Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Russulales
Family: Russulaceae
Genus: Lactarius
Species: L. indigo
Me: That Blue Mushroom
Over the weekend, I discovered
some blue mushrooms. I did not remember
seeing any before, but now that my eyes are watching for them, I have found
them in many different areas around the lake! I called on my friends from the Mushroom Club of Georgia, www.gamushroomclub.org a group that has visited TCP several times. They quickly
identified it as Lactarius indigo. Fascinated by the rich, deep color, I
decided to read up on dyes and mushrooms, and I began experimenting with a
batch! If all goes as planned, I hope to dye some cotton squares for new prayer
cloths for the labyrinth cove. I am
planning to use natural plant and mineral dyes found around here, and blue will
be a wonderful addition!
I started with the mushrooms. Immediately, I was surprised by the oozy blue
“milk” all over my hands from simply picking it. I knew the mushroom was edible, so I was not
worried about any toxins, but it reminded me of an almost permanent blue
medicine I once used on horse cuts and scratches. (I was thinking I might have to hide my hands
for awhile!)
I boiled 2 cups of water, and I added about ½ cup of
vinegar. I sliced the mushrooms and
added them to the pot of hot water. I
let them steep until cooled, and then I poured them into jars to “age.” In reading more about these mushrooms, they
turn greenish when exposed to air, so one of the mushrooms may have been too
old…the batch seems to have a greenish tint, but I’m learning!! In looking at
the paper towel I used to clean the dirt off of the mushroom, I saw that the
dye is that bold blue…maybe I need to use my mortise and pestle and smash them
up and use that for stamping….maybe that’s tomorrow’s project! Here are some pictures from today:
