Foraging, Cooking and Preserving Wild Mushrooms - Eliza A.H. Lord

Learn how to identify, cook, and preserve edible mushrooms in South Carolina and which ones are available in fall and winter. Students will learn how to use spore prints and dichotomous keys in order to be absolutely certain they are eating the correct mushroom. Learn which mushrooms have lookalikes and which ones are hard to confuse with the wrong species. Compare the pass-along mushroom lore that homesteaders had to rely on vs. our modern field guides, Internet, science, and other resources (plus, all the mushrooms we sample in class will have the stamp of approval from a DHEC-certified mushroom forager).

Different species of mushrooms need specific preservation techniques, due to their consistency when dried, canned, or frozen – learn which methods work best with each mushroom and the best ways to prepare them for meals.

Participants will meet at the visitors' center, but the class will occur all over the property. Students of this morning class may want to bring a picnic lunch and also sign up for the afternoon “Historical Halloween Treats” class.

Students should bring water bottles, snacks, sun protection, a collecting basket, and optional picnic lunch. All other supplies provided. No experience required. Tuition is $75 per student. Class minimum is 5 and maximum is 10. Rain or shine. Students must be at least 18 years of age to enroll. Advance registration is required.