Mushroom Obsession

I led three forays this weekend in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, and the star of the show for each one was the amazing Lobster mushroom! What is a Lobster mushroom, why is it called that, and is it good to eat?

Mom and daughter Linda and Jenna, my two foray companions on Friday, show off a choice Lobster mushroom … one of many found! In fact, there were so many on this trip we didn’t have near enough room in our two-gallon baskets to hold all of them.

A Lobster mushroom happens when a fungus called Hydromyces lactiflourum infects an otherwise bland and boring mushroom, turns it bright red, explodes it in size, and … best of all … gives it the lovely flavor of Lobster!

The mushrooms are highly prized, fetching upwards of $30/pound in the Asian and vegetarian markets. Because a single large Lobster mushroom can weigh three pounds, they are a target for illegal hunting operations in Northwest forests. On our forays we see frequent evidence of these illegals passing through.

Russula brevipes is the mushroom most commonly infected by H. lactiflourum in our area. R. brevipes is an edible white mushroom but bland, so the fungus amazingly creates a huge improvement. In our observation, something like 80% or 90% of R. brevipes in our area become infected.

Two Russula brevipes side-by-side. The white one on the left is uninfected by the Hydromeces lactiflourum fungus. The one on the right has been infected and turned into a prized Lobster mushroom.

Is It Good To Eat?

Indeed it is! While the uninfected mushroom is bland and boring, the infected version is strongly reminiscent of lobster flavor. If harvested at the right time, it also has a firm, pleasant texture. But you have to be careful that the worms haven’t found it first. Cutting into the stipe and looking for tracks is a good way to check.

Now for the Recipes

I have found two primary ways I enjoy Lobster mushrooms, though I’m sure there are probably more. The first is prepared with a good tempura batter and deep fried in sesame and avocado oil, then served with a nice teriyaki-style dipping sauce with an ample ginger flavoring.

As I have harvested way more Lobster than I can consume in this manner, I have also taken to dehydrating it. Lobster in 1″ chunks dehydrates well (about 10-20 hours at 122 degrees F) and rehydrates in warm water with a reasonable retention of both its original flavor and texture.But once it has been thoroughly dehydrated, it can also be ground into a fine powder which can be liberally added as a flavorful thickening base for soups and stews.

Notes on Preparing the Mushrooms for Cooking or Dehydration

There is a lot of debate about whether mushrooms such as Lobster should be washed (in water) or not as a part of the preparation process. I myself typically don’t do this, but am not necessarily opposed to it either. As long as it is well cleaned prior to preparation (and most lobsters have lots of crevices where dirt and grime can lodge) and thoroughly dehydrated or cooked, the main issue is making sure all the grime is dislodged. I use a stiff brush and bottled air for this purpose. Cutting the large mushrooms into sufficiently small chunks also helps get to those crevices which need the most attention.