A harvest for chanterelle-lovers as well
The chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) is one of the most popular edible mushrooms found in Finland. It is primarily a birch root fungus. This is why the best chanterelle spots on Ruissalo are the island’s young coniferous forests, woodland pastures and birch copses – bright places where the ground is broken, such as by the sides of paths. The chanterelle is easily mixed up with the false chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca), which is yellowish and has a depression in its middle. While also edible, it is not nearly as highly regarded as the chanterelle.
The funnel chanterelle (Craterellus tubaeformis) is many a mushroom-pickers’ favourite due to growing consistently in the same places and being bountiful and durable. In mild years, the funnel chanterelle season can continue well into the winter. The funnel chanterelle is a spruce root fungus, meaning that it is found in spruce copses. The best places to find it on Ruissalo are young spruce copses, herb-rich forests and mixed forests with thick moss cover. The funnel chanterelle can be mixed up with its close relative, the yellowfoot (Craterellus lutescens), which is likewise a delicious edible mushroom. The somewhat similar-looking jelly baby (Leotia lubrica), on the other hand, is slightly poisonous.
