Where to find chantarelles & other wild mushrooms – Tip in Stockholm

Best tricks - how to pick, clean & cook wild mushrooms

Autumn is here and the mushroom hunt is underway! Take your family or a friend with you and head out into the woods. If you don't have any luck finding mushrooms, you will at least have had a nice day out with fresh air and peace and quiet. You don't have to be an expert to find mushrooms, it’s best to focus on learning how to recognize one or two mushroom varieties. Also learn in what kind of forest and land the mushroom thrives and the search will be easier. In this post, we share where you can find mushrooms and the best tricks for how to pick, clean and take care of your findings. At the end of the post, you will also get tips on restaurants in Stockholm that serve mushrooms on the menu.

Where to find chantarelles

The yellow chanterelles, also called “the gold of the forest”, are probably the most well know type of mushroom found in our Swedish forests. You will find  chanterelles throughout Sweden and most commonly between July and October. They thrive in deciduous and coniferous forests and are easy to spot with their stunning yellow/orange color in the green moss. Look where it is damp, often in moss, under leaf covers or near lakes and marshes.

How to find autumn chanterelles

In southern and central Sweden you will usually find funnel chanterelles, also called autumn chanterelles, between September and November. You can spot them by the thin funnel-shaped top, which is usually yellow brown to brownish-black on the top and yellow to gray ridges underneath and a hollow stem.  Look in  mossy forests, mainly in grand cubs but also in mixed forests. If you find a funnel chanterel, you usually find several in the same place as they grow in large groups in the same spot year after year.

Where to find Parasol Mushroom

Parasol Mushroom is a very tasty find but is easily confused with other mushrooms. If you are lucky enough to find one, you are probably in an open forest, in a meadow or in a clearing where the ground is sandy. It has a beautiful brown top and a hollow stem. Around the foot is there is a sturdy ring that you can easily loosen and bring up and down the stem. Usually, the parasol mushroom is found between August and October throughout the country.

How to prepare mushrooms after you have picked them

When picking mushrooms, use a dedicated knife with a brush on one side and a knife on the other. Do the first cleaning in the forest and you will reduce the amount of work at home and avoid bringing bugs, pine needles and leaves home. Mushrooms are picked in a basket or paper bag.

The first cleaning you do directly in the forest and once you get home you can spread them out to make sure they are all good quality.

• Mushrooms such as funnel chanterelles and black trumpet mushrooms can be dried. Use a mushroom dehydrator, regular oven at low temperature or place the mushrooms well spread out on newspaper. Once the mushrooms have dried, store it in well-sealed glass jars and they will keep for several years.
• If you want to freeze the mushrooms you’ll need to parboil them first. Put the mushrooms in a saucepan and let it boil in its own liquid at low temperature.
• If you cook it directly, first fry the mushrooms without adding any fat, then let the liquid reduce before adding butter and/or oil.

Find mushrooms in the Stockholm archipelago

Why not try your mushroom hunting luck in the archipelago? With the Cinderella boats you can get from Stockholm city to the archipelago islands Vaxholm, Grinda, Finnhamn, Möja and Sandhamn. Who knows, maybe the forests are filled with good mushrooms that no one has found!

Tip - Pre-book your boat ticket for guaranteed seat on board the Cinderella boats.

Stockholm tip - Eat mushrooms at restaurant

Do you love mushrooms, but not prepared to scavenge for your own? Of course, you can find mushrooms on the menu at many of Stockholm's restaurants at this time of year. We give you our three best tips on restaurants with mushrooms on the menu!

Swedish potato dumplings with mushrooms at M/S Östanå I
On board the beautiful archipelago ship M/S Östanå  I you can enjoy classic Swedish potato dumplings filled with seasonal mushrooms and aged cheese, topped with root chips and browned butter. In addition to the good food, you get to go on a guided archipelago tour where you get to see the best of the Stockholm archipelago.

Tip – Pre-book a table in the dining room to guarantee your seat aboard the Archipelago Tour with lunch.

Dishes with mushrooms at Sturehof
At the trendy Sturehof - a brasserie with Swedish influences and self-produced ingredients - you can eat butter-fried pike-perch with chanterelles. Good food in a fancy environment, located in the middle of the city!

Dinner cruise with S/S Stockholm
There is something special with the archipelago in the autumn. On board the beautiful S/S Stockholm you can enjoy mushroom tartare with marinated green tomato, capers, tarragon mayo, toast melba as a starter.

Tip – Pre-book a table in the dining room to guarantee your seat aboard the dinner cruise with S/S Stockholm.

Map - tips on restaurants in Stockholm with mushrooms on the menu