STONEHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — On a cold winter’s day, forager Rachel Goclawski headed out to Middlesex Falls Reservation to look for mushrooms and other wild food. She spoke with WBZ NewsRadio’s Chaiel Schaffel about the unexpected things foragers like her can find even in the frigid, wintry wilderness.
Rachel said she is a forager and a “mushroomer,” or someone who goes out and collects mushrooms in the wild.
The cold season creates unique opportunities for foragers, said Rachel. “There’s a huge value to pre-foraging” in the winter, she told Schaffel.
In the winter, Rachel said foragers can find fungi like oyster mushrooms. Other mushrooms like the amber jelly roll fungus live on even in freezing temperatures, she added.
Other kinds of mushrooms typically will not grow in Massachusetts, like morel mushrooms, because of the pH levels in the soil.
Besides mushrooms, Rachel pointed out other kinds of wild food: blueberries, black birch, and edible tubers found in green thickets of thorns that are similar to potatoes. Chewing on the black birch, Rachel said it tastes “like wintergreen Live Savers," but for others it might taste like root beer.
Foraging in the winter affords unique opportunities to discover hidden wonders of the forest, explained Rachel. “I found, for example, a lot of my elderberry spots in the winter because the bark is so distinctive.”
For people interested in trying to forage, Rachel had a few tips. “I would not recommend apps for mushrooms,” said Rachel, adding that apps can lead you astray.
Rachel said to consult professional books instead, or to go out with a real forager. This is especially important for people’s safety because certain mushrooms can be toxic.
WBZ's Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.
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