Summer cèpes arriving early in the South West
Summer mushrooms have arrived early across South West France, helped by this year’s hot and stormy weather.
A number of varieties, including cèpes (sometimes known in English as ‘penny buns’ or porcini, from the Italian word) and girolles, have been encouraged by the weather, and are likely to be popping up for sale at a farmers’ market near you soon.
This is significantly earlier than in previous years, with markets sometimes not expecting them until at least August.
Indeed, they are often known as ‘end of summer and autumn’ (‘champignons de fin d’été et d’automne’) because of their usual availability towards the end of the season.
At the moment, cèpes will cost you around €1,50 for 100g at a market in the South West region (including the Dordogne), and can be sold for between 15 to 25 euros per kilo, depending on their quality.
Most mushrooms of this variety in France are still collected in the wild, from where they grow in forests and woods.
However, it is not recommended that you go to pick them unless you have a very good idea of how to identify the right kinds of mushrooms, as farmers in the region are expert at choosing the right kind, identifying them by texture, feel, appearance, and smell.
If you are in any doubt whether your mushrooms are edible, you can ask at a pharmacie. French pharmacists are trained to help you do this, and the service is free.
