Chanterelles are up!

As an FYI for those who are looking to expand their mycophagic horizons, I picked several pounds of golden chanterelles, smooth chanterelles and black trumpets a little more than a week ago in the eastern Ozarks. Golden chanterelles have a great flavor, have a long fruiting season during the summer (as long as we get rain....), are brightly colored, and do not have such a dedicated following such that you have to worry about much competition. I mostly find them in oak woods, in the places that you wouldn't normally expect to find many morels. The key is to rely on the bright colors to clue you in. Once you learn what to look for, you might be able to spot patches from thirty yards or more in open woods. They are way easier to spot than morels.... The same is true of the smooth chanterelles. On the other hand, the black trumpets are a lot like morels. Stand, squint, and hope that you don't find them first by stepping on them!