What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered.-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Bears Head Tooth or the Pom Pom Mushroom
Where Does Bears Head Mushroom Grow:
COOL FACT Its called "Hericium americanum" in Latin, derivation of the name is: Hericius means "hedgehog." Americanum means "from America." Bears head mushrooms grow on both living and dead deciduous hardwood trees such as birch and oak. They are commonly found on decaying trees in the Northern United States and Canada. They grow exceptionally well in the environment of temperate deciduous forests. Bear's head mushrooms are saprobic fungi that fruit on dead hardwood or on living trees that have been injured. They are solitary or clustered. Their spores are released from the teeth, as opposed to from gills or pores as in most other mushrooms
How To Identify Bears Head
Cap: Multiple caps branch from a common stem, all of them entirely covered with long, soft, hair-like or noodle-like spines. The surface is white when young, yellowing with age. The interior flesh is white and does not change when cut.
Gills: No gills. Instead, the spores are borne on soft spines all over the outer surface of the caps. These spines are much longer than in most other Hericium species.
Stem: Branched, except when very immature, and difficult to see because of the spines.
Smell: May smell fishy.
Taste: Nothing useful for ID.
Spores: Elliptical and smooth.
Spore color: White
Edibility: Edible and, for some, choice.
Habitat: Eats dead or sometimes living wood, usually of hardwood species, in eastern North America.
An important characteristic of bear’s head is that the fruiting body is branched. Unfortunately, the long spines make the branching less than obvious. It usually grows on dead wood, but sometimes establishes in and fruits from wounds in living trees.
There are many species that bear their spores on “teeth” or soft spines, but most are unrelated. Spines have developed in fungi many times completely independently.
Can You Eat Bears Head Mushroom
Yes! Bears Head is edible!! Bear’s Head mushrooms must be cooked before consumption and are best suited for applications such as baking, sautéing, and frying. They are best broken up or cut into chunks and pan-fried in oil and butter until browned. They can also be broken into nuggets, baked, and then dipped into sauces, mixed into pasta, sprinkled into soups, or used as a meat substitute in crab cakes, fish tacos, and clam chowder. Bear’s Head mushrooms pair well with potatoes, corn, cabbage, shallots, garlic, onion, leeks, meats such as chicken, beef, or pork, sriracha, saffron, truffle butter, and apples. They should be used immediately as they can become bitter if kept for more than a few days in the refrigerator.
How To Store Bears Head Mushroom:
When cooking Bears Head mushroom, fresh is best (within 3 or 4 days) as it can get bitter if stored for some time. I have frozen my mushroom and still managed to keep its original taste so try that too. .If you’re not planning on eating them right away storing them in your refrigerator is fine. Put in a roomy plastic bag with a paper towel
Cooking With Bears Head Mushroom:
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The steps to making a wild mushroom soup are important in order to avoid the texture of the soup becoming unpleasant. If you add the liquid first, the texture of the mushrooms will be soft and almost gelatinous.Its best to follow this order:
- Saute onions and mushrooms so they are slightly browned
- Make a roux
- Add liquid and flavoring
- Finish by tempering in a cream if you want it creamy and not in a broth
- 2 ounces dried wild mushrooms. In this case Bears Head and morel mushrooms.
- 3 cups hot water
- 6 tablespoons butter, divided 3 tablespoons and 3 tablespoons
- 1/2 cup minced shallots or onions if you want.
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon)
- 1/2 pound fresh cremini or button mushrooms, halved and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/3 cup dry sherry, wine, beer or cider. Traditionally it is sherry but do what makes YOU happy
- Salt and pepper
- 4 cups good-quality chicken stock, or vegetable broth for vegetarian version
- 1 teaspoon herbes de provence if you have or want it
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup snipped chives or plantain major for garnish
Soak the dry mushrooms in water:
Place dried wild mushrooms in a medium bowl and cover with 3 cups of very hot water. Let sit for 30 minutes. Line a sieve with a dampened paper towel or coffee filter.
After 30 minutes strain the mushrooms through the filter, reserving at least one cup of the mushroom liquid. Roughly chop the reconstituted wild mushrooms.
Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Sauté the shallots until softened and translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more.
Add the fresh mushrooms, increase the heat to medium high, and cook several minutes more. Add chopped wild mushrooms. Lower the heat, cover and let cook for 10 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium high, uncover and add 1/3 cup dry sherry, beer, wine or cider to the pot.
Make a roux with butter and flour:
Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter to the pot and stir until melted. Add the flour to the pot and stir until the mushrooms are all well coated with the flour, making a roux. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add one cup of reserved mushroom soaking water and stir until the flour has dissolved into the water, and there are no lumps. Add the chicken stock. Stir until well incorporated.
Add the herbes de provence, the dried thyme, bay leaves, and salt.
Simmer:Heat on high until the soup comes to a low simmer. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Stir in the cream:When ready to serve, remove the bay leaves and stir in 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream. Add black pepper and more salt to taste.
Garnish with chopped chives and parsley when serving.