Science

Bearded Tooth (Hericium erinaceus)

This was our afternoon science project. The boys had gone on the 4 wheeler scouting around hoping to come across the carcass of Jon's deer he shot & never found last week. Anyway, they came home all excited with something wrapped neatly in an old rag......I was not so sure about WHAT they were about to show me......but here it is. Michael said, 'We found fungus!!' How fun!

We weren't sure at all exactly what it was, so I satrted Googling (isn't Google a wonderful thing?!) & this is what we found out:

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Description: With its clumps of hanging white "fur," this tooth fungus looks much like a polar bear's paw. It is pure white when fresh and young, but yellows with age.
The bearded tooth may grow quite large, as much as a foot across. Its size and whiteness make it easy to spot against the dark logs on which it grows.

Other names include bear's head, satyr's beard and hedgehog mushroom. Size 4" to 12" across.

When and Where: Summer and fall; always on trees, logs or stumps.

Cautions: The bearded tooth is distinctive and has no poisonous look-alikes. There are several closely related species which are more open and branched, but all are good edibles.
Only young, white specimens should be eaten; older, yellowed ones are sour.

Cooking Hints: Slice, parboil until tender (taste a piece to test), drain and serve with cheese sauce.

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Michael was particulary thrilled to learn that he could eat this if he was ever in Survivorman mode. ;-) I love random, fun learning experiences like this!!