7 Fun & Easy Ways to Celebrate Mushrooms This Spring
Spring is a season for growth and renewal, a time to cast off the shadows of winter and embrace the light. Foragers love this season — the first fruiting bodies of the year start to appear as if by magic and familiar fungi friends pop up seemingly out of nowhere. You never know what you’ll find when you head out into nature.
Read on for our favorite ways to celebrate mushrooms this spring.
Learn about spring mushrooms.
Morels are arguably the most popular — and most elusive — spring mushroom, but they’re not the only species you can find this time of year. While your bounty will vary by region, those hunting mushrooms in North America may be lucky enough to spot Reishi, Turkey Tail, Chicken of the Woods, Oysters, Black Trumpets and certain Chanterelle species.
In search of a new field guide? Our recent must-read book roundup has some strong contenders to add to your collection.
Inoculate your Shiitake logs.
Carve out some time to work on your Shiitake logs, creating an at-home mini mushroom farm! You can follow these simple instructions from the North Spore team to DIY logs, or look for already inoculated logs at your local farmers market. Many mushroom farmers offer them for sale throughout the year.
No outdoor space? No problem — you can pick up a grow kit that’s small enough to fit in even tiny city apartments.
Change up your supplement routine.
Humans are creatures of habit, but our needs and goals also tend to shift with the seasons. What we need to feel our best during winter (e.g., cozy layers, slow-cooked comfort foods and more time spent at home) isn’t what we tend to crave in the warmer seasons. It’s also common to change up your supplement routine throughout the year.
Want to boost your energy for all you want to accomplish this spring?* Consider integrating our Energy Elixir into your routine. With our two top mushrooms for energy — Cordyceps and Turkey Tail — plus a pair of time-tested adaptogens (Ginseng and Rhodiola rosea) — you’ll love this blend in the morning or afternoon.*
Spring clean your pantry.
That includes all those dried mushrooms you’ve been collecting. Dried mushrooms should be used within six months for optimal freshness. Your supplements also have best-by dates, so give those a once-over to make sure they’re all still delivering optimal benefits.*
Toss any dried mushrooms that smell musty, are damp or show signs of mold. If they still smell earthy and mushroom-y but are reaching that six-month mark, use your stash as soon as possible.
Try a new recipe starring mushrooms.
Whether you’re a fungi fanatic or you’re learning to love mushrooms, this is the best time of year to dive deeper into mushrooms in the kitchen. Fresh ones are abundant at weekly markets (and available year-round in most supermarkets) and sometimes even in your own backyard.
Our community cookbook is chock full of meals, snacks and even drinks featuring mushrooms in creative and delicious ways. This blog features three sneak-peek recipes from the Fantastic Fungi Community Cookbook.
Take a foraging class.
There’s nothing that compares to finally tracking down a favorite mushroom in nature — and it’s better when you have company around to celebrate your success. Even if you’re a seasoned forager, gathering in the woods with like-minded folks is a wonderful way to deepen your connection to nature and to others.
Always follow these 12 sustainability tips when you’re on the hunt for mushrooms.
Go back to basics (or start there).
When we recently announced our brand-new First-Time Forager Box, the response was swift and positive. Those of you who are newer to the community were grateful to have a starting point for the vast fungi kingdom. But those of you who’ve been here awhile were equal parts excited and envious. “Where was this when I was getting started?!” Well, why not use this as a chance to reconnect to your roots (mycelium!). The First-Time Forager Box is packed full of favorites that any mushroom lover will enjoy, so reserve yours before they sell out.
Photo Credit: Beth Macdonald
