# Aspen Bolete Mushrooms



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Aspen Bolete (Leccinum insigne)

This edible mushroom is very common in Utah. In my opinion they don't have much flavor cooked fresh so I started a separate thread for these mushrooms instead of putting it in the "Best Wild Mushroom" thread.

Drying the Aspen Bolete improves the flavor.

One plus: the younger specimens seldom have worms.

This is a banner year for Aspen Boletes. I haven't seen this many since the wet years in the early 80s. This week they're at 8,500 ft to 9,500 ft in aspens. It's best to cut em off at the ground and brush them off in the field. I didn't have a knife or a brush with me dangit.

As it goes with any wild mushroom, make sure they're thoroughly cooked and eat a small amount of them at first.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Leccinums are interesting, and there's a crazy amount of different types out there. I agree that for fresh eating they aren't really impressive.

But I love adding dehydrated or smoked ones to soups, sauces and stocks. I also grind up the dried ones into a powder to use as my base in steak/brisket/prime rib rub mixtures.

Here's a little cousin I picked in my yard last week, that is associated with birch trees.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

wyogoob said:


> This is a banner year for Aspen Boletes. I haven't seen this many since the wet years in the early 80s. This week they're at 8,500 ft to 9,500 ft in aspens.


Speak for yourself.  Before workhell took over and wrecked this month for me, I couldn't find a single one where I pick them on the Wasatch. 

The variety I pick on the Satch is slightly different than those pictured, but I've enjoyed them fresh sauteed and added to fish or chicken. (Post #286 on the other/BWM thread) I have enjoyed them dry, but like dried Kings better taste wise.


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## Steve Sutton (6 mo ago)

Just found these in pines and quakes Near strawberry reservoir in Utah Are these Aspen boletes?


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

Steve Sutton said:


> Just found these in pines and quakes Near strawberry reservoir in Utah Are these Aspen boletes?


They appear to be. One thing that hasn't been mentioned before is many of the lecciniums turn dark on the surface they are cut on.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Steve Sutton said:


> Just found these in pines and quakes Near strawberry reservoir in Utah Are these Aspen boletes?


Probably.

The one cut in half has worms. You can soak it in salt water to get the worms out and then fry em up.


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## Steve Sutton (6 mo ago)

Catherder said:


> They appear to be. One thing that hasn't been mentioned before is many of the lecciniums turn dark on the surface they are cut on.


Yes they did turn dark Thanks


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

wyogoob said:


> Probably.
> 
> The one cut in half has worms. You can soak it in salt water to get the worms out and then fry em up.


The worms or the rooms?

Sent from my SM-A426U using Tapatalk


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

¿Por que no los dos?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

So I cleaned and sliced all these boletes for the dryer. Aspen Boletes stain dark when bruised or cut. One bolete stained yellow. I tossed it.


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## DreadedBowHunter (Sep 22, 2021)

Woohoo!


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## Steve Sutton (6 mo ago)

wyogoob said:


> Probably.
> 
> The one cut in half has worms. You can soak it in salt water to get the worms out and then fry em up.


Thank you, I’m new to this.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

I was into mushrooms back in the 70's.


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## Steve Sutton (6 mo ago)

Steve Sutton said:


> Thank you, I’m new to this.


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## Steve Sutton (6 mo ago)

Any suggestions on the best way to prepare these? 95% sure they are Aspen boletes


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Steve Sutton said:


> Any suggestions on the best way to prepare these? 95% sure they are Aspen boletes


Slice 1/4" thick. Fry in butter with a little white wine. The cut should turn dark when sliced.

Some of the bigger ones go good on a hamburger.

I normally dehydrate mine.


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## Steve Sutton (6 mo ago)

wyogoob said:


> Slice 1/4" thick. Fry in butter with a little white wine. The cut should turn dark when sliced.
> 
> Some of the bigger ones go good on a hamburger.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much I just sliced them and put them in my dehydrator. I had to throw quite a few out due to worms


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Honestly, sliced and then dehydrated most of the worms will wiggle out and end up at the bottom of the dehydrator.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

I found a few myself this morning on the Wasatch!  (Sorry, pics malfunctioned.) 

As an aside, I also found a couple that looked like Springtime Amanita or springtime cocorra. Pinkish tan cap, veil remnant, volva, striated cap edge. I also remember reading that some destroying angel specimens are not pure white. I don't have the shrooming chops to figure that out, and didn't have my book with me anyways, but do any of you have experience with those?


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## teledan (May 20, 2019)

Found a bunch this weekend, only really looked for a few minutes but we found at least 10 good ones.


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## turkinator (May 25, 2008)

Took my kids for a hike on the Wasatch yesterday and we saw a lot of mushrooms. I believe this one is one of the aforementioned aspen boletes. Still working on gaining confidence on my mushroom ID skills. It did bruise dark when cut or damaged and was growing in an aspen stand. Can any of you smart gents confirm that is what we found?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Good find! 

By the color of the cap, reddish-brown, maybe Leccinum aurantiacum. Insigne has orange cap. Both are edible.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Found a huge, and surprisingly firm and bug free Birch scaberstalk on my porcini prowl in the yard today.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

Nice! Any Porcini? 

The rain we have been getting this week may be enough to bring on the kings in about a week down here. 🤞 

Might need to find a excuse to hike to my spot and take a look.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Catherder said:


> Nice! Any Porcini?
> 
> The rain we have been getting this week may be enough to bring on the kings in about a week down here. 🤞
> 
> Might need to find a excuse to hike to my spot and take a look.


Check out my post on the Best Wild Mushroom thread. Insane numbers and quality of kings the last 7 days


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