Slippery characters

Slippery jack

Today's highlight is dedicated to slippery jack, Suillus luteus and its cousins. I have a special place for these fungi in my heart as it was with them that I was introduced to the wonderful world of wild food foraging.

A great thing about slippery jacks is that it has no poisonous lookalikes. If the mushroom you see has a slimy cap and yellow spore tubes, it belongs in the basket. There is only one very similar fungus in Scottish forests, Suillus granulatus, or weeping bolete, and it is just as good to eat. When sorting through my pickings, I always separate these two varieties, but it is just being obsessive. There is no difference in preparation, cooking methods or taste, so this is quite unnecessary.

Weeping bolete

One important thing to remember is to peel the slimy cap and remove the veil before cooking. I did it initially for aesthetic reasons, to preserve the light colour of mushroom flesh in cooking, until I found out that its skin is a rather potent purgative. Thus, removing it is obligatory, unless you wish to troll your unwanted guests. In this case, slippery jacks can provide a more humane option than ink caps.

Many mushroom guides say that it's best to remove the skin in the field, but my experience suggests that this is not good advice. The naked porous surface of these mushrooms easily gets bruised and collects all grime and sand in the basket. You can only get rid of it afterwards by washing, but applying water to these guys is a bad idea as they will soak it all up much like kitchen towels. Also, some people get skin irritation from prolonged contact with the slime, and it is so much easier to protect yourself from it at home.

Just being thorough. They do look
a bit different when put side by side

These mushrooms typically get "meh" reviews in fungi collecting field guides regarding their edibility. Wikipedia, too, doesn't have much good to say about its taste, but notes that it is considered a delicacy in Russia. Weird Russians, right?.. Well, I can accept that slippery jack may not be everyone's favourite morsel on the plate. Like most mushrooms, it lacks strong taste, but it makes up for it with its unique texture. It is very similar to raw oysters, so if you like them, it's definitely worth a try. If you hate them, don't bother. It means that there'd be more left for me!

Image credits:
Slippery jack, Suillus luteus
Weeping bolete, Suillus granulatus