The hedgehog mushroom which is also known as the sweet tooth and is closely related to another great tasting mushroom, the chanterelle, even the aroma is quite similar. These can often be found in profusion beginning from mid-summer right through late fall. This mushroom does not have a problem with bugs or maggots, so it is a great mushroom that can be harvested in the late summer months.
The Hedgehog can be found in our Vancouver Island forests. Often you will find many growing in large groupings. The hedgehog mushroom sometimes called the sweet tooth, is found in the dense undergrowth under conifers. Hedgehog mushrooms are awesome when fried with butter until brown. I love these mushrooms when they smother pork chops.
These mushrooms can be more difficult to clean than a lot of mushrooms. Cleaning the dirt that gathers between the tiny teeth that cover the underside of the mushroom can be time-consuming, this dirt usually is transferred from the other mushrooms in your basket. It is far more frustrating to clean the stem, best is to just peel the outer layer. On Vancouver Island, we can find Hedgehogs from September right up to December.
This mushroom is a lot like a Yellow Chanterelle when cooking as it holds its shape while cooking and can be preserved by pickling and drying. Pan-frying the Hedgehog is the most desirable form of cooking. It’s a good idea to dry-fry this mushroom first, then drain the liquid before adding butter. The Hedgehog has no poisonous look-alikes, there are other toothed mushrooms, but they do not look like the hedgehog. Making this another mushroom like the chanterelle, both are easy for the novice mushroom gatherer to begin with.
As always, love your content Bud. Gohiking is my go to website.
Wishing you well from another VI local