Although the main mushroom season is still ahead, spring mushrooms can already be found in various places. One such interesting mushroom is the sulfur shelf. It is a colorful (orange-yellow) mushroom that grows on trees. It appears in May on deciduous trees, including oaks, willows, sweet cherries and acacias. It is edible—and, it must be added, very tasty.
It is difficult to confuse with another bracket fungus. Its intense colors and growing season distinguish it from other mushrooms.
Anyone interested in the sulfur shelf’s taste should know that the mushroom requires heat treatment before consumption (boiling for 15–20 minutes). Only afterward can it be prepared for eating, for example as a breaded cutlet.
Because of its meaty texture, the sulfur shelf is called “Chicken of the Woods” by the English.
Where does the name sulfur shelf come from? It most likely refers to the mushroom’s intense color (sulfur yellow) and the smell of sulfur that can be detected while it is being boiled.
The sulfur shelf grows in forests, parks and allotment gardens. In Bolesławiec, we have already seen it on trees near the Bóbr River, by the municipal pond and in the area of Wesoła Street.
More about the sulfur shelf.