wiscokid said:

Nice finds bro - !!
You've got some beautifull luteus


Don't forget your logs- the luteus will be back at least twice a summer - same time and same place - the easiest species for me to time fruits!! - Awesome Finds

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Thanks man, your post the other day actually inspired me to go out hunting so your knowledge helped at least 1 other member if it means anything to you
I had been looking all summer for actives in PA but after researching I found that the only common actives here are gym lutes and spectabilis...both fruiting only in the fall (I think...found none during the hot summer months). I forgot about it for some time until I saw your beauties and their growth progress.  I took your advice of watering the babies and taking only what was needed for my first trial, but will be back with update shots etc.  They were indeed growing in small clusters on a fallen log, so I am almost confident enough to start nibbling

I harvested the biggest one in #6, you can see it on the right in #7 and it dropped nice rust colored spores. 
I also harvested everything in #13, my lucky number but I'm just puzzled by the "gym juice" I see on the gills.

Which one do you think would be safer to consume and do you have any suggestions on dosage wet/dry or prep methods?  I've heard tea was good to avoid stomach problems but nothing about dose.

And finally...check out #8 the patch shot, there were probably 30 of these mushrooms but I didn't grab any since they didn't come from a log.  I was wondering if they were even gyms because you can see the mycelium in #8 poking out of the ground, uncharacteristic of lutes

wiscokid said:

i wouldn't bother really washing gyms - just pick off debris fresh - its alot easier
For tea im no expert - i always have a bunch of gyms - so i just throw a bunch in hot water and Low Boil for about 45min - adding honey and cinnamon whenever you can -

You should always dry your finds by multiple fans - gyms rot very easily being so big
Try n get em as dry as you can as fast as you can- rotten ones aren't too safe for consumption!!

Enjoy n goodluck studying

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Thanks, I just set up a fan under my bed, do they discolor when they rot?  Mine look a little more rust colored than before, it's been like 2 days sitting w/ no circulation.  Can you dry them fast in the oven or something similar?

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And finally...it sounds like you eat the mushroom parts after cooking the tea, are there still actives hiding in there or would it be possible to just filter an drink the liquid?

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