![]() Reported to have anticoagulant, caridovascular-supporting, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, tumor-supressing, and imune enhancing properties, these are really one mushroom that you might want to get to know!Īlso reported to be very nutritious, a rich source of both Vitamin B5, Copper, Protein & Fiber, with small amounts of selenium and Vitamin B2. The main reason I go for these mushrooms (apart from being super abundant and available almost year round), is because of their medicinal properties. The texture is a bit like seaweed, without the flavor.You can also dry/dehydrate and rehydrate when needed. Last night we finely sliced them into a miso soup with lots of ginger & garlic. I like to add them to a slow cooked soups, broths & stews, marinate them and keep them in the fridge, or thinly slice them and use them like ‘noodles’ in asian flavored dishes or in stir fries. These mushrooms are easy to find, however very chewy to eat, with not much flavor in particular, so you’ll need to find a suitable way to prepare them to your liking. Once they get old or dry, they become brittle and are past their best. They’re best when young and fresh, so look for soft wood ears. Like all mushrooms they love moisture and humidity, so the rotting log in my garden is loaded with wood ears in the weather. I often find these floppy eared mushrooms hanging from rotting wood, especially dead wood on old trees. That is, they really do look like some floppy, rubbery ears, with a jelly like appearance. They mostly refer to it’s appearance and texture: Wood Ear, Pigs Ear, or Jelly Fungus. ![]() Polytricha – cultivated & sold in Chinese markets) (or Auricula-Judae aka Jews Ear), has many common names. “Skin Wound-Healing Potential of Polysaccharides from Medicinal Mushroom Auricularia auricula-judae (Bull.Hakeke / Wood Ear / Pigs Ear / Jelly Fungusįor me these are one of the most abundant, easy to find and identify mushrooms in the New Zealand bush (IMO).More jelly ear fruiting bodiesįun fact: When jelly ear is fried, the heat can cause it to pop and fly through the air! It is cultivated for food, medicine and therapeutic treatments. In an attempt to cure different ailments, jelly ear was used in traditional medicine and is still used in East Asia today. Young and old fruiting bodies A close up of a couple of very ear-like fruiting bodies Jelly ear uses A few different species can be confused with jelly ear – a very similar look-alike is the bay cup ( Peziza badia). ![]() Jelly ear can be found throughout the year, but it’s most commonly found in autumn. As they age, they begin to take on the shape of an ear. When the fruiting bodies are young, they’re small and circular like the end of a balloon knot. ![]() Jelly ear fungus (Auricularia auricula-judae), also known as wood ear, is a bracket fungus which grows on living and dead wood, mostly elder. It was a windy day and as I held the branch in the air, I could see some of the ‘ears’ flapping in the wind – I wasn’t sure whether I should have been fascinated or horrified! The fruiting bodies grow facing downwards What is jelly ear fungus? It was jelly ear fungus! Jelly ear is known for its unusual fruiting bodies which can look a lot like human ears or even elf ears. ![]() I carefully flipped the branch over to reveal the ‘ears’. As I approached the branch, I immediately recognised the fungus and I knew I was in for a treat. Lying near a path in a shaded area of woodland, was a dead branch covered in a brown, rubbery fungus. ![]()
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