Like any mushroom, hens are best when picked very young. They’re certainly edible in their old age, even after they have released their spores, but these are going to be more prone to bug damage. From my experience, hen of the woods will not have maggots until very old, but they will be preyed upon…
Hen of the Woods / Maitake
Hen of the Woods or Maitake mushrooms are one of the easiest mushrooms to identify I know, as well as one of the largest. Some can grow to be over 50 lbs! If you're new to them, check out my introductory guide to hen of the woods. There's tons of ways to cook them, but my original Hen of the Woods Mushroom Steaks are a crowd favorite, as are Pickled Hens.
Hen of the Woods or Maitake Mushroom
Hen of the woods, maitake, sheepshead, hen of the forest, these delicious, bountiful mushrooms have lots of names. These are the king of Fall mushrooms in the Midwest, at least in size. I say Fall mushroom because they come out in earnest post Summer, but you might see an occasional one in midsummer, although they’re…
