Looking at these sources I can see that the main entities discussed include
- Chicken of the Woods mushroom (appears frequently across all sources)
- Various parts: caps, edges, brackets, inner flesh/core (mentioned across sources)
- Terms about edibility, texture, and preparation methods
- Information about identification, harvesting, and safety considerations
I’ll write an article that accurately reflects this information while following your formatting and tone requirements.
Hey there fellow mushroom enthusiasts! I’ve been foraging Chicken of the Woods for years now, and let me tell ya there’s nothing quite like spotting those vibrant orange-yellow shelves glowing against the bark of an old oak tree. But I still get tons of questions about which parts are actually edible especially from newbies who aren’t sure what they’re looking at.
So today, I’m gonna break down exactly what parts of Chicken of the Woods you should eat, which parts to avoid and how to make the most of this incredible wild edible. Let’s dive in!
What the Heck is Chicken of the Woods Anyway?
Before we talk about what parts to eat, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about what this mushroom actually is.
Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) is a bright orange-yellow bracket fungus that grows on trees, especially oak. It gets its name because, when properly prepared, it has a texture and even flavor that’s surprisingly similar to chicken meat! This makes it super popular among vegetarians, vegans, and anyone looking to add some wild foods to their diet.
The mushroom forms shelf-like brackets that grow in overlapping layers, creating a striking appearance that’s hard to miss once you train your eye to spot it.
The Edible Parts: What You Should Actually Eat
Alright, here’s the part you’ve been waiting for – exactly which parts of Chicken of the Woods are edible:
1. The Young, Tender Outer Edges
This is the prime eating! The tender, soft outer edges and margins of young mushrooms are considered the absolute best part. These parts have:
- A softer, more chicken-like texture
- Better flavor than the tougher parts
- Easier digestibility
- More pleasant mouthfeel
When you find a fresh Chicken of the Woods, the edges will be slightly moist, vibrant in color, and feel tender when you press them. These are the premium parts that chefs and foragers prize.
2. The Caps
The caps (the upper, flat surface of each bracket) are generally good eating as long as they’re not too old. The caps form the bulk of what most people harvest and eat. When the mushroom is young and fresh, the entire cap can be tender and delicious.
3. The Inner Flesh/Core
The inner flesh is edible but requires different preparation than the tender edges. This part:
- Can be tougher than the outer edges
- May need longer cooking times
- Sometimes benefits from being sliced thinly
- Works well in stews, soups, and dishes with longer cooking methods
Parts to Avoid or Use Differently
While most of a young, fresh Chicken of the Woods is edible, there are parts you should avoid or treat differently:
1. The Tough, Woody Base
The part where the mushroom attaches to the tree is typically tough, woody, and not very pleasant to eat. I usually trim this part off and compost it.
2. Old, Dry Specimens
As Chicken of the Woods ages, it becomes dry, hard, and unpalatable. An old specimen might still have tender edges worth harvesting, but the bulk of it won’t be good eating.
3. The Pore Surface
While technically edible, some people prefer to remove the pore surface (the underside with tiny holes) as it can sometimes be bitter. Personally, I leave it on when the mushroom is young and tender, but you might want to experiment to see what you prefer.
How to Identify the Good Parts When Harvesting
When you’re out foraging, here’s how to spot the prime edible parts:
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Color: Look for vibrant, bright orange-yellow colors. Faded colors often indicate an older specimen.
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Moisture: Gently press the mushroom – good eating parts should feel slightly moist, not dry or brittle.
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Texture: The parts you want should be soft and spongy, not hard or woody.
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Flexibility: Young, tender parts will bend somewhat before breaking, while older parts snap immediately.
Here’s a quick reference table I’ve put together:
| Part | Edibility | Best Uses | How to Identify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Young outer edges | Excellent | Sautéing, grilling, direct cooking | Soft, bright color, flexible |
| Young caps | Very good | All cooking methods | Vibrant color, tender to touch |
| Inner flesh | Good | Stews, soups, long cooking | Firmer texture, may need slicing thin |
| Woody base | Poor | Best avoided | Hard, tough, often discolored |
| Old specimens | Poor | Avoid or use only edges | Dry, brittle, faded color |
Proper Preparation is Key!
I can’t stress this enough – proper preparation of Chicken of the Woods is super important! Here’s what you need to know:
• Cook thoroughly: Never eat this mushroom raw! Traditional advice suggests cubing it and simmering in salted water for 5 minutes before using in recipes.
• Try a small amount first: Some people have adverse reactions to Chicken of the Woods, so always try a small amount the first time.
• Avoid yew trees: There’s debate about whether Chicken of the Woods growing on yew trees absorbs the tree’s toxins. While some experienced foragers eat them without issue, it’s generally safer to avoid these unless you’re very experienced.
