Thank you for the information. There are a few more on other dead wood in the
area. I'll see if any are fresh enough (beige gills)to collect.

--- In NJMYCO@yahoogroups.com, "JimBarg" <jimbarg@...> wrote:
>
> Yes, they are oysters, albeit old ones that are "on the edge" (as we say in
the business). On the edge of what, you ask? Basically, they're too far gone to
eat. Oysters at this time of year tend to be brown/grey on the top, and the
gills tend toward beige rather than pure white, but the specimens you have
pictured are definitely going brown in the gills. As Lance states, don't eat
these---you'll be asking for a tummy ache! Keep an eye out though, because
oysters will often continue coming out through the winter during warm spells.
The added "bonus" of cooler-season oysters is that they're generally free of the
worms and beetles that inhabit oysters during the warmer months. But, be sure
they're fresh with (generally) a nice light anise smell.
>

Yes, they are oysters, albeit old ones that are "on the edge" (as we say in the
business). On the edge of what, you ask? Basically, they're too far gone to eat.
Oysters at this time of year tend to be brown/grey on the top, and the gills
tend toward beige rather than pure white, but the specimens you have pictured
are definitely going brown in the gills. As Lance states, don't eat
these---you'll be asking for a tummy ache! Keep an eye out though, because
oysters will often continue coming out through the winter during warm spells.
The added "bonus" of cooler-season oysters is that they're generally free of the
worms and beetles that inhabit oysters during the warmer months. But, be sure
they're fresh with (generally) a nice light anise smell.

Hi All-
I am trying to get an ID confirmation on these. I think they may be oyster
mushrooms. These were spotted growing on dead trees/logs today.
The file is identifymushrooms numbered 1-5. If they are oysters and edible- any
cooking ideas would also be a help. Thank You for any info.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Great infomation, Rob. I would really be curious to see if there are
studies of roadside lead say, around Route 206, Route 22, Route 46,
Route 78, Route 80, etc., out here in the non-industrialized areas of
NJ. I personally can't stand the sight of unpicked chanterelles,
Coprinus comatus and Agaricus arvensis growing in profuse quantites
within earshot of the traffic noise of such roads :-) But yes, they're
best drooled over AND avoided (caution IS good)!

---Jim

PLMs? Took me a second or two to get the acronym, Jim. HAHAHA! Well, let's hope
not, anyway!

Arsenic and lead in orchards is a different problem than roadsides, because the
whole point of the treatment was to have plenty of the agent present. Browsing
the articles around the Internet, such as the Cornell study (I searched with the
keywords morel lead soil apple orchard), there was an incredible 100-200 ppm
(mg/kg) of lead in the two soil samples from apple orchards. No thank you!

The authoritative CRC Handbook (Chemical Rubber Company, a very useful handbook
to chemists, the funny name is a long story, my 1972 copy being the *53rd*
edition; my 33rd edition from 1951 has 2894 pages; and I also have a 1923
edition around somewhere, and no, I wasn't alive in 1951 or 1923) lists lead
arsenate as being insoluble in cold water, so it will indeed accumulate (unless
the soil is physically washed away).

On the other hand, I really hope that, for the sake of farmers, etc. the
accumulation of lead from auto exhaust prior to 1975 was negligible. Perhaps it
might be worthwhile to collect and analyze various roadside samples. There
probably has been a study like this done somewhere, and it might be good to
research this before "going anecdotal" about the historical accumulation of
roadside lead. (I have heard of a study showing that neurological /
psychological problems in children have dramatically declined in large cities
since 1975, and this decline has been linked to reduced amounts of lead
particles in the atmosphere. And they are still using tetraethyllead antiknock
compounds in China?)

To give an example, there are public farm-it-yourself plots next to Route 206, a
very heavily travelled road, just outside of Princeton (north of Lawrenceville).
Unless that soil has been replaced, there is still "roadside lead" in there. The
question is just how much the particles were dispersed after being emitted back
then, which would reduce local accumulation. And, of course, any roadways that
post-date or experienced large amounts of traffic growth only after 1975
shouldn't have such problems (but as I inferred before, roadside mushrooming is
best done with extreme discretion and caution, and probably best avoided).

