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Safest mushrooms to forage and eat
- joshgev 5y agoI'm surprised to see morels aren't on the list. Anyone who confuses a morel for a false morel is _really_ not paying attention. On the other hand, there are toxic (not deadly) boletes that can more easily be confused for porcini mushrooms. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- runarberg 5y agoIndeed, I remember at my very first mushroom hunt I picked up some morels. After I went home and consulted my mushroom book there was no mistaken that what I had picked were indeed false morels. This autumn was third season, and I have yet to find a authentic morels though.
- treerunner 5y agoMorels are a spring mushroom.
- runarberg 5y agoHeh, no wonder I only ever find false morels... On the flip side, after moving to the Pacific North West from northern Europe I simply cannot get over how long the mushroom season is here.
- alkonaut 5y agoEven regular morels are (at least around here) toxic when picked and must be properly cooked to be safely eaten. So while delicious I wouldn’t place them on a list of “safest” for that reason. Toxic mushrooms that can be confused for porcini are very rare in most countries. Rare enough that one can generally neglect the risk of ever seeing one. In places where those are common it might be another story of course. I think that’s important to stress: advice like this is geographically local . The list of safest mushrooms to pick in North America is not necessarily the same list as it would be in Europe. Use local advice.
- giantg2 5y agoWith very few exceptions, wild mushrooms are supposed to be cooked before eaten. Do you have more info on uncooked morel risks?
- alkonaut 5y agoThe morels can be pretty nasty though compared to those on this list. E.g a common mistake is to dry them in a regular kitchen oven. When you do, you’ll risk endning up with bad headache or nausea if your kitchen isn’t well ventilated. This doesn’t exactly happen when drying porcini. Morel toxicity is mentioned very briefly on the Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morchella https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morchella
- zwkrt 5y agoAnd it’s even more local than that. In the WA area you will find completely different mushrooms and have to be good at different positive idenfication techniques depending on what type of forest you are in
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- nabilhat 5y agoI was about to post the same reaction to this article, because morels are even more distinctly identifiable than chantrelles, and of course, I've know for 40 years that they're safe to eat. That's what I've always heard, at least. I realized that I've never challenged the common knowledge and assumptions I've carried around for my entire life. It was worth the effort. I've (unintentionally) never eaten morels without cooking them, and now I know that I shouldn't. In regard to wild-sourced foods especially, it's good to acknowledge that safety knowledge is stocked with heaps of just-so stories and context-dependent tradition. I'll still snag a few morels when I seen a bunch, but now I know that my collection of common knowledge about them isn't comprehensive. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morchella#Toxicity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morchella#Toxicity
- Alex3917 5y ago> there are toxic (not deadly) boletes that can more easily be confused for porcini mushrooms. Assuming that B. Huronensis isn't deadly, which afaik is unknown: https://namyco.org/boletus_huronensis.php https://namyco.org/boletus_huronensis.php http://www.fungikingdom.net/articles-by-bill-bakaitis/toxicology/diagnosis-at-a-distance.html http://www.fungikingdom.net/articles-by-bill-bakaitis/toxico...
- notjulianjaynes 5y agoThe non-toxic but unpalatable bitter bolete is another close lookalike [1]. Personally I have found correctly identifying boletes to be much more difficult than any other mushrooms on the list. The Bolete Filter [2] is a great resource IMO. Chantrelles are very easy once you understand their characteristics, but I think it's irresponsible for the author to suggest just looking at some pictures of jack o lanterns and calling it a day. During a dry spell of foraging, I once deluded myself into thinking a large patch of Turbinellus floccosus [3] were golden chanterelles, only realizing my mistake a few minutes before cooking dinner. [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tylopilus_felleus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tylopilus_felleus [2]https://boletes.wpamushroomclub.org/product/boletus-edulis/ https://boletes.wpamushroomclub.org/product/boletus-edulis/ [3]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbinellus_floccosus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbinellus_floccosus
- Alex3917 5y ago> Personally I have found correctly identifying boletes to be much more difficult than any other mushrooms on the list. Same. I suspect the way to get good at it is to take the Eagle Hill Institute class on boletes when the Bessettes are teaching it, but I haven't actually done that.
- giantg2 5y agoSame for pheasant back and wood ear.
