Winter Chanterelles are small, funnel-shaped mushrooms found in cold climates, often under coniferous trees. Fruiting from late fall through winter, they withstand freezing temperatures. With caps ranging from 2 to 5 centimeters, they have a delicate texture, mild aroma, and a subtle, peppery flavor. Foragers appreciate their cold-season availability and use them in soups, sauces, and sautés. Identifying them correctly is crucial, requiring the guidance of experienced foragers or reliable field guides. Winter Chanterelles offer a unique addition to winter cuisine, bringing a taste of the forest to culinary creations.
3-5cm. Convex with a depression in the centre when young becoming funnel-shaped with irregular edges. A hole in the centre can run right through to the hollow stem. Dark yellow/brown to orange/yellow.
Yellow/brown
Pale yellow/brown. Not crowded, irregularly branching and running down the stem, decurrent. These are not true gills but folds.
Off-white. Subglobose.
3-6cm long, 4-15mm wide. Yellow, cylindrical to irregular and hollow. Can have a vertical depression making the stem look like a pair of yellow legs. The stem generally tapers towards the base
Excellent, stronger but less sweet than Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius).
