Hen of the Woods, also known as Maitake, Sheep's Head, Ram's Head or Chicken of the Woods, is a perennial mushroom. The numerous, overlapping, smoky-brown caps are reminiscent of a fluffed-up chicken, giving this mushroom its common name. In the United States, the hen of the woods mushroom is also known by its Japanese name, the maitake (which means “dancing mushroom”). Waterbury Hours: Dine-in & Take-Out. Hen of the woods mushrooms don’t have many lookalikes, which makes this mushroom safer to forage for than some other ones that have poisonous twins. So, if you can remember where you found this beauty (probably at the base of a sturdy hardwood or pine tree) you can go back and collect another next year. 5pm-10pm. The umbrella polypore – also known as the grifola … Season: Summer and fall. HEN OF THE WOOD WATERBURY 92 Stowe Street Waterbury Vermont 802 244 7300 WATERBURY@HENOFTHEWOOD.COM . It is … That’s a whopping 6 months out of the year that you can find it! Canning Hen of the Woods Mushrooms (and other safe-edible, wild mushrooms) at home is so easy and a great way to enjoy them even when they aren’t in season. 3 Chicken of the Woods Look-Alikes. Like with other mushrooms, certain environmental factors have to be right for the Maitake, sheepshead or hen of the woods mushrooms to grow. Of all the ways you can freeze Hen of the Woods, we love them breaded. Lookalikes. Study the following tips to ensure you find your fair share of Maitake mushrooms this fall. In this post I am only able to share the basic recipe and instruction. It is native to China, Europe, and North America. There are 3 ways we freeze them (1) cleaned/raw then cook from frozen (2) sautéed or boiled then frozen (3) Raw/Breaded then deep fried from frozen. Photo by Cannon Valley Foraging: Habitat/Hosts: Deciduous woodlands, especially woodland edges, on hardwoods, especially oak. Also known as hen-of-the-woods, maitake (舞茸, "dancing mushroom"), ram's head or sheep's head. HEN OF THE WOOD BURLINGTON 55 Cherry Street Burlington Vermont 802 540 0534 BURLINGTON@HENOFTHEWOOD.COM Burlington Hours: Dine-in & Take-out 7 days a week. Maitake have been used for Medicinal purposes in their native Japan and in China for many years Freezing – Perhaps the easiest way to save Hen of the Woods mushrooms for later is Freezing. Word of caution, if you loose power then obviously you’ll loose them too. Hen of the woods, Grifola frondosa, are a type of polypore mushroom, or bracket fungi, with a fruiting body that features open tubes or gills on the undersides.Hen of the woods mushrooms grow in tightly packed groups, or shelves, with soft overlapping caps. Maitake (Sheepshead, Hen of the Woods) Mushroom Hunting Tips. Fruiting season is typically in Autumn but can be found during spring (June) all the way to Autumn (December). Checking back frequently during harvest season to a spot where you know they grow – especially after a good rain – will increase your chances for a plentiful harvest. Identification : This easily recognized stalked polypore is common in eastern North America. It is typically found in late summer to early autumn. Hen of the Wood’s meaty texture and robust flavor stands up especially well to canning. Timing is everything. Tuesday-Saturday 5pm …