• Only take what you need: When harvesting, take only young, tender specimens or sections. The mushroom can continue growing if you harvest carefully.
My Favorite Ways to Cook Chicken of the Woods
Once you’ve harvested the good parts, here’s what I like to do with them:
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Simple sauté: Slice the tender edges into strips, sauté with butter, garlic, and herbs until golden. Delicious!
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Chicken substitute: Use in any recipe calling for chicken – it works amazing in stir-fries, curries, and stews.
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Grilled: Young, tender slices can be marinated and grilled for an incredible texture.
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Fried: Batter and fry the tender parts for a wild food version of fried chicken.
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Preservation: If you find more than you can eat fresh, you can dehydrate it or freeze it for later use.
Safety First: Important Considerations
A few important safety notes before you run off foraging:
• Always positively identify any wild mushroom before eating it.
• Some people experience digestive upset from Chicken of the Woods, especially if it’s undercooked or if you eat an older specimen.
• If foraging near roads or in potentially polluted areas, be aware that mushrooms can absorb environmental toxins.
• Chicken of the Woods growing on conifers may cause more digestive issues than those growing on hardwoods like oak.
Final Thoughts
Chicken of the Woods is one of the most rewarding wild mushrooms to forage because it’s relatively easy to identify, delicious when prepared properly, and can provide a substantial harvest. By focusing on the young, tender parts and preparing them correctly, you’ll enjoy one of nature’s most amazing wild foods.
Remember, the best parts to eat are the young, tender outer edges and caps. The inner flesh is also edible but may require different cooking techniques. Avoid the tough, woody base and any old, dry specimens.
Happy foraging, and as we say in the mushroom world – when in doubt, throw it out!
Have you tried Chicken of the Woods before? What’s your favorite way to prepare it? Drop a comment below – I’d love to hear your experiences!
Eggs, Steak, and Chicken-of- the-Woods
1 cup chicken-of-the-woods mushrooms, chopped 1 cup green onions (separate green from white and chop) ½ red pepper, chopped 1 cup left-over sirloin (cooked, cooled and cubed) ½ cup mild cheese, grated (I used a brick cheese from Star Dairy in Weyauwega, WI) 2 eggs (I used 3 small Silkie eggs) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon hot sauce (mine is homemade, but sriracha would work) ½ tsp salt
Whisk the salt and hot sauce into the eggs, set aside. Sauté the white part of the onion and the red pepper in oil in a medium sized frying pan for a minute. Add the mushrooms and sauté another 2-3 minutes. Add the beef and green onion and sauté for another minute. Remove the contents of the frying pan to a plate, add the eggs to pan and scramble. Add the mushroom/steak mix to the scrambled eggs, mix and plate. Top with cheese.
Want to try another delicious foraged mushroom/egg dish? Check out my recipe for Puffball Frittata!
Why go around with a chip on your shoulder when you can have a chick…
Foraging and Cooking with Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms
Sulfur shelf mushrooms thrive in my woods and in forested areas across much of the United States and beyond. These colorful fungal critters are treasured by mushroom hunters everywhere because they’re so easy to spot and identify. And on top of that, they’re undeniably delicious. Never tried them? Give them a taste! I’ll bet you’ll become a fan of their rich, umami-packed flavor and satisfyingly meaty texture.
Whenever someone tries an umami-forward food for the first time, they often exclaim, “It tastes like chicken!” That’s probably why the common name for this mushroom is “chicken of the woods.” With its savory profile, chicken of the woods can easily stand in for chicken in a variety of recipes, adding depth and heartiness to any dish. It goes without saying that chickens everywhere support this substitution!
If you’re new to mushroom hunting, this is a great mushroom for beginners. Read on to learn how to forage for these culinary gems—and stick around for a great recipe to make the most of your harvest!
Unlike other mushrooms that hide under the leaf litter on the floor of the woods, these guys grow on stumps and trees. And unlike other mushrooms that are camouflaged by their color, these little fungus dudes, with their orange and yellow coloring, can’t be missed. It’s almost like they’re jumping up and down, waving their little mushroom arms, and yelling, “Here I am! Here I am! Sautée me! Right now!” Also, because it is fairly difficult to confuse this mushroom with another mushroom that might be less edible or poisonous, mycologists include it in the list of the “foolproof four” that beginners can safely forage.
Exactly which four mushrooms are included in that list of four seems to differ depending on which mycologist you’re talking to, but everybody includes sulfur shelf mushrooms among the four on their list. (The term “foolproof four” which so many mycologists bandy about was coined, as far as I can tell, by Clyde Christensen in his 1943 book Common Edible Mushrooms. His list: morels, puffballs, sulphur shelf mushrooms, and shaggy manes.)
