis or Cantharellus neo tubaeformis, is commonly called Winter Chanterelle or Yellow Foot. It's a mushroom that grows throughout North America and the world. Like most mushrooms it's the fruiting body of a network of fungal cells (hyphae) that live underground called Mycelium.

Where Do They Grow?

In the Pacific Northwest Winter Chanterelles have a relationship with conifer trees like Douglas Fir and Hemlock, they like to grow in the mossy valleys between the towering evergreens. Learn what tasty mushrooms might be growing with the trees near you on my Companions page.

How To Identify Them:

Winter Chanterelles are similar looking to some poisonous mushrooms at first glance, but are a good beginner mushroom because they are easy to distinguish by their small stature and vein- or fold-like gills on the underside of the cap. Learn all of their characteristics on the Winter Chanterelle page.

Poisonous Look a-likes:

Every forager should be familiar with the common poisonous mushrooms in our area, I've consolidated the Pacific Northwest's most common ones by key characteristic on my Common Poisonous Mushrooms page.

If you're going to forage Winter Chanterelles it's critical that you become familiar with the poisonous mushrooms that look a bit like them, most notably:

How To Prepare Them:

Foraging always comes with risks, be sure to follow every step of my Safe Eating Process every time to reduce the risk of getting sick or making mistakes in identification.

Like all wild mushrooms, Winter Chanterelles should be collected from clean areas with low car traffic and cooked over medium-high heat before ingestion.

I like mine in creamy dishes like alfredo or stroganoff where the nutty flavor can offset the richness of the creamy flavors.

Let me know your favorite recipe or share tips and tricks for spotting them!

Happy Hunting!