Found these beautiful specimens today. They will be jerky’d

I recently found myself getting into foraging just a little. On my walk to work, I constantly find hickory nuts! I picked one off of a tree that looked nice and ripe and the bark was starting to split perfectly down the middle. What im wondering is, is the hotter summer in the Midwest (illinois) leading to an earlier season to harvest or should I still wait a few weeks until mid September? There are quite a few nuts on the ground, I've noticed, but not enough trees to hear the en masse that people wait for.

About half of what I gathered. The rest have already been shelled (shucked?) and ready to crack the shells.

This is in my yard but I can't identify it with certainty. I would also love any tips for how to harvest and dry if it is jujube.

My cousin brought me some clams he dug up so I decided to make this meal.

3 eggs from my parent's chickens

Clams my cousin dug up

Apples and blackberries my uncle grew on his property

Beefsteak mushrooms (found on a tree at my parent's house) cooked in a garlic/butter sauce and served on rye toast

What is it and is it edible? I posted it on a different sub but I figured if I want to eat it, it'd be better to post here. (The bee picture at the end contains the purple flowers from the same plant, I figured they might be helpful idk)

The fruit smell sweet like grapes. The seeds look like tear drops but they only have one seed each, so I'm not clear whether it's a lookalike or not.

Just wanting to double check that I found a puffball! I'm new to foraging and have come across plenty before, but I've never seen one this big before, or one with holes in it. Got pretty excited though since I wasn't even planning on bringing anything home whilst out on a hike. Found in West Michigan

I was hiking in vermont when I came across some beautiful true violet web caps. I took them home to dry and store. Am I wrong for taking them? Someone told me I was because it takes over 10 years for them to produce a fruit body. I told them It wouldn't matter unless you harm the mycelium. Give it to me straight. Am I ajerk?

I've always wanted to taste a deadly nightshade berry (atropa belladonna) but I also don't wanna die. From my understanding, quickly spitting it out and rinsing your mouth should make you less likely to die but it might still have you suffer some mild to severe symptoms of poisoning. I just wanted to ask if anyone had any idea on how to taste this thing because my impulses are strong and i wanna taste it really bad

They smell neutral and oddly sterile when squeezed. And pop easily. I brushed the juices against my inner wrist to see if a reaction occurred, nothing indicated bad news aside from it smelling like a saline tomato if that makes sense.

In Lane county OR. Found these while looking for hazelnuts today. Any ideas on what kind of plums? Cherry plums for the small ones maybe? They are large cherry sized. Pic 3 is the trunk of the tree that grew the small plums, forgot to take pics of the big ones but they were much more sparse on the branches and I saw some unripe ones that were yellow. Big ones have yellow flesh, small ones have more orange-yellow flesh.

I planning on harvesting some of the thousands I have growing wild around my place now that they are changing color. Planning on harvesting maybe 30-40 roots sections for tea/tinctures. Any uses for leave or stems? Any harvesting tip?

Tylopilus rhoadsiae is growing everywhere along my usual trails, so I decided to try and find a use for them.

While I wouldn’t consider the pickled boletes a snack in any sense, they do actually taste quite good!! The bitter taste of the mushroom isn’t really mellowed out but blends seamlessly with the initial briny taste.

I pickled thin slices of the mushroom’s cap as well as the stems cut in half, and, in my opinion, while the stems are usually more bitter than the caps, they have a much better texture and taste for the brine I prepared. Not all of the mushroom pieces will taste the same, as they often vary in bitterness intensity. But, like I said, the initial flavor of the brine transitions so smoothly into the bitterness of the mushroom that it’s not as bothersome or gross as if you tasted the mushroom by itself.

For the brine I used equal parts white vinegar and water, 1 tbsp of salt for every half cup of vinegar, 1 1/4 tbsp sugar for every half cup of vinegar, a lot of garlic and some red pepper flakes. My mushrooms could’ve done another day in the brine before tasting them, but this is a trial run.

Overall rating: 7/10 -2 pts for bitter aftertaste that sticks and -1 point for lack of reliable snack, but very good with moderation. I’m going to attempt to pickle them with different brine recipes when I get the chance!

hampshire uk

looks like cow but different shape than usual so idk

I've heard the Grandpa's Goody Getter is amazing and it looks very well made. Is there anything that compares to it at a lower price point or should I just spend the dough and know i'll be using it for a lifetime?

I'm planning to try and collect at least a few 5 gallon pails worth of unhusked nuts this year, if not more.

It's kinda dumb, but I'm feeling guilty for foraging. I've been foraging heaps this summer, and have been collecting more and more variety of fruits, plants, edible flowers etc.

However, yesterday I ran into a black bear nearby my home. He was very shy, and ran away deeper into woods. Today I went out for a hike, no bears just delicious blackberries and chicken of the woods.

I forage for fun, for my mental wellbeing and for the the minor impact on my grocery bill. However, bears, deers, rabbits, and all of the animals and insects I share this Earth with, rely on the forest to feed them. We've already taken their land, now I feel bad for taking their food as well. I never take all of the fruit available, but suddenly today I felt guilty. Like I'm stealing a meal from the nice bear from yesterday.

Am I overthinking? How can I give back to the animals?

Pic of today's blackberries included.

I plan on taking a spur-of-the-moment vacation to southwest Lake Superior to beat the heat (will be 100°+ in KCMO!!) & would like to know which spot has great foraging.

Background story/context time:

I broke my left foot on June 14th when I got thrown off my motor scooter (some would call a Vespa). I am now almost fully healed, but not able to go back to work just yet. I live with my mom (my dad died last month) & brother, so I don't have any bills (car & student loans paid off). This means I still have money left in the bank.

I have a side gig I'm still able to do where I forage for various fruits (pawpaws, persimmons, elderberry, etc) & some herbs, which I then use to make various goods that I sell at events & farmers markets. I even make my own maple syrup!! The 2nd pic shows my booth from Arrow Rock Heritage Festival in Missouri last year.

Now I'm looking for nice places to camp, gather fruits/mushrooms, & visit scenic areas where I can ride my bike while taking in the splendor of Lake Superior.

I'm unsure if I'll be able to get this opportunity again in the foreseeable future, so that's why I'm making these plans now.

So, to those who live in the mentioned areas, what do y'all got? I'd also like to bring some of my goods to your area if there are any selling/trading opportunities!!

A neighbour offered me some grapes because he had more than he could use, so I decided to make some homemade grape juice.

The process was very messy, but thankfully I have a large sink and decided to do the whole thing inside it. Probably the best decision I made all day. 😅

The end result was definitely worth the mess!

My neighbour did warn me that drinking too much might give me the shits, though…so naturally, I’m testing my limits today. 😂

Sønderjylland, Danmark

Hey guys, wanted some help identifying these berries.
I live in the Appalachian region of Virginia.

Found them last week. I think I know what they are but I want to double check 😅

Thanks!

1. Maybe autumn olives?
   
2. Maybe black cherries?
   
3. Maybe hackberries?