Salish Sea & PNW woods
June, July, 2022
Whatcom County, WA
This is Part 2 of “Foraging Nature’s delicacies in the PNW”. Recently I scored on three major delicacies that were for the taking, given a bit of good timing and no small amount of luck. I shared the Spot Prawn venture previously as Part 1. Here I will share the bounty of the other two of my recent forage hauls — Oyster mushrooms from our local forests and oysters from the beaches, when in season. Indeed they are all delicacies to be savored.
Disclaimer: Although I do love foraging for these abundant delicacies from our region, I and others like me are really “relearning” what the local native peoples have been doing for thousands of years. They have never fully stopped living off these abundant seas, beaches and forests but they have been hindered by government and population growth to the region over the past 100 or so years. More recently they are leading a resurgence of their harvesting from the land in a movement they refer to as “First Foods.” The previous link is to a very interesting article on the staples that sustained their ancestors but was interrupted by the incursion of Euro-American colonialism in mid to late1800s.
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Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus pulmonaria)
Spring brings on one of our finest edibles, the Oyster mushroom as shown in the lead photo. These beauties, found largely on hardwood trees. Around here they are prevalent on alders, poplar and aspen trees and dead and decaying logs. They are relatively easy to identify and are typically rated as choice edibles that are not only attractive but quite delicious.
As with so many fungi, plants and other life forms, the taxonomies are all in flux today due to DNA analyses. There are now 202 species of the Pleurotus genus, many of which are nearly identical for all practical purposes such as the populous and the pulmonarius. Around here pulmonarius grows largely on alder whereas populinus can grow on a variety of hardwoods such as poplar and conifers. I believe these to be pulmonarious since they were found on alder trees and logs and that iNaturalist IDed them as such. However, I have read that it does not make much difference as they are essentially identical.
Below is my take for the day as I was preparing to process them. I dried half and sautéed the other half in butter and froze those I did not eat right away. They will remain tasty until called into service for any of several meals.
Another species of Pleurotus is ostreaus but it is not found wild around here, although this is likely what you would get if you bought oyster mushrooms in a grocery store. This species is referred to as the European oyster where it is mostly found, although some are found in the Eastern US. (This name is Latin derived meaning “sideways oyster” which is fitting). Fortunately for mushrooms lovers they are easily cultivatable and can be grown at home for hobby and dinner.
Below are some photos of P. ostreaus that I started from a kit that consisted of a mass of P. ostreaus mycelium mashed up with sawdust into a 12X6X6 block. The process was quite easy: just add water/mist to keep the block moist, keep out of direct sunlight, give good air flow and viola! — in about 10 days they come on.
Mushrooms are more than just a pretty and delicious food. They also have properties that can contribute to environmental clean up:
Oyster mushrooms were used to treat soil that had been polluted with diesel oil. The mushroom was able to convert 95% of the oil into non-toxic compounds. [13] P. ostreatus is also capable of growing upon and degrading oxo-biodegradable plastic bags;[14] it can also contribute to the degradation of green polyethylene.[15]
Cautionary notes:
Mushrooms may be delicious but they can also be cause illnesses ranging from stomach upset to death. One must always know exactly what they are eating and ensure that it is what you think it is and not a look-alike. For example the “Angel Wings” looks similar to the oysters but has a spoon-like cap, is very white colored, has thinner and tougher body and grows more upright. It is found growing on conifers. Although it too has been considered edible but not outstanding, there are fatalities reported from Japan.
Oysters as Shellfish
The other oyster in our neck of the woods is found on beaches, attached to rocks and just about anything to which it can adhere. There are hundreds strewn along the rocky beach where I monitor sea stars and so when go on my observation tours, my mouth waters but during the summer months, I resist for reasons discussed below. Thus, like mushrooms, enjoying these oysters are largely seasonal although they can be found year round.
There are five species of oyster found in Puget Sound although only one of them is native, the Olympic oyster (Ostrea lurida). The indigenous tribes of this area have harvested them as a staple for thousands of years. However, shortly after the Europeans began to settle here (mid 1800s), they were in such demand that they were depleted from the beaches, nearly to extinction. Since Puget Sound was prime oyster growing territory and there was a very lucrative market for them, other species were imported, some from Virginia and from Japan. Currently, the most widely prevalent oyster in the Puget Sound waters is the imported Japanese native, Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas). The ones on the grill above are Pacifics as are likely those found on the beach rocks.
Fresh oysters found on the beaches during the summer months throughout much of Puget Sound are off limits as many beaches are closed to shell fish harvesting. As the water warms and amount of sunshine increases the various contaminants and toxins proliferate. These toxins are basically algae which is also what oysters and clams feed on but it does not harm them. Ingesting high levels of certain algae can adversely affect mammals making them ill and can even cause death. In general we are advised not to eat shell fish from our beaches between June and September. If one does eat them they need to be sure to cook them thoroughly to kill the toxins.
The State Department of Health monitors all the public beaches in the State to assess the toxin and other pollution levels and if too high, they close the beaches. Right now, most beaches in the Puget Sound, as well as parts of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, are closed to taking shellfish due to high toxic algae and/or pollution.
It is such a pity as they are numerous and fat like the ones below.
Oysters and other bivalves are filter feeders and as they filter the water from which they get food, they can filter up to 25 gallons of sea water a day. This normal filtering process also extracts pollutants and toxins thereby cleaning the waters. They also extract microplastic particles. However, they retain many of these toxins and if you eat a tainted oyster (or clam) you might experience the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea, if you are lucky. If unlucky it can be worse. Look at the names of the illnesses and pathogens found in affected shell fish:
- Amnesic shellfish poisoning
- Diarrhetic Shellfish poisoning
- Paralytic Shellfish poisoning
- Norovirus — From untreated human sewage by way of leaky septic systems, faulty waste water treatment plants, boaters, or beach-goers.
- Vibriosis — a bacterial intestinal disease.
- Note: crab are are not filter feeders and do not retain the algae. They remain clean and edible.
So, if one is patient and minds the rules these tasty tidbits can be available for the picking and enjoying on the grill or in an oyster stew or chowder. Yum ..