mercurydancer 1,104 Posted September 21, 2014 Report Share Posted September 21, 2014 Now that summer is broken, its time to look forward to the joys of autumn. One of the best is blewits. I dont know why, but blewits are very difficult to get up here in the wild north. They should be growing everywhere but they arent. I cal recall buying blewits in Victoria market but have not seen them there in years. I fondly recall my father taking me to woods near Ollerton when I was much younger and finding lots of lovely blewits. Does anyone know where blewits can be found (OK I understand that it may be a secret) or bought? I'd love to taste them again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted September 21, 2014 Report Share Posted September 21, 2014 Like a few others I know places where they can be found. A few years ago a pal told me there were thousands growing in a field of stubble Woodborough way...I told him not to talk so daft...'blueys don't like ploughed land' boy was I wrong the ruddy field was full of 'em...we filled carrier bags full.The next year not a one. There used to be some the size of dinner plates every year in ancient meadows near Hoveringham...the last time I went Tarmac had flooded the flippin' lot. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
banjo48 928 Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 I'm over in Notts next week, and high on my agenda is to visit a couple of spots I have tucked away in my memory, one is very close to my old home, near Carlton Gedling, so will see if there are any about. When I found this one spot I could not believe it as it was so close to suburbia and how productive it was. My other spot is a little further afield but not too far out of town :-)) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 What do you call a gay mushroom............. A fungi to be with. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mgread1200 141 Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 blewits need lots of leaf mould so look under oaks is what I was taught although I have found them under silver birches, aint had a bugger this year yet though. Some guy on youtube Claims to be able to cultivate them although I was always told it was not possible. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L85IWNO33J0 I think like eveything else though! half the craveing is because they are not easily available and its fun to get out and look for them. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Terry Sadler 27 Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 Just coming through in the beech wood at the northern end of Thieves wood 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mgread1200 141 Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 Just coming through in the beech wood at the northern end of Thieves wood Always been a good place to get a few out Mansfield way. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
68fb 0 Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 Up here in Perthshire our autumn fungi is mostly Chantrelles, Ceps (Boletus - many varieties) and Hedgehog Mushrooms - all great & prolific in mostly the Birch Woods! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mgread1200 141 Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 Does anyone know where blewits can be found (OK I understand that it may be a secret) or bought? I'd love to taste them again. I forgot to say! The last time I saw any for sale was last year on the small saturday Southwell market, Only go there once in a blue moon so I don't know if it's a regular thing when in season. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
katyjay 5,091 Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 Must admit I've never heard of Blewits before, I hate mushrooms and flick 'em out of any dish they appear in. My m-i-law though used to speak of blue buttons, is this the same thing as blewits? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 YUP! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mercurydancer 1,104 Posted September 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 Yes katyjay, blue buttons are the same thing. I adore mushrooms in any form even pickled! (Sounds revolting but pickled mushrooms are gorgeous!) Blue buttons are best fried, and my favourite is with a little fried bread too. Any other blewit recipe would be welcome. I can share my recipe for pickled mushrooms which if picked now would be ready for Christmas. I actually have two recipes for pickled mushrooms. One involves steeping the mushrooms in brine, mixing them with herbs and packing them in jars with some vinegar mixed with brine, and leaving in a dark place for a couple of months. The other recipe is to go to a Polish shop on Radford Road and buy them ready made. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 Fried bread, with and egg on top, two rashers of back bacon. blue buttons fried in the bacon fat. Brekkie fit for a king 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 You've GOT to have bacon with blueys...it's the law!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mercurydancer 1,104 Posted September 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 Indeed the breakfast of the finest kind. I dont like bacon but the fried egg is another joy to add to that special breakfast. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mercurydancer 1,104 Posted January 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 I was in Nottingham yesterday after a drive back from Gatwick. I had lots of time to have a good wander around Nottingham. I had a stroll round Victoria Market, and there, to my delight, was a stall selling blewits. I made careful note, and before my return home to Durham, I went back today and bought 5 quids worth of blewits. It was worth every penny. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed them and each mouthful was a delight. To me it is a very Nottingham fungus. I have not seen blewits on sale in any other shop, deli, stall or anywhere else in the world. I recall my father ( and not my mother, who normally did the cooking) frying blewits which he had bought from the pub, or we had gone into woods to find them for ourselves. I seem to recall that to eat blewits was that it was a "poor person's food" Not now. £5 got me just short of 250 grams of blewits, about 6 of them. I simply fried the blewits with a very little butter. So, what are the best blewit recipes? Any brave soul wanting to say where the blewit woods are? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
banjo48 928 Posted January 10, 2016 Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 Mercury I could tell you but I'd have to kill you afterwards ! :-)) One of my old spots is so close to a very busy road and built up area yet I've had pounds of them from there, and nobody around seems to know they could possibly be there ! It's actually a venue for a regular sporting event, but nod nod I've said enough. My favorite way to cook is a good portion of nice real dry cured streaky bacon done in the fry pan, then remove, add Bluey's and cook gently for a few minutes, then add salt and pepper and a little water to form a rich gravy, simmer for a few more minutes and serve with crusty bread to slurp up all those juices. Me mouths watering thinking about it, here in oz bluey's are just a memory but I cook field mushrooms or shiitake as a substitute and eat as above. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,464 Posted January 10, 2016 Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 On first sight, I assumed this was going to be something like.......... a shop on Arkwright St on in St Ann's in the 1950s which you vaguely remember. Then I vaguely remembered something about mushrooms. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blewit Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted January 10, 2016 Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 Two places where field Blewitts grew the size of dinner plates a few years back. Thoresby market in the small copses of trees where traders went for a pee cos they charged to use the loos... Nobody picked 'em in there. Down Hoveringham way near the sailing club....ancient meadows where they grew enormous....but no longer now Tarmac have turned the meadows into lakes. And my most amazing find years ago when for some strange reason for one season only a stubble field near Lambley was a mass of blueys....I filled carrier bags full....but they never came back. You'll always find some of the wood variety come November time in the woods at Burnststump....but there's a lot of competition from other enthusiasts. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
benjamin1945 16,158 Posted January 10, 2016 Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 Did you know 400 million years ago Mushrooms grew 24 feet tall ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Commo 1,292 Posted January 10, 2016 Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 What sort of frying pan would they have used? My mate's brother picked blueys in the General Cemetery but my friend declined to take any off him! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
benjamin1945 16,158 Posted January 10, 2016 Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 Commo,what sort of frying pan?...........A BIG'un 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 10, 2016 Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 Blewitts,sliced fried with diced onions in clarified butter,when onion is clear add some white wine and black pepper,a generous pinch of boullion, pour in the cream and cook until a gentle bubble,leave frying pan half off the ring- add a knob of butter..this will thicken it and enjoy! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PeverilPeril 3,281 Posted January 10, 2016 Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 Well!! In my ignorance I've been mowing field Blewitts up in France for years and just leaving the woodland variety alone Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Pianoman 1,532 Posted January 10, 2016 Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 Never heard of a blewit before. Are they magic? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.