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    Home » Types of Edible Wild Mushrooms

    Hen of the Woods

    Published: Feb 21, 2013 Modified: Sep 23, 2024 Author: Alan Bergo

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    Known as the hen of the woods, maitake, sheepshead mushroom and signorina these delicious, bountiful fungi have lots of names and are king of the Fall mushrooms in the Midwest. In this post I'll tell you everything you need to know to find, identify, harvest, clean and cook them.

    hen of the woods maitake mushroom grifola frondosa

    One of a few mushrooms only found East of the Rockies in North America, hen of the woods, (also known as Grifola frondosa) are a choice edible mushroom that grows at the base of trees. At a glance the mushrooms look like a roosting bird, which is where the name comes from. They're a parasitic polypore mushroom that infects living trees and injured trees, causing a butt-rot in the host.

    Chef Alan Bergo walking out of the woods with a large hen of the woods mushroom and a basket.
    Me with a 10 lb hen mushroom.

    Also known as maitake (dancing mushroom in Japanese) these have a long history of use in Japanese cuisine and culture. As legend has it, perfect mushrooms could be worth their weight in silver and harvested by samurai or given as gifts to the shogun. They're also prized in Japan for their (reputed) medicinal properties supporting the immune system.

    How to Identify Hen of the Woods

    One of the easiest, and safest wild mushrooms to identify for beginners, hens are easy to spot, even at a distance. Here's a few tips on properly identifying hen of the woods.

    • Appears as a cluster at the base of trees, especially oak.
    • Caps can be light to dark grey, smoky brown, or a combination.
    • Are composed of rosettes of layered caps originating from a central stem.
    • Instead of gills, the reproductive structure is white pores on the underside of the caps.
    • Will grow on dead, dying, or downed trees, as well as stumps.
    • Will occasionally grow directly from the roots of fallen trees and logs.
    • They have a distinct fan-like shape, and the cap is layered with frilled edges or ruffles.
    • Have a white spore print often visible on mature mushrooms.
    • Bruise brown when handled over time.
    A close up shot of the white inside of a mushroom showing its shape.
    Pores, a halved mushroom, and close up of the ruffled cap clusters.

    Where to Find Hen of the Woods

    Where I hunt in Minnesota and Wisconsin, the easiest way to look for large, old oak trees. Red oaks seeming to be their preferred host.

    Hens appear in late Summer around September and continue through the fall (October) but you might see an occasional one in August. These can grow to be massive, and I've picked clusters that have weighed thirty pounds.

    A red oak tree that produces hen of the woods
    Large old red oaks are what you want.

    You don't need to be in the deep woods for these. Here's the best tips I have:

    • The bigger the tree, the bigger the mushroom can be. Look to your nearest local park that has big old oak trees.
    • If you're in an open, grassy area make sure the grass isn't being sprayed with chemicals, as happens on golf courses.
    • Hen of the woods grow at the base of white oak trees, red oak trees, and rarely on maple trees.
    • Hunting on bike helps you cover area quickly to find hens along paved trails.
    • If there's one there's more. If one tree has a hen, then the whole grove has been infected. Look around the base of other trees in the area.
    • Look for death and decay in woods that have lots of fallen trees and oak stumps.
    • Hens are a semi-common yard mushroom. Hunt by car in your neighborhood and ask politely to pick if you find one.
    young hen of the woods mushrooms
    A young hen of the forest at the base of a maple tree, they don't only grow on oaks!

    The mushrooms will come back year after year in the same location. When you find an infected grove, go there regularly once the mushrooms start to fruit. Different trees will give hens at different times throughout the season.

    minnesota maitake hen of the woods
    Growing on a red oak stump.

    Hen of the Woods Look Alikes

    There's a few mushrooms that look like hen of the woods, or could be confused with them, but here are no poisonous look alikes. Here's the top five you should know.

    A picture with text overlay showing chicken of the woods side by side with hen of the woods.
    Hen of the Woods vs Chicken of the Woods.