Rob Robinson

--- In NJMYCO@yahoogroups.com, Jim Barg <jimbarg@...> wrote:
>
> I'm sure it's still a good idea to be cautious. As has been suspected
> with one of our members, lead and arsenic compounds in agricultural
> chemicals that were once used in apple orchards are coming back to
> haunt in morels and other mushrooms that grow in such environments,
> even though those compounds were used many decades ago. Yes, we often
> find some really prime mushrooms near roads. For myself, I'd try to
> avoid consuming them unless they're in very light traffic areas (PLMs,
> Rob? Hahaha. I'm pretty sure there would be no worries with those!)
>

I'm sure it's still a good idea to be cautious. As has been suspected
with one of our members, lead and arsenic compounds in agricultural
chemicals that were once used in apple orchards are coming back to
haunt in morels and other mushrooms that grow in such environments,
even though those compounds were used many decades ago. Yes, we often
find some really prime mushrooms near roads. For myself, I'd try to
avoid consuming them unless they're in very light traffic areas (PLMs,
Rob? Hahaha. I'm pretty sure there would be no worries with those!)

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

I'd have to respectfully disagree with that statement...

If you mean lead, leaded gasoline antiknock additives were phased out in the USA
well over 30 years ago (1975). Consequently, there are no heavy metals in car
exhaust anymore. Just carbon dioxide, water, various oxides of nitrogen (these
compounds also are generated in nature by lightning) and some carbon monoxide
(generated just about any time organic matter such as wood, etc. is burned).
(And, if only to cover all of the bases, a tiny bit of acetaldehyde, if running
on a gasoline / ethanol blend - the same compound that's partly responsible for
a hangover after a drinking binge; and traces of gasoline "detergent" additives,
which are simple amines, containing only carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen, that are
decomposed in the combustion process.) The chemistry above can get a bit
complicated, but the bottom line is that there are no heavy metals emitted, and
that nothing out of the ordinary gets absorbed by plants or fungi from car
exhaust.

Unless they were collected in (mainland) China (the original poster didn't say)?
That country still uses leaded gasoline, and has become the world's largest lead
"consumer," both in terms of tons of lead used industrially (mainly for gasoline
additives), and probably by amount ingested (something I learned at an
international battery symposium I participated in, in Toronto, a couple of years
ago).

What I'd worry about more is the general "stuff" that sometimes (carelessly or
intentionally) gets trashed along roadsides, as well as carried by rainwater
runoff, that can find its way into the soil there.

Rob Robinson
Professional Chemist ;-)

--- In NJMYCO@yahoogroups.com, craine2@... wrote:
>
> You say you found them near the sidewalk? Be aware that mushrooms growing near
busy roads can pick up heavy metals from car exhaust. Carol
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Fungi01@...
> Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 8:30 pm
> Subject: Re: [NJMYCO] Ringless Honey?
> To: NJMYCO@yahoogroups.com
>
> > They are not Ringless Honey mushrooms or Honey Mushrooms they do
> > resemble
> > Hebeloma such as Hebeloma crustiforme The Poison Pie
> >
> > John Plischke
> >
>
> Carol Raine
> Professional Astrologer
> (732) 339-8398
> "The stars incline, they do not compel."
>

Nice find! Coprinus comatus is one of the last mushrooms of the season around
here, and they've been coming out in good numbers in some places. Cook 'em soon
or you'll have quite a mess on your hands!

If you can't cook them right away, you can also submerge them in a container of
water with a plate or other weighty object on top to keep them submerged (and
refrigerate). You'll get another day or two of storage from them if you keep the
air exposure to a minimum. They'll absorb some water, but that'll cook off
quickly when you sauté them. And, dump the water somewhere where you might like
to see them come up next season!