(35 votes, average: 4.14 out of 5)
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Bay Bolete
Edible 
Autumn 
Summer 
The Bay Bolete is a great mushroom and not far from the Penny Bun in gastronomic value. So much so, we could not differentiate between the two in a blind taste test, with only the less firm texture of the Bay Bolete giving it away.
| Mushroom Type | |
| Common Names | Bay Bolete |
| Scientific Name | Boletus / Imleria badia |
| Synonyms | Boletus badius |
| Season Start | Aug |
| Season End | Nov |
| Average Mushroom height (CM) | 13 |
| Average Cap width (CM) | 15 |
Cap
Often starts spherical opening to convex and flattening with age. A bit velvety when young. Dark brown or brown/brick coloured, slightly slimy when wet.
Pores
Yellow, large pores, bruising rapidly to a blue/green.
Stem
Pale brown looking vertically fibrous over a paler yellow background. Can be quite thick.
Flesh
White/pale yellow. Staining pale blue/green on cutting.
Habitat
Mixed woodland.
Possible Confusion
Can look like other Boletes (see Penny Bun, pictured,) but if you stick to the simple rule of avoiding any Bolete with red on the stem, pores or cap and any Bolete whose flesh turns rapidly blue when cut you will only pick edible Boletes. You will be missing out on some good edibles with that rule but you will be keeping yourself 100% safe.
Spore Print
Green/brown. Subfusiform.
Taste / Smell
Good when fresh with the pores removed, better when dried.
Frequency
Common.
Other Facts
A great find as Bay Boletes don’t often host maggots.
8 comments for Bay Bolete
You say avoid any Bolete whose flesh turns rapidly blue when you cut, then for the bay boletus you say flesh – “Staining pale blue/green on cutting”. So how do you tell the difference?
Hi Paul, I’m afraid that with the Bay Bolete you have to go by the stem, cap and habitat as it does break the rule of not eating blue fleshed Boletes. However, the poisonous Boletes have a very rapid colour change, within two to three seconds and stain dark or strong blue, the Bay Bolete takes several seconds to stain pale blue and it doesn’t always stain.
I need to know if the cap should be /or is slimy/sticky ? The ones I have found were on my golf course in the side of a dry ditch under fir trees it was wet at the time of picking and the cap is very sticky. Is it a feature? Thanks Rod Clay
Hi Rod, this mushroom has a slimy cap when wet but if the conditions are dry it can have a dry, very finely felty when young, cap.
Any favorite recipes you like or anybody else likes??
West Country stroganoff is a great way of cooking bay boletes.
Ive found what look like bay bolets but they don’t bruise are v pungent mushroomy smelling ? Must they bruise blue?
The pores of a Bay Bolete should bruise blue so I can’t say without seeing the mushrooms.