When Are Hens Past Their Prime?

[glennfreeman]

It seems we're all finding lots of hens and this is my first year, but I have a question.

At what point are hens past their prime?

Today I found about 20-30 in 10 minutes at the top of a hill with lots of old oak trees. About 75% of them looked good but when I got them home I realized they were actually very dry ... and others were still very wet but starting to discolor and/or their pores were very large.

Any suggestions other than using common sense?

[bluefinn]

I suppose they're like morels. Weather & the rest is up to them. Although it seems they don't need a lot of rain to grow. I've only been picking them for 4 years have found more this year than the other ones put together.. This is looking in the same woods. I'm in Ohio & nobody seems to be looking for hens so I think they started early. I've got small ones I'll be watching to see how fast they grow. Would also like to hear more comments on this because I haven't been picking them that long.

[frognutunl]

Hens seem to follow the night time low temperatures around 50-60 degrees. As soon as that first night hits, that is when I usually start looking. When the night time temps start to get 40 and below is when I generally will stop, though I have found a few here or there while hunting after that time that were still in okay condition.

As a general rule, I will pick the drier ones for soups and such and keep the moister ones for other purposes and store in the freezer. The mushrooms seem to get very bitter and earthy once they start to drop spores, so I do not generally pick them if I see white dust on the fronds and I would say this the first clue that the mushroom is past its prime eating condition.

Wes

[luckyshroomer]

I have been picking Hens for four years also. This year the first mature Hens appeared in the middle of August due to the massive rains we had in early Sunner, but I am watching several baby Hens as well. I determine elder hens when I find them with a light mildew haze on the frawns and caked around the core and no longer are firm, but limp and easily fall apart. I call these "leaverites"....leave 'r right there.
luckyshroomer....Brian