Shaggy manes | Coprinus comatus (recipe) - Gone71° N (2024)

FAQs

Shaggy manes | Coprinus comatus (recipe) - Gone71° N? ›

Fried Shaggy Manes

Poisonous look-alikes: There are no poisonous look alikes. However, another closely related species should not be collected. This is Coprinus quadrifidus (Scaly Inky Cap). The scaly inky cap has a whitish-grey cap covered in light brown or buff, flaky patches.

Known under a variety of common names, in Australia the Podaxis pistillaris is also referred to as the False Shaggy Mane, Desert Shaggy Mane, Stalked Puffball¹, Black Powderpuff, False Inkycap and Desert Inkycap.

Like the shaggy mane, gill edges of the common inky cap turn black and liquefy with age. Unlike the shaggy mane, the cap is short, usually less than 8 cm tall, and it is grey to brown, smooth, without scales⁷.

Taste / Smell

Very good when young. One of my favourites for creamy sauces and because it can found in large numbers. Should be cooked before consumption.

As mentioned before, Shaggy Mane is considered a gourmet edible, and is a favorite among mushroom hunters.

Its specific name derives from coma, or "hair", hence comatus, "hairy" or "shaggy". Other common names include lawyer's wig, and shaggy mane. Coprinus comatus is the type species for the genus Coprinus. This genus was formerly considered to be a large one with well over 100 species.

It is said the black fluid can be diluted with water and used as ink. But the shaggy mane is better eaten. Picked when young, the mushroom is edible and choice, though somewhat watery and delicate of flavor when compared with other mushrooms.

Shaggy mane mushrooms contain a compound called coprime, which can interact negatively with alcohol. Consuming alcohol within a few days of consuming these mushrooms can lead to symptoms like facial flushing, nausea, and vomiting. It's essential to avoid alcohol during this time to prevent adverse reactions.

Cleaning of shaggy manes

If you plan to fry them you should avoid this since the mushroom itself contains already a lot of water. The stems should be cut at the base since they are very tasty and often compared to asparagus – hence the name asparagus mushroom.

Do Shaggy Manes contain coprine? ›

So, common inky caps should not be consumed within about three days before or after drinking alcohol. This is not a problem with shaggy manes, which lack coprine, but good identification is important. That being said, the black liquid from the “melted” mushroom—of either species—really does function as ink.

Preserving. After sautéing for 3 to 5 minutes, place in containers for freezing. Most of their flavor is lost when shaggy manes are dried.

Shaggy manes have a very short "shelf-life," typically only lasting 24 hours from emerging to liquefying. Pick only young, fresh specimens. If you want to store them, cook them as soon as you can after harvesting, then refrigerate. Once picked, they will dissolve into inky liquid in just a few hours.

To clean shaggy manes, first, carefully trim off any damaged or bruised sections. Then wipe any dirt off with a paper towel or lightly brush them with a soft brush. Some people also gently scrape the scales off the cap with a butter knife. But this is only necessary if the scales have a lot of dirt trapped under them.

Is there a poisonous mushroom that looks like lion's mane? There are no poisonous or deadly mushrooms that look like lion's mane or are a close relative of this mushroom. All lion's mane look-alikes are safe to consume, which makes this fungus incredibly safe to forage.

Lookalikes: The honey mushroom (Armillaria mellea) has a sticky cap and a ring. The poisonous jack-o'-lantern (Omphalotus illudens) is orange with a smooth cap. The big laughing gym (Gymnopilus junonius) is orange, bitter, with orange-brown spores and a ring.

Lookalikes: Certain poisonous cl*tocybe and Inocybe species can be confused with the fairy ring mushroom. The sweating mushroom (cl*tocybe dealbata), also poisonous, is gray-pink with gills running down the stalk. Poisonous Inocybe mushrooms usually have gray-brown gills.