    Umbrella Polypore / Polyporus umbellatus

    The umbrella polypore (Polyporus umbellatus, formerly Grifola umbellata) is very good, but rare. It grows in the summer at the same time as hen of the woods, and can also be found on oak trees. It's easy to tell the difference from a true maitake as the caps of P. umbellatus have a funnel shape.

    Young umbrella polypore or Polyporus umbellatus mushroom

    Black Staining Polypore (Meripilus sumstinei)

    Also easily confused with hens, the black staining polypore also grows at the base of infected oak trees, but is easily identified from its black staining when bruised or handled. It's delicious, tasting like a hen crossed with black trumpet mushrooms.

    It's tougher than hens, and need special treatment like drying and powdering. Cut the tender ½ inch margin into duxelles, or make them into stock and broth.

    Black staining polypore or Meripilus sumstinei

    Berkley's Polypore (Meripilus giganteus)

    A large cousin of the BSP, Berkley's polypore infects beech, pine, spruce and firs as well as oaks. Like other meripilus, it's very tough when mature, and only the tender outer edge should be used. I think they're best used to make duxelles or mushroom stock.

    M. giganteus.

    Bonderzewia

    Another parasitic fungus that grows at the base of oak trees. These are a rare find for me but are definitely a mushroom that looks like hen of the woods. They seem far too tough to be useful, but many people still say that about black staining polypores. They're not harmful to my knowledge, but they would be very hard to chew. 

    bonderzewia hen of the woods look alike
    A species of bonderzewia.

    How to Harvest Hen of the Woods

    The first thing to do is inspect the mushroom. If you can see white spores on the ground it's past-prime, but could still be ok to eat. Older mushrooms will be tougher, younger ones are more tender. Grasp the base of the mushroom and pull it up, then carefully trim any dirt from the stem.

    Inspect the mushroom closely for dirt, leaves and debris. If it rained recently you may want to pass. The best mushrooms should feel tender, and look very clean without grit stuck in or on the fronds.

    Knowing when to harvest hen of the woods is important. Bigger is not necessarily better and waiting to see how long it takes a hen of the woods to grow can ruin your mushroom. Most of the time when I find a hen I take it unless it's just starting.

    Older mushrooms that can be tough and buggy will usually have visible white spores around them-a sign you might want to keep looking for a better mushrooms. Hen of the woods grow moderately fast, so go back in 3-4 days if they're too small to harvest.

    Below, left to right: older mushrooms will be tough, younger mushrooms are very tender, and perfect mushrooms are in the middle.

    Cooking with the hen of the woods core

    Hens are tricky enough to clean as it is, but if it rains, dirt will splash on the mushroom and dry, and the mushroom will physically absorb the dirt into its flesh as it grows.

    How to Clean Hen of the Wood

    These can be easy to clean, or very difficult depending on the growing conditions. First, you separate the mushroom into large leaves or clusters and inspect for twigs and debris. The flesh should be pure white-cut away dirty or discolored portions.

    Pieces of mushroom pulled apart on a cutting board.
    Pieces of mushroom pulled apart on a cutting board.

    As the mushrooms age they turn a shade of dingy yellow-beige. Very clean mushrooms can be cut in thick slices, but finding them in a perfect stage can be tricky. Sometimes, especially after rain, the mushrooms can absorb dirt into their flesh making them impossible to clean. Larger, older mushrooms are usually more difficult to clean than young ones.

    Cutting steaks from a hen of the woods mushroom, maitake, or Grifola frondosa

    This might only be an acorn or a twig to remove, but debris is often lodged inside the mushroom flesh itself, as the mushrooms will absorb dirt that falls on them as they grow. One time a diner at a restaurant broke his tooth on a pebble in the mushroom itself.

    The mushrooms are usually free of larvae but are often home to insects like pill bugs, centipedes, ants and spiders. I once found one with a baby snake inside. It's all part of Nature's design as the mushrooms function as shelter for small creatures. They're literally a bug hotel. 

