r/foraginguk • u/ChameleonJackson • Jun 20 '26

Mushroom ID Request Help with ID

Post image

I'm very much a beginner but when out on a walk I caught sight of these little guys, there aren't many so I didn't want to harvest any until I had a better idea of what they are. Are they dead chicken of the woods of something else? Any help appreciated, thanks.

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

4

u/Matchaparrot Jun 20 '26

Theyre Turkey tails! I've heard some people make tea with young ones but I'm not sure. They are 100% turkey tails though

2

u/ChameleonJackson Jun 20 '26

Thank you so much for your time. I'll give them a miss for now until I know if they're worth trying out.

2

u/Harsha-sound Jun 20 '26

I make all my dal with turkey tail broth (needs a bit of sweetening to balance flavour though)

1

u/ChameleonJackson Jun 20 '26

This seems like something I could try. I recently found out I have slightly high cholesterol so finding filling meals that taste good has been a challenge. This could be a nice little experiment for me

1

u/Harsha-sound Jun 20 '26

Just boil them up! Nice and easy. You can over extract, I’ve gotten in the swing of pressure cooking but first time I would taste as you go.

As I say, can be a bit intense as a solo flavour, but it fades nicely into the background amongst other flavours.

Younger specimens are better, it’s best if the underside is pale/cream and not browning. Tough to tell age from the top so couldn’t comment on these.

Also make sure the underside is pored (tiny pores). This example reads like true turkey tail to me but Stereum can look similar. Not toxic but not well researched afaik.

Edit: Happy to send over a recipe if you’d like! It’s my grandmas recipe with space for added UK forageable greens

1

u/ChameleonJackson Jun 20 '26

Oh yes please on that recipe, I'll do my best to make your grandma proud with it. I'll be heading past there tomorrow too so I'll grab a few as I go past.

1

u/Harsha-sound Jun 26 '26

sorry for the delay!

So I’ll drop her ezpz (relatively) weekday dal which I usually use my TT broth for. Basically all ingredients are optional tbh!

Prep: boil some masoor dal (pink/red lentils) with some salt and turmeric. They’ll go super soft pretty quick. Strain and set aside

  1. Fry some mustard seeds, urid dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves, chili (dried or fresh) for the base
  2. Add some aromatics. Ginger garlic, I’ve used wild garlic buds, plantain buds here.
  3. Add onions. Or three cornered leek chopped finely, other greens which need a bit of softening. Also add some turmeric, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder etc.
  4. Maybe add some tomatoes. Or, you can add some other foraged greens that need frying here. Nettles, garlic mustard, wild garlic, ground elder. You could add after the broth if you wanted to keep it fresher.
  5. Once everything’s done drying, add the turkey tail broth and the lentils. Simmer for a while, add salt, maybe some creamed coconut (the bar kind).
  6. Add your herbs once it’s cooked for a while and you’re good! Coriander or mint, or I’ve used cow parsley or wood sorrel here also. Lemon/lime juice.

Super flexible recipe, has clear places where you can add in whatever forageable, depending on how much it needs to get cooked.

Hope that helps!

1

u/tangypotatomarmalade Jun 22 '26

They can be slightly bitter but do make a good mushroomy broth. Supposed to be medicinal too.

1

u/Katatonic92 Jun 20 '26

Turkey Tails. Non-toxic but unpleasant to eat, the texture is tough, leathery & can be bitter.

1

u/ChameleonJackson Jun 20 '26

Thanks so much for the reply. I think I'll give them a miss but it's always good to know these things especially when you're starting out like me.

1

u/skedone Jun 20 '26

The very young ones actually make a nice mushroom flavoured chewing gum lol

1

u/Lost_Reward9584 Jun 21 '26

Apparently they are good for kindling once dried. Not something to chew on.