If you’re in the woods any time from late spring through late summer when these mushrooms are growing, you won’t miss them. As a matter of fact, you’ll see them from a distance! Their bright orange tops and yellow undersides and margins stand out like neon signs. They grow in clusters on stumps, logs, and dead or living trees—almost always oaks. Each mushroom or “shelf” can range from a couple inches to a couple feet in size.
When the weather conditions are right, they’ll reliably show up on the same tree or stump year after year. Their growth on living trees is problematic since they digest the wood, thus weakening the structural integrity of the tree. By the time an infected tree has visible mushroom growth on the outside, it is doomed and will probably come crashing down during the next big windstorm. That’s bad news for the tree, but good news for all the little trees in the understory looking for an open spot in the tree canopy so they can flourish. Also, it’s really good news for all of us who love to eat wild mushrooms!
The best part of the mushroom is the outer growing edge. If you break off a chunk and juices run freely out of the broken part, you’ve got some really good mushrooms. If, on the other hand, the mushrooms are tough, woody, and old, don’t even bother – they won’t taste good and won’t be worth your bother in collecting them.
These ‘shrooms are good sautéed in a little butter or olive oil, deep fried, boiled in a soup, or pretty much any other way you can imagine. Since I live in a mature oak woods, I enjoy this treat in the summer months on a regular basis. All the pictures that I’ve included in this article, btw, are chicken of the woods that I’ve found on my acreage.
The scientific name for the sulfur shelf mushroom is Laetiporus sulphureus, and it is a bracket fungus – the term given to mushrooms that grow on trees. Like most bracket fungi, L. sulphureus is a polypore—it has pores on its underside rather than the gills that many other mushrooms have. With the advent of DNA sequencing, mycologists have been able to take a closer look at this mushroom and have realized what everyone had thought was one mushroom species is actually made up of five different species that look almost exactly the same.
The latest taxonomy puts these five species into a “Laetiporus sulphureus species complex.” While the species can’t be differentiated based on appearance, they can be fairly reliably separated based on the tree they grow on and the part of the country where they occur. The mushrooms still contained in the species L. sulphureus grow only east of the Great Plains and almost always on oaks. Mushrooms that look like L. sulphureus that are growing on trees other than oaks and/or are growing in the western US are probably NOT L. sulphureus and are possibly toxic. Knowing that there are different species that look identical but grow in different locations is an important point for mushroom foragers to remember.
Some people who have consumed these mushrooms have had “mild reactions” such as swollen lips or in rare cases, “nausea, vomiting, dizziness and disorientation”. An editor’s note on the Cornell University Mushroom Blog mentions reports of “vomiting, chills, and perhaps mild hallucinations” but also notes that the majority of individuals—likely over 90%—consume these species without any issues.
It’s important to consider that many of the reports of adverse reactions to this mushroom date back to the time before there was any awareness of L. sulphureus’s look-alike species. It’s possible that these negative experiences were actually caused by one of the more toxic L. sulphureus doppelgangers. Also, keep in mind that many people enjoy foods like peanuts and shellfish, yet others suffer severe allergic reactions to them—even life-threatening ones. Similarly, while most people consume wheat and dairy with no problems, some are lactose intolerant or allergic to gluten. Mushrooms are no different—while many enjoy them without incident, some people may experience adverse reactions.
As of now, there doesn’t appear to be a confirmed toxin or allergen responsible for the negative reactions associated with this mushroom. However, the golden rule of foraging remains the same: always exercise caution. Start by trying a small amount, and if you feel fine a few hours later, you can enjoy more with confidence.
Sulfur shelf mushrooms grow in many parts of the world. Here’s a thumbnail description of the five species that grow in the US. While they are all similar in appearance, they can be differentiated by the trees they grow on and their geographical location.
Tree: Mostly living and dead oaks and oak stumps and logs. Pore color: Bright yellow to orange.Location: East of the Great Plains.Edibility: It is considered the “classic” Chicken of the Woods. Wikipedia notes that only the outer margins are edible and that it shouldn’t be eaten raw. Wikipedia also notes the reports of “severe adverse reactions…in about 10% of the population” but suggests that “this is now thought to be the result of confusion with morphologically similar species.”
Tree: Usually oak – grows on the tree roots, thus the mushrooms usually appear at the very base of a tree, or emerging from the soil.Pore color: Cream to white.Location: East of the Great PlainsEdibility: Mushroom enthusiast Steve Caruso suggests that while only the margins of L. sulphureus is palatable, “nearly every part of L. cincinatus can be eaten.”
Tree: Usually hemlock.Pore color: Yellow.Location: Great Lakes region.Edibility: This species “seems to cause poisoning more often than true L. sulphureus” according to the Cornell Mushroom Blog.