    Once the mushrooms are cut, you can swish them in a sink of cold water, dry them on paper towels, and store the hen of the woods in a Zip Loc bag with a dry paper towel in the fridge. If you don't have time to clean them, store them whole in the fridge and clean them as soon as possible. Properly stored, the mushrooms will last for at least a week or more.

    How to Cook Hen of The Woods

    Hen of the woods taste meaty and delicious with a mild mushroom flavor. You can substitute them in just about any mushroom recipe, but keep in mind cultivated mushrooms grown on a substrate don't taste as good as wild ones. To cook, Just separate the mushrooms into bite size clusters and fry, sauté, stew, braise or roast them.

    Hen of the woods mushroom and spinach salad with bacon vinaigrette
    Spinach salad with bacon dressing and hens from my first restaurant.

    Their size also makes them a great mushroom meat substitute for vegan and vegetarian mushroom recipes like my Wild Mushroom Taco Meat.

    Roasted hen of the woods mushrooms or maitake.
    Simple roasted hens.
    Grilled hen of the woods or maitake steaks
    Hen steaks on the grill.
    Hen of the woods mushrooms or maitake cooked under a brick
    Hens cooked under a weight is an original recipe of mine

    If you find a perfectly clean mushroom, a favorite hen of the woods recipe is roasted whole or cut into thick slices and grilled as hen of the woods steaks. You'll need young, very clean mushrooms to make steaks but when you find a good one, it can be an easy way to make a great meal.

    To preserve them, the mushrooms can be, pickled, frozen, dried and/or powdered to use in seasoning blends for soups and sauces. Freeze drying works well too. Hen of the woods mushroom jerky is a crowd favorite too. Dried mushrooms become very tough, and are best used for stock where the mushrooms are discarded afterward.

    minnesota hen of the woods maitake sheepshead ramshead mushroom pickled in a jar.
    Grilled Hen of the woods duxelles
    Above: pickled, frozen hen of the woods duxelles, and dehydrated.

    Freezing is a one of the best options to preserve these mushrooms and, unlike others, hen of the woods can be frozen raw or cooked. I usually cook my mushrooms before I freeze them. I make wild mushroom duxelles to use in stuffings, or cook and vacuum seal them as in my post on freezing wild mushrooms.

    The IQF (individually quick-frozen) technique works well for freezing. To do it, take or a whole chunk or pieces of clean mushroom and put them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Freeze the hen mushrooms, place in a bag and vacuum seal. Cook the mushrooms straight from frozen.

    Hen of the Woods Recipes

    Recipes I've made specifically for maitake or where they would be good substitutes.

    • Brown Butter-Sage Hen of the Woods
    • Simple Roasted Hen of the Woods
    • Pickled Hen of The Woods
    • Mushroom Conserve
    • Roasted Maitake Mushrooms with Anchovy Sauce

    More Hen of the Woods Mushroom Recipes

    FAQ

    How do you store hen of the woods?

    Put the cleaned mushrooms into a Zip Loc Bag with a paper towel. Open the bag occasionally to let them breathe. Cultivated mushrooms will last 3-4 days. Wild mushrooms will last a week or even longer.

    Where do you buy hen of the woods mushrooms?

    Asian grocers usually carry the Hotko Brand maitake, a 3.5 oz package costs around 3.99. Wild maitake can be bought at farmers markets during the season for $10-25 / lb.

    Can you eat maitake mushrooms raw?

    Yes, but they're slightly bitter. The fact that they taste so good cooked makes eating them raw unnecessary.

    A chef standing in front of a brick building holding a 30 pound hen of the woods.
    A 30 pound hen. It was so dirty we had to throw it away.
    « Pickled Saffron Milk Cap Mushrooms
    Verdolagas / Purslane »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Adrien

      October 20, 2024 at 4:57 pm

      Hi,
      I foraged a maitake and it didn’t stain black during handling and was tender so I know for sure it wasn’t a black staining polyphore, however I tried to simmer it fresh and for some reason the pores are turning black. The pan was fairly crowded, but I am worried that this is some sort of unseen bacterial infection. The mushroom smelled very fresh when picked, is this just a result of pan overcrowding to liquid ratio? I’ve never had this happen before and I’m nervous.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        October 21, 2024 at 11:15 am

        Hmm. I haven't heard of this before. The mushrooms will darken when cooked or steamed a little, but they shouldn't turn jet black.

