Winter Mushroom Foraging in the Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is a dream for mushroom hunters. Winter mushroom foraging here differs from other parts of the country due to climate, elevation, and a lack of snow in many areas. In many places, it doesn’t really snow at all; it just rains a lot. And mushrooms love all the rain. Many don’t even mind if it’s a cold, drizzly type of rain (even if you mind, a lot!).

Of course, some areas get snow and a lot of it; there are many variances across the states. Usually, you just have to change elevations a little bit to increase your chances of finding edible mushrooms. Often, along the coast is excellent foraging year round due to the lack of snowfall and abundant rains.

Check out our guides for other seasons: Spring Mushroom Foraging in the Pacific Northwest, Summer Mushroom Foraging in the Pacific Northwest, and Fall Mushroom Foraging in the Pacific Northwest.

Winter Mushroom Foraging in the PNW, by Species

Winter chanterelles (yellowfoot)

Yellowfoot chanterelles grows in vast, dense patches on the forest floor. It’s not uncommon to harvest bucketful’s when you find them. They prefer mossy areas with lots of rich, decaying organic material. Yellowfeet aren’t as flavorful as “true” chanterelles, but they make up for it in numbers. Excellent added to winter stews, dehydrated for later use, or cooked up fresh as an accompaniment to a main meal.

yellowfoot mushrooms — Yellowfoot mushrooms

Black Trumpets

Black trumpets, also commonly called black chanterelles in the west, are a tricky bunch. They have an impeccable ability to meld right into their surroundings. Between their dark coloring and diminutive size, it takes some real careful searching to find them. Luckily, though, they usually grow in wide dense groupings so if you’ve found one, you’ve found 100. Black trumpets have a unique super umami flavor that transcends — there is nothing to compare it to because it is quite unique, and wonderful.

Lion’s Mane

Lion’s mane and its related Hericium species like cool weather. However, they don’t like it to so cold there is long-term freezing temperatures or snow. A great thing about these species is that, even though they can be tricky to predict, they’re hard to miss. That bright white against a brown tree trunk or green canopy really stands out. Lion’s mane is one of the top edible species and makes an incredible substitute for seafood in many recipes, including crab cakes.

Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs are super cute, with short little teeth under the cap instead of gills. They’re on the top in most foragers’ lists of edibles, and for very good reasons. Their dense, meaty flesh and sweet flavor are incredible. From above, hedgehogs look rather dull with a flat tannish color cap and no distinctive properties to grab your attention. Be careful you don’t pass these by as “just another boring brown mushroom.” We find it good practice to always check the underside of every mushroom we find, just in case.

Rather “plain” looking cap of a hedgehog mushroom

Truffles

Truffle season is from late December into March or April, depending on where you live in the PNW. Three types of truffles grow in the PNW, associated with Douglas firs in winter. Truffle hunting takes some skill and possibly an extraordinary dog – it’s a great winter hobby to take up!

Candy Caps

What can we say about a mushroom that smells like sweet maple-syrup?! It’s like a mushroom dream come true. Not only do they smell like maple, they also taste like it. You can use these mushrooms, dried and powdered, in baking! Candy caps are in the milky cap mushroom family, which means their gills “bleed” when cut. This is a key to identification. Candy caps also love the cool, rainy winters of the PNW.

candy cap mushrooms — Candy cap mushrooms

Wood Blewit

Wood blewits seem like they’d be an easy find, but they’ve got a few tricks up their sleeves. That brilliant purple coloring often fades to a dullish gray with age or excess rain (something the PNW has plenty of). The great thing is once you find one, you’ll likely find many others nearby. They tend to fruit in great numbers. This is a highly sought-after edible species — they’re a lot like supermarket button mushrooms in flavor and texture.

Oysters

Oyster mushrooms are the quintessential cool weather mushroom. They wait for the weather to be just in the right range, 40-55F, and then pop out in huge numbers. They also mature quite quickly, so it can be a race to get to good eating ones before the bugs, slugs, and deer get them. Oyster mushrooms are super adaptable in the kitchen, excellent stir-fried or just fried. They also make excellent je r ky.