Foraging for Lion’s Mane Mushrooms

Autumn has arrived here in Michigan and it with it has come Lion’s Mane Mushroom season. Lion’s Mane is the common name for the fungi of the genus Hericium, which includes H. americanum, H. corallodies, as well as H. erinaceus.

Fruiting usually begins in late April or early May but mostly takes place during the fall. Lion’s Mane isn’t difficult to locate and is usually very common. This mushroom can be found high up on decaying or dead maple, beech, oak, birch, walnut, and syacmore trees. Here at Michigan Mushroom Company however, we cultivate our Lion’s Mane on a premium blend of proprietary fruiting substrate specifically created to grow these Mushrooms for culinary purposes.

Unlike the ever popular Michigan Morels, Lion’s Mane often live out their entire fruiting timelines in plain sight because while most mushroom hunters are looking down, these toothful white puffballs are usually found hanging high in the air.

Most foragers prefer Lion’s Mane mushrooms due to their uncanny seafood-esque flavor but not every Lion’s Mane found in the wild will provide that highly sought after flavor. If you find a Lion’s Mane that is yellow, shrunken, and overly dry, we recommend moving on wiht your forage. Lion’s Mane must be picked under the right circumstances or it will end up tasting so bitter, you’ll wonder why any forager would waste their time.

Once you’ve identified a good harvest of Lion’s Mane, be sure to squeeze out any excess water after a thorough washing in your kitchen sink. Leave your harvest out to dry before co0king to ensure proper flavor set-up. Once dry, check out our Michigan Mushroom Company Lion’s Mane Recipes and enjoy!