Usually for the last 20 years I have only used Suillus species in dried form for adding a beefiness to soups and sauces. An interesting mushroom with their felty caps and hollow stems deer can’t resist biting of the caps and leaving the stems still standing.
This one in the photo has a blonde cap which was a surprise as the cap is usually dark brown like the stem.
A couple photos of the fully expanded mushroom’s top and under side views.
I couldn’t recall the flavour of this mushroom when fresh so I decided to cook it with a little salt in its own juices to taste the true flavour of this fall mushroom which only grows under Larch trees. On its own the flavour was quite good with a hint of lemon. If you prepare this mushroom in the usually way we cook button mushrooms you will find it becomes to mushy to be appetizing and this is largely the reason why many Suillus are not considered good edibles south of Finland. The only thing holding Suillus cavipes from being a poplar edible mushroom especially here in the east coast of Canada where it is very common is a chef’s proper attention to this mushroom’s true potential. ciao
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