        Reply
    2. Sandy Lincoln

      October 12, 2024 at 9:05 am

      Yesterday I found what I thought was a Hen of the Woods under an oak on my property. I’ve found them before and thanks to Alan’s website, I learned how to clean, prepare and store them. This particular Hen didn’t look exactly like others I’ve found, so I sent a picture to Alan and he responded almost immediately to verify that it was a young Hen. It weighed almost 5 lbs.! I’m busy cleaning, slicing, bagging and freezing the slices for late fall and winter eating. Thanks Alan!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        October 12, 2024 at 10:45 am

        Happy to help!

        Reply
    3. Russ Sears

      September 24, 2024 at 5:52 am

      Great article.

      I often find Hen of the Woods when it is a bit gone by. The signs I see are browning and larvae. I am curious how to know when some larvae is too many? or can they be removed with water rinsing or some other method?
      Often I cant see them until I get the mushroom home and put it on the counter top and see the little (very tiny) larvae that fall off on the counter top and start moving around. This puts a lot of beginners of immediately.

      Thanks for any advice
      R Sears, Hull MA

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        September 24, 2024 at 10:11 pm

        Hi Russ. Great question. I rarely see the small white fungal gnat larvae in my hens so I feel for you there. To be clear, bugs are not dangerous, and as the mushrooms will be exposed to high heat before eating you can rest easy knowing there's a "kill step" as we say in the kitchen. Just how many bugs are acceptable in a mushroom is a matter of taste. I have a friend who will eat soggy morels and tell me they're great, and another friend who inspects the stem of every single chanterelle to make sure there isn't a single bug hole. My general rule is if the structural integrity and shelf life of the mushroom hasn't been compromised and it's still firm and fresh, it's probably fine. As hen of the woods are so large and function as a literal bug hotel it's a little more complicated with them. If you're picking hens and they have larvae, my best advice is to first trim the stem and try to not let the enthusiasm of finding the mushroom cloud your judgement. If you see white spores around the mushroom or small flies buzzing around it, it's probably too old. It can be easy to find them, but getting them at the perfect stage (and clean) is part skill, part luck and timing. The younger the hen, the better they'll be, and the easier they'll be to clean. Any discoloration is also a red flag that they're probably buggy. The next time you bring a hen home and see it's a little buggy it's fine to soak the mushrooms in cold water-make sure to pull them apart and begin the cleaning process too. The agitation will make them evacuate. Another good tip is to clean your wild food outside or in the garage first to hide the nasty bits from squeamish people.

        Reply
    4. Alana of the woods

      September 23, 2024 at 6:34 am

      I found a 13 lb hen yesterday and have little room in fridge or freezer to store it. Would you consider canning them with some salt as a shelf stable option? One day i will splurge on a freeze dryer! But til then, i am Hoping to preserve as much texture, flavor and nutrition as possible. Excellent article, by the way. Thank you for always providing such in depth info and recipes!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        September 23, 2024 at 8:14 am

        Hi Alana. If you can them like that without any acid they would need to be pressure canned. I typically cook and freeze mine.

        Reply
    5. Kevin

      June 01, 2024 at 12:47 pm

      When you say, "cultivated mushrooms grown on a substrate don't taste as good as wild ones," is that a caution about the taste of commercially available hen-of-the-woods?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        June 02, 2024 at 1:36 pm

        Hey Kevin, not necessarily. There's some important tradeoffs here. Most cultivated hens taste very mild compared to their wild cousins, but they're also perfectly clean. When I served them in restaurants the cultivated ones allowed me to serve them year round as a fun mushroom side dish. A perfectly clean, tender wild hen is very special though.

