• How to find wild mushrooms (hint: identifying trees is involved)
• Understanding mushroom anatomy and how it informs your harvest
• The best gear for mushroom foraging, from knives and bags to clothes and boots
• Using spore prints to help confirm proper identification
• Words of wisdom on what to do before you take a bite
• Being a responsible and ethical forager
• Common mushroom myths 
• Finding and using mushrooms in medicinal forms, such as tinctures and salves

Appalachian Forager, Whitney Johnson, is a full-time forager, content creator, and Appalachian ambassador. With over 1 million followers across her social media, she has used her platform to shine a lovin’ light on Appalachia and to teach the world how to be more self-sufficient while responsibly utilizing the goodies that Momma Nature provides. 

Born and raised in eastern Kentucky, Whitney developed a passion for all things outdoors as a young holler baby. Foraging is her forte, especially mushroom hunting, but she does not discriminate against any wild edibles. She also picks plants and herbs to wildcraft a plethora of skincare and wellness products. She fishes. She hikes. She gardens. She cooks like your mamaw. She is a proud Appalachian spreading the love and wondrous things the region has to offer via her down-to-earth, educational, and quirky videos on TikTok (@appalachian_forager), Instagram (@appalachian_forager), and Facebook (Appalachian Forager). Whitney continues to be a hillbilly force to be reckoned with; spreadin’ pride for her region, preachin’ girl power, all while keepin’ the old ways alive…with a dash of humor.

CONTENTS

Introduction: Let’s Go Forth and Forage! 

PART 1—MUSHROOMING ESSENTIALS

Chapter 1: Gettin’ Started 

Regional Field Guides

Latin Binomials

Mushroom Groups and Identification Tips

Know Your Trees

Keep Your Head on a Swivel

Mushroom Journaling

Take ‘Em Home

Spore Prints

Where to Forage

What to Wear and Pack

Critters and Bitin’ Plants

Responsible and Ethical Foraging

Ain’t Never Not Foragin’

Chapter 2: Know Your Parts (Mushroom Anatomy)

Cap Features

Warts

Scales

Striations

Zonations

Spores and Spore-Producing Surfaces

Gills

True vs. False Gills

Bruising

Is It Milky?

Gill Spacing

Pores

Teeth

Morels and Other Misfits

Stipe/Stalk/Stem

Universal/Partial Veil

Skirt/Ring/Annulus

Reticulation

Volva

Basal Bulb

Mycelium

Chapter 3: Common Mushroom Myths

Don’t Touch ‘Em!

Gills Kill!

You’re Hurting the Mushroom Population!

Cut! Don’t Pluck!

How Can You Tell What’s Poisonous and What’s Edible?

Chapter 4: Words of Wisdom

Start Small and Not Raw

Do NOT Get Discouraged

Be Good to Your Momma (Nature)

Ya Ain’t Gotta Be Fancy

Don’t Put That In Your Mouth!

Have a Big Ol’ Time!

PART 2—EDIBLE APPALACHIAN MUSHROOMS BY THE SEASON

Chapter 5: Edible Mushrooms of the Spring

Morels (Genus Morchella)

Common Morel, Yellow Morel (Morchella americana, Formerly M. esculenta)

Fried Morels

Eastern Half-Free Morel (Morchella punctipes)

Pheasant Back (Cerioporus squamosus)

Wine Cap (Stropharia rugosoannulata)

Wood Ear (Auricularia angiospermarum)

Deer Mushroom (Pluteus cervinus)

Chapter 6: Edible Mushrooms of the Summer

Chanterelles (Genus Cantharellus)

Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus sp.)

Smooth Chanterelle (Cantharellus lateritius)

Peach Chanterelle (Cantharellus persicinus)

Appalachian Chanterelle (Cantharellus appalachiensis)

Cinnabar Chanterelle (Cantherellus cinnabarinus)

Black Trumpets (Craterellus fallax)

White and Black Trumpet Pizza

Chicken of the Woods (Genus Laetiporus)

Chicken of the Woods, Yellow (Laetiporus sulphureus)

Chicken of the Woods All-Purpose Seasoning Salt

Chicken of the Woods, White (Laetiporus cincinnatus)

Tawny Milk Cap (Lactifluus volemus)

Puffballs

Giant Puffball (Calvatia gigantea)

Grilled Puffball Steaks

Common Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum)

Brain Puffball (Calvatia craniiformis)

Pear-Shaped Puffball (Apioperdon pyriforme)

Beefsteak Polypore (Fistulina americana)

Old Man of the Woods (Streobilomyces floccopus)

Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus)

Reishi Mushrooms (Genus Ganoderma)

Hemlock Reishi (Ganoderma tsugae)

Reishi Tea

Berkeley’s Polypore (Bondarzewia berkeleyi)

Berkeley Jerky

Indigo Milk Cap (Lactarius indigo)

Oyster Mushrooms (Genus Pleurotus)

Summer Oyster (Pleurotus pulmonarius)

Wild Summer Mushroom Toast

Rooted Agaric (Hymenopellis furfuracea)

Boletes

Frost’s Bolete (Exsudoporus frostii)

Crown-Tipped Coral (Artomyces pyxidatus )

Chapter 7: Edible Mushrooms of the Fall

Oysters (Pluerotus ostreatus)

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

Hen of the Woods (Grifola frondosa)

Hen of the Woods Flatbread

Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)

Lion’s Mane “Crab” Cakes

Bear’s Head Tooth (Hericium americanum)

Coral Tooth Fungus (Hericium coralloides)

Wood Blewit (Collybia nuda)

Honey Mushrooms

Bulbous Honey Fungus (Armillaria gallica)

Shrimp of the Woods (Entoloma abortivum)

Popcorn Shrimp of the Woods

Amber Jelly Roll (Exidia recisa)

Amber Jelly Roll Gummy Candies

Snow Fungus (Tremella fuciformis)

Cauliflower Mushroom (Sparassis americana)

Lobster Mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum)

Lobster Mushroom Duxelles

Resinous Polypore (Ischnoderma resinosum)

Purple-Gilled Laccaria (Laccaria ochropurpurea)

Wrinkled Cortinarius Mushroom (Cortinarius caperatus)

Shaggy Stalked Bolete (Austroboletus betula)

Chapter 8: Edible Mushrooms of the Winter

Late Fall Oysters (Sarcomyxa serotinus)

Chaga, Medicinal (Inonotus obliquus)

Enoki (Flammulina filiformis)

Yellowfoot (Craterellus tubaeformis)

Wild Yellowfoot Quiche

Hedgehog Mushroom (Hydnum sp.)

Hedgehog Mushroom Bacon Penne Pasta

Turkey Tail, Medicinal (Trametes versicolor)

Double Extraction Turkey Tail Tincture

Witches’ Butter (Tremella mesenterica)

Conclusion

Resources

About the Author

Index