Last Sunday, we went hunting for chanterelle. Where did we hunt? I can not tell , it´s a family´s secret. Hunting chanterelles can be a wonderful way to spend an sunday afternoon., we got quite a bit of chanterelle and cantharellus tubaeformis . These fugus are consider most precious in Sweden and it´s very expensive too. A delicious woody and earthy mushroom, the chanterelle is prized among the culinary crowd. Perhaps, my using of law of attractions was manifested, I was focusing of abundle. I am so happy that now both Nelina & Mattias find it was interesting & fun! I just love to spend my autumn days in the wood, emptying my thoughts & filled my lungs with crispy fresh air. There´s so much we can get for free in the Swedish woods and I am beginning to appreciate it more & more each year. Finding chanterelles in the wild is not easy task but very rewarding, as this mushroom has never been successfully cultivated domestically.
Here´s some tips how you too can hunt for chanterelle:

Step 1. Recognize the wild chanterelle mushroom as having an egg yolk yellow color that ranges from pale yellow to very bright orange. They resemble ragged, trumpet shaped funnels.

Step 2. Smell the wild chanterelle mushroom. If it exhibits a fruity odor similar to apricots, it is a chanterelle.

Step 3. Understand that hunting chanterelle mushrooms is best conducted in open fields and grassland. Unlike many mushroom varieties, chanterelles do not grow on decaying wood.

Step 4. Hunt chanterelles during the summer months between May and October as the decaying fall foliage may hinder identification.

Chanterelles is best eaten fresh. But if you found too many, you want to find a good way to preserve them. Chanterelles do not dry well, they become like leather when dried. Freezing is the way to go, and here are some hints on how best to prepare them for freezing.

All mushrooms have about 80-90% water content, and so will expel some of that water when cooked. Chanterelles seem to give off even more water than do other mushrooms when cooked - don't be surprised at this. Heat a large frying pan or wok very hot, and add about two handfuls of sliced or shredded chanterelles. Move them around the pan enough that they do not scorch - they will squeal and squeak! Within a few minutes, they will begin to release their water. Continue to let them cook, frequently moving them around the pan. Soon, the water will evaporate - lower the heat at this point and continue to cook the chanterelles until they are softened and are beginning to shrink in size. You may salt them if you wish. Empty the pan and put it back on high heat for the next batch.

Once your chanterelles are done cooling, you may begin packaging them for the freezer. Ideally, you can pack them into plastic freezer bags and use a vacuum sealer to make them freezer ready. Don't forget to label and date the bags.

At the end of the day, I cooked fresh chanterelle with moose steak for dinner.
My family enjoyed the dinner very much, we felt rich in a way we never felt before.
It feel great!

Here´s is a video of Nelina showing how to clean chanterelle. Take a close look towards the end of the video & guess what actually happened?