        Reply
        • Kip

          October 05, 2024 at 4:46 pm

          Do you have to harvest the whole hen at once or can you go back for more?

          Reply
          • Alan Bergo

            October 25, 2024 at 2:44 pm

            Hello. So, this year I actually found a hen that had regrown multiple pounds after it had been cut. But, generally speaking you will harvest the whole thing. If you don’t they will typically go bad.

            Reply
    6. John

      April 08, 2024 at 9:20 am

      There is always an ecosystem in the hens that I find. There are spiders, generally, and usually several different kinds, several different kinds of worms, and often bugs of different types, which, naturally explains the spiders. It's rare that a hen doesn't provide at least a dozen or so creatures when cleaning. Oh, yeah, and of course slugs which are probably the most prolific of all the mushroom eating creatures out there. The one thing they don't usually have, probably due to the cool weather they like, is the kind of bug worms that so often ruin the edible bolete type mushrooms that come in the summer.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        April 08, 2024 at 10:07 am

        It's so true. You should have seen me jump when a baby snake popped out of a big one. I kind of like the fact that they function as shelter for little critters. I definitely appreciate the lack of gnat larvae too, unlike chickens.

        Reply
    7. Fiona

      November 19, 2023 at 2:38 pm

      Thanks for taking the time to write this article. Is it worth drying the stipe part of then mushroom to make into a powder for stock? I don't like to waste if I can use it.

      Many thanks

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        November 20, 2023 at 1:55 pm

        Hi Fiona. Sure you can do that.

        Reply
      • Donna

        April 25, 2024 at 10:31 am

        I am a novice, wild mushroom gatherer. You have explained the Hen of the woods, so well, I am going to give it a try to collect and cook when the next one shows up at my friends Oak Grove. He has several different varieties and I do remember the Hen I saw last Fall when helping to clean up the leaves.

        Reply
        • Alan Bergo

          April 25, 2024 at 11:14 am

          Thanks Donna. Have fun they're a great mushroom.

          Reply
    8. Deb C.

      October 15, 2023 at 11:56 pm

      I got one hen the past two years growing on the grass under my peach tree. This year I got two beautiful hens growing on the grass under the peach tree.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        October 18, 2023 at 8:35 am

        That's interesting. Never heard of peach trees before.

        Reply
      • J Olsen

        October 27, 2023 at 9:05 pm

        5 stars
        Great article. Now I feel like I actually know how to clean one.

        Reply
    9. Trevor Driscoll

      October 13, 2023 at 5:54 pm

      That Spinach salad looks great! Is that recipe posted anywhere? I’ve never used hen in a salad before but I love the concept!!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        October 13, 2023 at 7:58 pm

        Hey Trevor. Yes it's here. Hen of the Woods Salad.

        Reply
    10. Mary Howard

      October 10, 2023 at 1:05 pm

      My red oak failed to produce last year (had previously been repetitive). Looks like nothing again this year??? Has mycelium died, or could it repeat next year?
      Now a second tree (that has historically produced 3 hens) has none. This location is 30 miles away from our location. Is it likely to produce next year?
      We have found 2 trees that produced (all different locations), but the hens were small.
      It has been rather dry and hot here. Now cooling, reaching apx 55/45, no frost yet. SW Pa.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        October 11, 2023 at 2:26 am

        Keep going back. Sometimes they can skip a year or start to Peter out a bit as the consume the tree, from my experience. Rain is also important. My spots have been really empty this year too.

        Reply
        • PJ

          October 29, 2023 at 11:27 am

          Somebody beat you to it?? My Dad kept his spots secret....but can't dig too deep either I recall

          Reply
      • Jason Claeys

        October 15, 2023 at 10:37 am

        Keep looking they can grow in cold weather. My trees didn’t produce when they usually do it was too dry. Now I’m finding them in October after some decent rain

        Reply
        • Alan Bergo

          October 15, 2023 at 7:56 pm

          Thanks Jason.

          Reply
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