- UncleOxidant 5y ago> On the other hand, there are toxic (not deadly) boletes Devil's Bolete? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubroboletus_satanas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubroboletus_satanas
- pvaldes 5y agoDeadly for sure, in the right amount. Huronensis is even worse because satanas colour is a flashing warning
- poulsbohemian 5y agoI used to feel the same way, until I saw examples of gyromitra that look a lot like morchella and vice versa. It also gets complicated because there are varieties of gyromitra that are edible if properly prepared. Mushroom hunting is a lot of fun, but I’d rather leave something in the field if I’m not 100% sure if the species.
- vidarh 5y agoYeah, I'm Norwegian and when looking up morels to see what the Norwegian name would be the reaction I had to seeing it was that it looks like "sandmorkel" - gyromitra esculenta - which is toxic unless boiled, and which were warned to avoid having too many meals of even after boiling because the toxins build up. More than one family have ended up hospitalized after standing over the pot just to smell it while boiling...
- dustintrex 5y agoFalse morels are also edible and commercially sold as such in several Scandinavian countries, they just need fairly elaborate preparation and even that doesn't get rid of all the toxins. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyromitra_esculenta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyromitra_esculenta
- maxerickson 5y agoBeefsteak mushrooms are pretty common in Michigan, and not really what I would call a false morel, as they aren't very similar (I'm sure they do get called that though). I always referred to Verpa as false morels: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verpa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verpa
- culi 5y agoNot to mention that if you fail and accidentally pick a false morel, it's still an edible mushroom either way
- yaacov 5y agoFalse Morels (Gyromitra esculenta) can have toxic amounts of hydrazine, it is usually safe WHEN COOKED but a couple people have died from them.
- vidarh 5y agoPeople have been hospitalized for just standing around the pot while cooking. And a key point is that you need to know how to cook it, e.g. to boil it sufficiently in a well ventilated room and throw away the water.
- tuukkah 5y agoI would add the yellowfoot to the list. Perhaps also the sheep polypore.
- giantg2 5y agoI thought they usually lump yellow foots in with chanterelles?
- tuukkah 5y agoOh, perhaps they do. I don't think you should lump mushroom species though, as the rules for distinguishing the related species from inedible species will be different.
- giantg2 5y agoYeah, but they do it all the time. Like morels - there are tons of different morels, but we typically use "morel". Or for boletes, same thing. Even puffballs, oysters, etc. Even chanterelles have a bunch of different species that it refers to.
- exhilaration 5y agoI'm on a WhatsApp group with my neighbors in Pennsylvania, one of them sent this back in September: I would advise getting some live instruction and experience rather than relying only on guidebooks and online sources, since many poisonous mushrooms look very similar to edible ones. That’s just my opinion. My dad grew up on a farm and thought he knew this mushroom to be edible. Mushrooming is a beautiful thing but I personally wouldn’t risk it without gaining a level of expertise. I’ve been going back and forth all night between the children’s wing and the ER observation room to see my 2 year old and 80 year old father, with both of them projectile vomiting and diarrhea and heart rates twice their normal level.
- xendo 5y agoYou should never give mushrooms to kids below 10. What in adults can lead to vommiting can cause serious liver damage for kids.
- Normal_gaussian 5y agoMost importantly - live instruction for the region you are in. Many asian foragers get into distress in the UK due to similar looking but different funghi.
- vidarh 5y agoThis is one of the most important things for people to remember, to not be confident that their knowledge from one place transfers. I grew up in Norway and now live in the UK. I haven't been foraging since I moved to the UK and despite the similar climate I wouldn't even do that here without first getting either instruction or at least reading a good field guide over what is actually safe to pick here... I'm guessing it's probably mostly the same ones to look out for, but no way I'd take that risk without triple-checking.
- julianeon 5y agoThere is a saying in the mushroom foraging community: There are old mushroom hunters and there are bold mushroom hunters, but there are no old, bold mushroom hunters.
- UncleOxidant 5y agoThere's a Russian saying that goes something like: "All mushrooms are edible, but some you only eat once"
- hilbert42 5y agoAbsolutely right.
