All hail the #CandyCap or #Lactariusrubidus, one of my absolute favorite edible mushrooms. They are mycorrhizal species that grow in association with Pine, Oak, Douglas fir, and Tan Oak. They are common from Santa Cruz to southern Oregon in early winter, but uncommon outside of that range. They have a unique coppery orange brown luster that helps to differentiate them from other Lactarius species. They exude a clear to whitish latex that stains lightly brown (but not yellow - beware of L. xanthogalactus), have a white spore print, and a brittle stem that often brakes when picked. Their best identifying feature is that they smell of maple.
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Candy Caps contains a “quabalactone” that is hydrolyzed into a lactone known as Sotolon. This aromatic compound is also found in fenugreek and Sherry. Sotolon is what gives the mushroom it’s intense maple character (as well as actual maple syrup). Drying the Mushroom greatly enhances the maple flavor (I don’t consume these mushrooms
fresh). Candy caps pair very well with sweet dishes and can be used to infuse an incredible depth of maple flavor into desserts like ice cream, cheesecake, crème brûlée, shortbread, cookies, and more. I have also used them to infuse beverages like whiskey and coffee, or brewed into beer (shoutout to @uncommonbeer in SC, the first place I ran into candy caps circa 2008). They are also exceptional in savory dishes pairing well with pork sausage to add great maple flavor, or cooked into the base of Currys with fenugreek to add a deep savory umami and layers of complexity to your dish. Candy caps truly are some of the most versatile culinary mushrooms and one of my absolute favorites.
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#candycapmushroom #mushroomrecipes #ediblemushrooms #foraging #forager #wildfood #sonomacoast #mushroomidentification #fascinatedbyfungi

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