Porcini Season Is Upon Us!

Attention PNW foragers! Boletus edulis — the revered king bolete — has already started appearing this year at higher elevations, where cooler conditions persist. With today’s rain soaking the ground, the stage is set for even more to pop up in the coming days.

Photo by Allyzilla

Why Now?

These mushrooms are symbiotic (mycorrhizal) with conifers like pine, spruce, fir, and hemlock, and fruiting is triggered by warm periods followed by rain and a drop in soil temperature. With the recent showers and cooler mountain temps, conditions couldn’t be better for a porcini pulse. Learn how to identify their favorite companions:

Pine needles grow in groups of two, three, or five

Spruce has sharp, square needles individually attached to branch

Fir has soft, flat needles individually attached to branch

Hemlock has short, flat waxy needles with two white bands on the underside

King Bolete Identification Checklist:

• Chunky, warm buttery brown to reddish-cinnamon brown

• Reticulated (pitted, netted) white to cream or yellowish stems

• Pore surface that starts whitish and ages to yellow, does not bruise blue

• Firm flesh that doesn’t stain blue when cut

• Spore Print is olive-brown

How to Distinguish Boletus from Suillus

Many Suillus, often called Slippery Jacks for their slimy caps that easily separate from the pores, are edible—though not considered choice. They are prolific growers in our area, and many harvest and pickle them. They look similar from a distance, but you can easily differentiate the sought-after King Bolete by examining the pores.

Boletus pores are generally uniform in size while Suillus pores are variable in size:

Uniform sized pores of a Bolete when young and mature. Photo by: Ude

Irregularly sized pores of Suillus. Photo by amadej trnkoczy

Look-Alikes: Know What’s Safe — and What’s Not

Avoid poisons or gastrointestinal distress by by avoiding these key characteristics:

1. Mushrooms with red or orange pores, like the poisonous Rubroboletus pulcherrimus

   

   Photo by: Ryane Snow

2. Mushrooms with pores or flesh that bruise or stain blue when cut or damaged

   

   Photo by: Bernard Spragg

3. Mushrooms that have a bitter taste when you chew and spit out a very small piece

There are many King Bolete look-alikes that are also edible:

Where to find the King of Boletes?

I look for the King in mixed forests where deciduous and conifers intermingle, in the thick duff that builds up between mature pine trees, and in the thick leaf litter of oak and birch trees. There have been several sightings on Mt. Rainier, and I usually have some luck on Tinkham Road, past the campground.

Find hunting grounds and learn the rules and limits of that area.

I'd love to see your photos and hear your tricks:

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