Velvet Shank Mushrooms
I love a fall walk in the woods. The wildlife, the mushrooms, the leaves, the weather, the smell of damp leaves - it's just the best. The past weekend I was able to get out for some autumn mushroom foraging (and squirrel hunting). I ended up stumbling upon one of my favourite cold-weather wild edibles: Velvet Shank mushrooms (Flammulina velutipes).
Velvet Shank is one of the few mushrooms that thrives in cold weather, often showing up from late fall through winter. It was September when I found these, but we’ve had a cold few weeks.
They’re beautiful, golden-capped mushrooms that add rich umami (deep, rich) flavour to soups, stir-fries, and sauces. I also enjoy them fried up with a bit of salt and butter. As always, proper identification is essential before eating any wild mushroom. These guys have a toxic look alike.
Side note - I found my first-ever Chicken of the Woods, though it was too old and chewed up to harvest.
As I wandered deeper into the forest, I started spotting clusters of small, golden-capped mushrooms with long, dark stems running up the tree trunks. As mentioned, because we’ve had a cold couple of weeks here in Ontario, these mushrooms have started showing up a little early, even though it’s only late September.
Here’s what to look for when identifying Velvet Shank mushrooms:
- Cap: Golden to orange-brown, sticky when wetTexture: Slimy or tacky after rain (a key feature!)
- Stem: Long, slender, dark brown or black, slightly velvety - NO ring around it!!
- Spores: White spore print ** important
They typically grow in clusters on dead hardwood like elm and willow and range from about 3 to 10 cm in size.
Watch Out for the Toxic Look-Alike
Velvet Shank mushrooms have a very toxic look-alike known as the Funeral Bell (Galerina marginata). These can appear similar at first glance but have some important differences:
- Funeral Bells have a ring on the stem (Velvet Shanks do not).
- They produce brown or rust coloured spores, not white.
- They tend to have a duller appearance overall.
Never eat a wild mushroom until you’re absolutely sure of its identity - a spore print is the best way to confirm what you’ve found.
Doing a spore print is quick, easy, and could literally save your life when foraging for mushrooms.
It’s simple:
- Remove the cap of the mushroom (discard the stem).
- Place the cap gill-side down on a piece of paper or cardboard.
- Leave it for a few hours or overnight.
- Gently lift the cap - the spores will have fallen, leaving a coloured print.
A white spore print confirms Velvet Shank. If it’s brown, rusty, or tan then it’s something else, possibly toxic.
When I checked mine after a few hours, I saw beautiful white spore prints which a clear confirmation that I had the right mushrooms.
Velvet Shanks tend to be sticky when fresh, especially after rain. Rinse them gently in cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel to remove excess slime. They’re like pike.
The caps pop off easily, and once cleaned, they’re ready to be cooked.
They have a mild, earthy flavour and a meaty, slightly chewy texture which makes them perfect for soups or pan-fried with butter and salt or garlic.