- brtknr 5y agoI have never learnt more about mushrooms than I did after reading this article followed by discussion on HN. Any visual mushroom foraging books anyone would recommend for the UK?
- accumulator 5y agoThis article offers terrible advice to novice foragers. It's irresponsible at best, even with the disclaimer in the opening paragraph. Experts such as David Arora advise foragers that, "people can have adverse idiosyncratic reactions to edible mushrooms just as they can to scallops or peanut butter. Since each kind of mushroom is a different food, you can be allergic to one but not the other. To minimize the chances of an adverse reaction, cook each kind well and eat a modest amount the first few times" [Arora. All the Rain Promises and More. 1991]. Be careful when cooking wild mushrooms for friends and family even if you are 100% sure of your identification. Despite being considered "foolproof" from an identification perspective, mushrooms like the Chicken of the Woods can make you very ill ("gastrointestinal distress" is worse than it sounds) if they're growing on pretty much anything besides an oak (e.g. conifer, buckeye, etc). Puffballs are also notorious for giving people stomach aches. I've been mushroom foraging for over 15 years and about 10 years ago I made this mistake - correct identification of Chicken of the Woods (tasted great!) but was growing on a conifer. I not only made myself sick but a few of my friends too. Thankfully they forgave me as we are very good/old friends but since then I very rarely cook any wild mushroom for anyone besides myself.
- hilbert42 5y ago"This article offers terrible advice to novice foragers. It's irresponsible at best, even with the disclaimer in the opening paragraph." I agree, despite having almost certain knowledge of at least a few of the safer types, I'd never pick mushrooms from the wild. The consequences of even one badie getting into the mix can be too horrible to contemplate. Often there's no antidote and you're dead within days.
- FpUser 5y agoFrom the ones mentioned Porcini and Chanterelle are my favorites. Yum.
- lmilcin 5y agoThere is no such thing as safest mushrooms. The safest mushrooms are the ones that you know well. Buy a good guide. Learn ones that grow in your neighbourhood. Study the notes carefully. A good book will show all mushrooms that looks similar to the one you want to pick and will show how to exactly identify the mushroom by specific features of it rather than overall look and feel. NEVER pick a mushroom because it "looks" ok or because you "remember" there was a nice edible mushroom that looked like the one you are seeing. Only pick the ones that you know well and only when you have positively went over mental checklist of all the features it needs to have in order to be safe. -- This is my favourite mushroom: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrolepiota_procera https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrolepiota_procera Here are some deadly lookalikes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophyllum_molybdites https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophyllum_molybdites https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepiota https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepiota https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_phalloides https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_phalloides They do not look alike to me, but I know people do mistake them from time to time with tragic consequences.
- ravenstine 5y ago> They do not look alike to me, but I know people do mistake them from time to time with tragic consequences. Some people just shouldn't be foraging. I've met enough idiots out in the field that I do believe some have the natural skill and for others... it at least would have to really work at it. I don't entirely agree with your statement that "there is no such thing as safest mushrooms". If you consider what a mushroom grows in, the region, the time of year, the gills or pores, the scent (often unappreciated), among any more specific distinguishing features, things like oyster mushrooms and morels can be more reliably identified by less experienced foragers than say hen of the woods. Like, I basically agree when it comes to the least apt of foragers, but that doesn't mean that someone skilled has to apply equal paranoia to all mushrooms as if they've never seen a mushroom before. Just don't go on looks alone.
- lmilcin 5y ago> Just don't go on looks alone But that is exactly the point. You don't pick a mushroom because it "looks" like the one on the picture. You pick a mushroom after you have familiarised yourself with other ones that look closest to what you are picking. People with no experience don't yet know which differences are and which aren't significant.
- throwawayboise 5y ago> I personally avoid both the dog-turd fungus and the wolf-fart puffball Good advice, assuming the names are anything close to literal descriptions.
- marcrosoft 5y agoI would take puffballs off this list. Young deadly amanitas look like puffballs. Always cut in half lengthwise when harvesting puffballs.
- throwawayboise 5y ago> virtually all mushrooms are at least mildly poisonous in their raw form and must be cooked before they’re eaten First I've heard that -- I eat raw white "supermarket" mushrooms (sometimes portabella and shittake also) in salads quite often.
