Written by Diana Reeck

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There is nothing like mushroom hunting to keep one humble.  And by ‘one’ I mean me.  As in this experience. 

I was just coming off of the excitement high of finding Candy Cap mushrooms for the first time. I had read about them in books. I had smelled that sweet maple syrup odor when someone had brought had a jar of them, dried, to a meeting.  I had eaten Candy Cap cookies at one of our club potlucks. I knew basically what they looked like and some identifying features. They were at the top of my ‘must find soon’ list. And so, when on a mushroom club foray last fall, our small group found them, I was thrilled.  There are some look-alikes that are easy to mistake for these coveted mushrooms, but we were able to ascertain what they were with the help of more experienced mushroom hunters than myself. I came home with enough to fill a small jar once they had dried, the lingering sweet maple smell confirming the ID.  

All well and good. But I needed more! 

So, imagine my thrill when, on the way to the coast a few weeks later, as I was scouting through the woods at a rest stop, there they were again!  First one, and another, and another, and soon I was seeing them everywhere!  Under the Salal, through the underbrush, at the base of trees. I was in Candy Cap heaven. I quickly filled my basket, emptied it in my car, and filled my basket again.   

I was so excited! When I got to my weekend cabin, I immediately emptied my baskets of Candy Cap mushrooms on to the round kitchen table, to admire my haul. There were so many and I was so proud of myself!  What a coup to have found these before anyone else did! I made a mental note to come back to the same spot again next year for more. I made a mental note to keep my special Candy Cap mushroom spot a secret. 

Except - except - where was that maple syrup smell? Why was there all kind of woodland debris stuck to the tops of these? Candy Cap mushrooms are supposed to have dry caps. I looked for the telltale latex in the broken caps, another identifying feature. These had latex, but the color seemed off. I was confused.  I had not seen enough of them to really know for sure.  I let them dry out a bit, but there was still no sweet smell.   

I got out the books and tried as hard as I could to make them fit the keys to Candy Caps, but I finally had to admit defeat. They weren’t Candy Caps. I still don’t know what they were, but I know what they weren’t. 

I was deflated. But not defeated !  So maybe I was not the hotshot mushroom hunter I thought I was after all. Lesson learned! There is always this coming year, and I know so much more now than I did then. 

Bring it on!