Hint for drying specimens

[jonbem]

Hi to all
Just thought I would pass this suggestion to you.
Inspired by the strings of chillis that you can get in meditterranean environments, I wondered if similar could be done with fungi.
So here is the tip.
After you have taken your spore sprint (if required).
Cut a 50mm to 1cm square (approx) from cereal packet or similar thin card. Thread a needle with thick cotton/darning cord through and double length (depending on stipe & cap thickness of your specimen!). Knot the two strands at the loose end. Poke needle through your 1cm card square then thread your fungi throught the centre of the cap and up through the stipe.
Now at approx 2-3 cm above end of stipe, cut thread, then knot this end.
Hang on a hook in a suitable place to dry, with the cap at the base and stipe upwards. (Preserves any remaining spores (the lazy ones!) for future study if required)
Maybe due to the airflow in my flat kitchen this seems to work well for me.
you can get cheap suction cup hooks to stick to side of your fridge (or elsewhere) if you search the internet (for example Choiceful.com: Online Shopping for Home and Garden, Kitchen and Cookware, Outdoor Leisure, Building and DIY & more) . Only a few quid for lots!
Anyway, once your specimen is dessicated you can then store in a bog standard multi-section DIY screw/nail plastic cabinet.

Good Luck

Jon