- Mumps 5y agoYours is a bit of a strange comment. The "supermarket" white mushroom ( Agaricus bisporus ) is the same as: white mushroom, button mushroom, champignon mushroom, cremini/crimini mushroom,[4][5] chestnut mushroom, And the portobello/a. Just because you can eat a few species raw doesn't contradict the statement the virtually all require cooking.
- throwawayboise 5y agoI'm just saying that I have never heard that cooking was required/recommended to make any mushroom safe to eat. I had assumed they were either safe, or not, and cooking them was a separate matter, mostly of preference.
- varsketiz 5y agoThere are varying degrees of preparations to be safe for various mushrooms. There are a few you can eat raw. There are a few that will kill you even if you cook them 10 times. And there is everything in between - from mushrooms that you cook once, to those you need to cook 3 times, replacing the water each time and ventilating to not inhale the vapor :)) Source - 30 years of experience foraging and learning from grandmom.
- freeqaz 5y agoThere are only a handful of species that have been eaten raw enough times to be generally regarded as "safe". Crimini/button mushrooms being among them, as well as king boletes.
- nereye 5y ago
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- throwaway984393 5y agoExtremely surprising that Field and Stream would open themselves up for lawsuits this way. There's basically no safe advice for foraging mushrooms. It's like writing an article on how to safely eat raw chicken.
- tonyoconnell 5y agoYou can use an app called Picture Mushroom to ID mushrooms
- wiremaus 5y agoThe visual AI identification apps are neat, but can and will make dangerous misidentifications. They cannot be used for foraging.
- throwawayboise 5y agoI like how it boils down to "you just have to know." And those who know don't like to share because they like to know that they know and you don't know.
- catillac 5y agoMentioned above, but got into foraging lightly a couple years ago and found the community to be absolutely welcoming and open. I have not gotten a hint of not wanting to share.
- kergonath 5y agoThat is usually quite far from the truth. But there are many factors beyond looks that you need to consider, e.g. smell, location, how it reacts when you scratch it, whether some bits are sticky or not, etc. No app will ever work simply because a picture is not enough. Nobody can tell you all of it like that, not because they don’t want to, but simply because this is just an enormous amount of information that is very context sensitive. There are some very good books if you want to learn. Otherwise, join a bunch of people when they go out looking for mushrooms, the best way to learn is by following them. There really is no substitute.
- catillac 5y agoAnecdotally I got into mushroom foraging a couple years ago and have used this app a number of times. It is completely unreliable.
- bitcurious 5y agoFun list, but: Do Not Use As Your Guide. Here is a mushroom that will kill you, which looks just like a puffball until you cut it in half: https://marksteinmetz.photoshelter.com/image/I0000IoVqJv8YbGs https://marksteinmetz.photoshelter.com/image/I0000IoVqJv8YbG... If you're interested in foraging mushrooms, which is super fun and [ful]filling, I recommend seeking out your local Mycological Society and joining them for some guided walks. These will help you learn what to pay attention to when identifying mushrooms. They also typically host Foraging 101 classes, which are similar to the article but with a greater focus on deadly lookalikes and safety, and maybe some recipes! They also often have annual mushroom feasts where you can eat some fun and unusual stuff. As a general practice, for the first year of your foraging (and maybe a for a while after) have a more experienced forager/expert validate your IDs. A good resource is also the mushroom identification Reddit. Finally, get a book! I have maybe a dozen, but by far my most used is the The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms by Gary Lincoff. Excellent for identifying mushrooms you're likely to run into, although the scientific names aren't super accurate.
- mizzao 5y agoI joined a mushroom foraging expedition once and all the experienced mushroom hunters had a universal rule of never eating white mushrooms because of the possibility of amanita poisoning.
- culi 5y agoHmm that's interesting because there are plenty of white mushrooms that are very edible and easy to identify. I think the truth is there's no real universal rules to mushroom hunting. The types of mushrooms you'll find in your locale can vary drastically and there are really solid rules to follow that are only relevant to that area alone That being said, you should never think you're 100% on an LBM (little brown mushroom)
- systemvoltage 5y agoThey're found in Bay Area. This thing is insane - it is still toxic after freezing or cooking it: http://bayareamushrooms.org/mushroommonth/amanita_phalloides.html http://bayareamushrooms.org/mushroommonth/amanita_phalloides...
