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Wild Edible Mushrooms in New Brunswick

Hello everyone, my name is Dwight and I love to hunt & eat wild mushrooms.I have been an avid mushroom hunter since 1987, and a professional commercial wild mushroom harvester and buying agent for a number of large Mushroom companies in British Columbia since 1997, until I returned home here to New Brunswick in 2006.  Since returning home I have kept active in the industry by harvesting wild mushrooms for many restaurants here in our  Maritime provinces, and as guest speaker at many of our provinces 'Non Timber Forest Products' conventions & Seminars.

Not a lot is known about wild mushrooms here in our province of New Brunswick, so with that said I would like to thank Margret & Axel for inviting me to join in the fun here at 'Smart Eat' to see if we can find some interest in wild mushrooms. So let's begin, First Caller, your on the air!!

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Permalink Reply by Bridget Oland on July 22, 2010 at 11:51
Hi Dwight,
I envy your skill! Would you offer workshops on how to itentify edible mushrooms? We think we have chantrells near our camp but I need a positive identification before I'll harvest them. Also, what can we do to help ensure they keep coming back?
Thanks,
Bridget
Permalink Reply by Dwight D. Thornton on July 22, 2010 at 14:14
Hi Bridget,

I would need two pictures of your mushroom patch for a positive identification, one of them showing a group of the Chanterelles where they are growing, and the second one of the underside of the mushroom. Just cut one of the mushrooms with a sharp knife at the surface of the ground ( never pull Chanterelles out of the ground ) and turn it upside down and take a picture of it. Send the pictures via email to me at fiddlehead@xplornet.com and I will identify them for you. I have also posted some pictures on the site of Chanterelles.

The best way's to ensure that you will have future crops of Chanterelles is to make sure that you do not harvest them too small. Stick to harvesting silver dollar sizes and over. By doing this, you ensure that the mushrooms have had a chance to release some of their spores. Also, never use plastic bags or other containers that will not allow the release of the spores as you are walking around. Use well ventilated baskets that allow air to flow through your mushrooms, thus spreading the spores as you are walking. If there is enough interest as a group, we could talk about a workshop followed by an actual mushroom guided hunt. I do offer this service on my website at www.fiddleheadheaven.com

I should also note that I have been certified through the 'Canadian Herb,Spice & Natural Products Coalition' http://www.saskherbspice.org/CHSNC/gacp.html for the G.C.A.P.'s program (Good Agriculture & Collection Practices )

Hope this answers your questions Bridget.
Permalink Reply by Katie Jones on July 25, 2010 at 14:15
Hello Dwight, I am a fellow New Brunswicker and I am interested in picking wild mushrooms this fall to sell at local markets. I am familiar with picking fruits and vegetables (wild and cultivated) but I am new to the world of mushrooms. Could you give me some tips on where the best areas are in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and/or Newfoundland? Also when do the mushrooms start to come up? Is there any fool proof way to determine a safe mushroom from a poisonous one? Also what are the most common edible varieties on the east coast? Thanks for any information you can give me, and let me know if you'd like to meet up and go hunting for mushrooms together sometime this fall! -Katie
Permalink Reply by Dwight D. Thornton on July 25, 2010 at 18:17
Hello Katie,

I admire your enthusiasm, please contact me through my contact info on my website at www.fiddleheadheaven.com

Katie Jones said:
Hello Dwight, I am a fellow New Brunswicker and I am interested in picking wild mushrooms this fall to sell at local markets. I am familiar with picking fruits and vegetables (wild and cultivated) but I am new to the world of mushrooms. Could you give me some tips on where the best areas are in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and/or Newfoundland? Also when do the mushrooms start to come up? Is there any fool proof way to determine a safe mushroom from a poisonous one? Also what are the most common edible varieties on the east coast? Thanks for any information you can give me, and let me know if you'd like to meet up and go hunting for mushrooms together sometime this fall! -Katie
Permalink Reply by Bridget Oland on July 26, 2010 at 9:46
Thanks Dwight. When I find them again I'll take some photos and send them along. The photos on your site are great!
-Bridget

Bridget Oland said:
Hi Dwight,
I envy your skill! Would you offer workshops on how to itentify edible mushrooms? We think we have chantrells near our camp but I need a positive identification before I'll harvest them. Also, what can we do to help ensure they keep coming back?
Thanks,
Bridget
Permalink Reply by Dwight D. Thornton on August 1, 2010 at 11:29
Just to let everyone know that there will be a mushroom foray in Nova Scotia this year in Sept. for all of those that are interested in wild mushrooms. Simply go to http://www.nsmushrooms.org/ to read about it and or register. I may or may not be one of the guides for this foray.

Bridget Oland said:
Hi Dwight,
I envy your skill! Would you offer workshops on how to itentify edible mushrooms? We think we have chantrells near our camp but I need a positive identification before I'll harvest them. Also, what can we do to help ensure they keep coming back?
Thanks,
Bridget
Permalink Reply by Dwight D. Thornton on January 26, 2011 at 10:15

In response to questions about the possibility of a mushroom foray that some of you have spoken to me about. There will be five Weekend Mushroom foray's this summer, starting at the end of July through the first week of Sept.

To find out more info about these weekend foray's and dates , go to http://www.fiddleheadheaven.com/html/mushroom_hunting_school.html   

The info & registration for the weekend hunts are at the bottom of this page. There is also a link there to 'Northway Outfitters Lodge' for location & directions

Permalink Reply by Stephanie Turner on April 27, 2011 at 18:26
I seem to have a knack for attracting morels. They grew in my yard in Sussex which I didn't find strange since we lived in the country. When we moved to Saint John 4 years ago I found them growing in my suburban lawn! One year we picked 40-50. They always grow around Mother's Day. I found the first morel of 2011 this morning. I've tweeted and talked about them on facebook but have yet to hear of another sighting of morels in Saint John.
Permalink Reply by Stephanie Turner on April 27, 2011 at 18:28
Some photos of my morels...
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Permalink Reply by Kris on April 28, 2011 at 7:06


I hope to find some morels this year. I am from the West Coast and am not sure about the seasons for mushrooms here in Fredericton, NB. Happy to hear the morels should come out soon. When do chantrelles come up?
Permalink Reply by Stephanie Turner on April 28, 2011 at 12:11

Hi Kris...I'm no mushroom expert. I've tried looking in local parks for morels but have had no luck. Weird that they grow on my front lawn! I even showed them to the neighbourhood kids and told them I would pay $1 for each morel (as long as they showed me where they found them). That little scheme didn't work either :-(

Fredericton is typically warmer that Saint John so I would guess they would be growing there now. I've read that it's been a huge year for morels in the States...helps when you've have a wet winter. Best of luck...

Can anyone else answer the Chantrelle question?

Permalink Reply by Kris on April 28, 2011 at 12:14

Thanks Stephanie. Once a mushroom hunter always a mushroom hunter. I'll have to get out there and search ASAP. Back in BC I found alot of morels growing under power lines... a bit creepy maybe but a good place to start looking. All the best with your morel search.

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