Tree: Grows on both oak and eucalyptus trees.Pore color: Yellow. Location: West Coast. Edibility: The Cornell Mushroom Blog reports that this species is “more frequently implicated in poisonings” than L. sulphureus. Flora Finder states somewhat ambiguously that it “is generally considered edible, but some people don’t respond well to it.”
Tree: Primarily on conifer trees Pores: Yellow Location: West Coast Edibility: The Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America deems this mushroom inedible and reports that some people experience gastrointestinal upsets after eating it. Flora Finder also labels it “not edible” and further reports it to be “sour-tasting and indigestible, causing nausea, dizziness, and possibly hallucinations.”
For the sake of due diligence, I will also mention the eastern jack-o’lantern mushroom, Omphalotus illudens, which could be confused with chicken of the woods by inexperienced foragers because it is orange and grows on stumps and the base of certain hardwood trees. While it only superficially resembles chicken of the woods, it is quite poisonous, so one should be completely sure that the mushroom one is placing in one’s collection basket isn’t this bad boy. How to be completely sure: Flip it over! Chicken of the woods has pores; this guy has gills!
For the record, I’ve harvested, cooked, eaten, and enjoyed chicken of the woods a lot and the only reaction I’ve ever had is delight. Here’s one way I’ve prepared these tasty mushrooms. It’s the chicken of the woods version of a steak and eggs breakfast.
Everything in this concoction came from my acreage – except the beef, which came from a neighbor, the cheese, which came from a nearby dairy, and the olive oil which…. well, whenever they come up with an olive tree that grows in Minnesota, maybe I’ll be good for that, too!
The steak in this recipe is a frill. Remove it and not only does this dish become vegetarian, but it is still delicious.
Foraging and Cooking Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms
FAQ
How do you eat chicken of the woods?
How to eat chicken of the woods. Chicken of the woods can be incorporated into your favorite mushroom recipes. Try it in a mushroom risotto, throw it into a green bean casserole, or saute it with some butter and garlic as a side dish.
Can you eat chicken of the woods raw?
Chicken of the woods side effects. Although chicken of the woods is safe to eat when cooked, the raw mushroom may cause gastrointestinal issues. Additionally, the mushroom may cause an allergic reaction in some people. There are several mushroom species that look similar to chicken of the woods but are slightly toxic.
Can you eat chicken of the woods mushrooms?
Chicken of the woods mushrooms, specifically the species L. sulphureus, are safe to eat and a delicious addition to your diet. Chicken of the woods side effects. Although chicken of the woods is safe to eat when cooked, the raw mushroom may cause gastrointestinal issues. Additionally, the mushroom may cause an allergic reaction in some people.
What does chicken of the woods taste like?
Many people consider chicken of the woods to be a delicacy, with their meaty texture and flavor reminiscent of lemon and chicken. BBQ Chicken of the woods — delicious! Some general cooking tips: This mushroom becomes harder and more brittle with age, so fresh young specimens are best. Look for caps that are juicy with a tender texture.
What is chicken of the woods?
Chicken of the woods (scientific name Laetiporus sulphureus) is a type of fungus that grows on and inside trees. When young, the fungus grows inside the tree and causes rot as it breaks down the wood for nutrients. As the fungus ages, it starts fruiting, or producing mushrooms, on the outside bark of the tree.
How to cook chicken of the woods?
A quick sauté with olive oil, garlic, and butter is an excellent way to highlight the natural flavor of Chicken of the Woods. This simple method is ideal for first-time cooks, as it brings out the mushroom’s meaty texture and savory taste with minimal effort.
What trees should you not eat chicken of the woods off of?
Chicken of the Woods are usually found on dead oak trees or stumps. In some areas they can be found growing on hemlock or other coniferous trees. But, they should not be eaten if they are not found on hardwood. The bright orange wings of the fungus can be found high in trees or growing at the base of them.
What’s the best way to eat chicken of the woods?
Dry sauteed chicken of the woods
These are often the finest mushrooms to eat, and are extra soft and tender. To dry saute them, cut the mushrooms into pieces and heat them in a non-stick pan until the water releases. After the water has evaporated, you season the mushrooms with salt and add your fat to the pan.
When to not eat chicken of the woods?
Do not eat chicken of the woods (CoTW) if it’s growing on toxic trees like yew, locust, or eucalyptus, as it can absorb toxins and cause illness. Avoid eating old, tough mushrooms that are too tough to cut or break like damp chalk. Also, be cautious of springtime specimens which are often poisonous look-alikes. Finally, never eat undercooked CoTW, as improper cooking can lead to gastrointestinal upset.
Can you eat all chicken of the woods?
Yes it is! That’s Laetiporus cincinnatus, it tends to be more pale than the other species of COTW but it’s perfectly edible, and delicious. Only potential lookalike would be Berkley’s polypore, but it’s not toxic just generally too tough to eat.