We’re currently staying with my parents in Germany and one of my favourite autumn activities is mushroom picking. Last year, Amy was still a little too young to make her way through the forest, but this year she is having an absolute blast.
We put on her wellies and rain mac, jumped in the car and drove to one of the forests near my parents’ house. There are plenty of woods, but we have a mushroom picking spot that we’ve been going to ever since I remember and we didn’t make an exception this year.
So far, we’ve been in the woods two times and each time we’ve come home with two baskets filled with fresh wild mushrooms. Amy absolutely loved running around between trees and bushes, shouting ‘Pilze’ (the German word for mushrooms) and watching the wildlife unfold underneath her feet.
She was fascinated by the huge ant mounts and the copious amounts of frogs that jumped up when she walked through the dark green moss and you could see how incredibly proud she was when she got to carry two baskets full of penny buns and suede boletes to the car.
When it came to eating them for dinner, she quickly changed her mind, but I guess wild mushrooms are so much more flavoursome than the mushrooms that you get in supermarkets, that it probably just takes Amy some getting used to. We really enjoyed them though. Ben actually said, he’s never had mushrooms as tasty as these ones and I agree with him: There is nothing as nice as mushrooms that you have picked yourself.
My plan now is to look into wild mushrooms growing in the UK. Mushroom picking is such a fun activity for all the family and we really enjoyed spending quality time outdoors. It’s something that I would really like to do more often and of course having fresh mushrooms for dinner is an added bonus.
Jane Middleton says
September 22, 2013 at 9:52 pmLove mushroom picking, can’t beat wild mushrooms on taste.
esther james says
September 22, 2013 at 9:54 pmLooks like such fun!
Hayley @hayleyfromhome says
September 23, 2013 at 9:23 amThat is a lot of mushrooms! I hope you manage to do it in the UK too but it looks pretty good fun in Germany, maybe you’ll tempt her to eat some as she gets used to them 🙂
Marion says
September 23, 2013 at 12:12 pmI often see ?mushrooms on our walks but I am afraid to pick them. I am never sure whether they are 1. 1.mushrooms 2.toadstools 3.Poisonous. I should get round to researching this lol. It would be cheaper picking our own if they are edible mushrooms 😀
Jenna Keller says
September 23, 2013 at 6:59 pmAwww bet she had a lovely time, my little boy would enjoy doing this 🙂
Coombe Mill - Fiona says
September 23, 2013 at 8:10 pmThey look so delicious, this is one activity that I am determined to get around to – I’m sure there must be several edible varieties here on the farm! I dare say the UK varieties won’t look as vibrant as what you have picked though. Thanks for linking up and sharing your mushroom adventures with Country Kids.
Sam @happyhomebird says
September 23, 2013 at 9:40 pmThere’s something very fairytale like about collecting mushrooms especially in wicker baskets. They look so pretty.
Tracy Nixon says
September 24, 2013 at 4:19 amAhhh bless – brings back memories of my childhood days when we used to go out mushroom picking with my Auntie! Not to Germany though – just the Northumberland countryside!
Funky Wellies says
September 25, 2013 at 11:10 amShe looks very proud with her two baskets!! Lovely post. xx
Mammasaurus says
September 25, 2013 at 1:13 pmI could eat them all but there wouldn’t be mush room for pudding #wockawocka
Shana Norris says
September 25, 2013 at 3:09 pmShe’ll have wonderful memories of this experience for many years to come. I’ve never picked mushrooms. My sister’s husband always picks them, my mom cooks them, and the rest of us eat them. The “picker” (my brother-in-law) never partakes because he doesn’t like the taste. I’m glad he likes to pick them regardless of that fact!
Nicola says
September 26, 2013 at 12:36 amGorgeous pics, makes me want to go mushroom picking!
Melksham Mum says
September 30, 2013 at 3:38 pmLooks great. I love mushrooms but paranoia over poisonous – and magic! – varieties put me off!
Pippa says
September 30, 2013 at 7:17 pmOh my goodness these look delicious! Such lovely pictures and descriptions, I want to get out there and get picking in the wet grass. What a wonderful life experience you are giving your kids out in the best of nature, and what a gift for you to eat. Free too! Yum.
Emma Tait says
September 30, 2013 at 8:54 pmSounds lovely, I’ve never eaten a wild mushroom before – good luck on the UK growing 🙂
Slummy single mummy says
October 1, 2013 at 12:21 pmThis looks like lots of fun – I have always been too scared to pick my own though!
Instinctivemum says
October 3, 2013 at 7:54 amThose mushrooms look delicious! I would be so nervous of picking the wrong one, but it looks like a wonderful activity to do with the children. If you find anywhere locally let me know!
Jess @ Along Came Cherry says
October 4, 2013 at 7:06 amLooks like fun! I have always been terrified of picking my own in case they are poisonous! x
Aly says
October 4, 2013 at 12:44 pmWow! I am so jealous! It looks such a great place to go and pick mushrooms.
Jane Batt says
October 5, 2013 at 5:45 pmThat is such an impressive haul! We used to forage for mushrooms in Italy and they were delicious but we never managed anything like that quantity. Bit jealous now 🙁