Warm, humid weather means unusually good year for chanterelles
For several weeks now, mushroom enthusiasts have been delighted by the sheer quantity of chanterelles to be found this year. The distinct golden wild mushrooms were given an extra boost by ideally warm and humid weather, and started cropping up in Estonian forests unusually early.
Social media has been buzzing for weeks with photos showing off chanterelles people have been picking by the kilogram. Foragers say that these mushrooms cropped up very early this year, and that there are plenty to go around.
Biology teacher and mycologist Külli Kalamees-Pani told ERR that unlike last year, which was a disappointing one, this year forests are overflowing with chanterelles.
"This time chanterelles started popping up around Midsummer already," she noted.
According to Kalamees-Pani, the warm and humid weather Estonia has been experiencing this summer has been a boon for chanterelle growth. She noted that they're abundant in Southern Estonia, but also in Northern Estonia, on the island of Saaremaa and, really, everywhere else as well.
"Everyone is happy, including all the neighbors," she said, adding that no one is picking all the mushrooms before anyone else can get to them.
Pärnu County resident and nature enthusiast Janely Kuuskler-Adler likewise confirmed that she has been able to pick more chanterelles in her area than in previous years.
"I think I've picked my 15 kilograms' worth already," she said. "In recent years I've only managed to get enough for a gravy or two, but this year there's been much more. I've also been all over Estonia: in Ida-Viru and Põlva counties, around Põltsamaa, and along the shore of [Lake] Peipus too. There's seriously a lot of them."
Kuuskler-Adler added that the abundance of chanterelles is nothing but a joy, and there's no question about what to do with them all.
"I clean them, fry them with onions, garlic, oil and farm butter and then jar them as preserves," she described. "Of course I share them with friends and acquaintances."
Meanwhile, Kalamees-Pani believes this may be an excellent year for wild mushrooms in general.
"It looks like there will be more rain, and if this continues, then early September will likely be great for mushrooming – maybe even earlier," she highlighted.
The mycologist noted that on top of chanterelles, other types of Cantharellales can already be found as well, such as horns of plenty.
"Boletes are already out – birch boletes, mottled boletes, and you may see Macrolepiota mushrooms too," she listed. "The parasol mushroom has been a big hit here for the second week in a row already."
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