- ianai 5y agoIs there a book a layperson could read to get up to speed on what’s known about fungi? Or set of papers? I’m curious about algae too.
- khazhoux 5y agoI'll admit that I simply don't understand people's passion for foraging mushrooms. You walk around and find these things that taste good (with a slight risk of illness)... so, ok? I go to Whole Foods every week where I'm surrounded by thousands of amazing delicacies, more than I'll ever be able to sample, yet no one makes foraging at Whole Foods their hobby. Would love to hear from anyone who's passionate about mushrooms, to understand where it comes from.
- cyberbanjo 5y agoForaging at Whole Foods is shoplifting and people do that.
- halpert 5y agoPeople like to enjoy nature in their own way. Some people like to rock climb, which is a very dangerous activity. Others like to forage mushrooms, which comes with its own danger.
- throwawayboise 5y agoI don't get it either. My wife's side of the family goes crazy about morels. They have secret hunting spots whose location is carefully protected. I've tried them, they just taste like .... mushrooms. I don't get the infatuation. Along with the risk of illness/death if you mistakenly pick the wrong one. I'll stick to cultivated mushrooms from the supermarket.
- dkjaudyeqooe 5y ago> with a slight risk of illness Unless you pick up very innocent looking Death Cap or Destroying Angel mushrooms, then it's certain death. The only danger in Wholefoods is to your wallet.
- postalrat 5y agoSeems like every year some people end up dying from some sort of mass food poisoning.
- Guest19023892 5y ago
- xyproto 5y agoThe white puffball mushroom looks similar to amanita virosa, which is deadly. https://image.forskning.no/156876.jpg https://image.forskning.no/156876.jpg Almost every year, someone from China dies in Norway, because they picked it and thought it was edible, unfortunately.
- gkop 5y agoHow the heck are morels not on this list? Delicious, not commercially available, very hard to grow, easy to identify safely, and grow across the country.
- maxerickson 5y agoThe easy identification is a bit of an acquired skill. I feel like I can identify them at a glance vs similar species, bit it's apparent enough that it isn't always the case.
- bell-cot 5y agoLong years ago, my high school biology teacher (master's degree in biology, decades of experience hunting mushrooms) nearly killed herself - by accident, eating wild mushrooms. Like many teens, I was pretty stupid about risks. But that convinced me that "never, ever eat wild mushrooms" was the only sane way to go.
- poulsbohemian 5y agoI really appreciate hearing the details of stories like this, IE: what did she think she had found, how familiar was she with the species, what was it that caused her to misidentify, etc. Helps us all out when we can learn from each other - one of the things I really like about talking to other mushroom people is there willingness to share.
- bell-cot 5y ago(The event was ~1/2 century ago. And if any such details were shared with any mere student, I was not aware of it.)
- poulsbohemian 5y agoUnderstood - I shared more as a PSA given that there seems to be a lot of mushroom enthusiasts here on HN. It’s something that frustrates me about articles and even books on mushrooms.
- DanielleMolloy 5y agoMushroom foraging is a popular autumn activity in my local area. To prevent poisonings, cities have registered (usually volunteering) mushroom experts you can bring your harvest to; which they will check and determine for you.
- nwatson 5y agoIn France, pharmacists are trained to identify foraged mushrooms [0], some pharmacists are better than others at this. [0] https://www.connexionfrance.com/Practical/Health/Can-French-pharmacists-advise-on-edible-poisonous-mushrooms https://www.connexionfrance.com/Practical/Health/Can-French-...
- joshgev 5y agoYeah, I found some boletes a few months ago and out of an abundance of caution took them to three different pharmacists in Paris and every one looked at me like I was a crazy person for bringing wild mushrooms into the pharmacy. "We don't do that" is all I was told. One pharmacist student, an acquaintance of mine, told me they were probably going to make me sick. After doing research into the matter and asking old foragers I met in the woods, though, I decided to eat them and they were definitely delicious and non-deadly porcinis. Know what you are doing and make sure the people you are talking about are knowledgeable. EDIT: I am not disputing your claim, BTW. But I think it is just like the fact that all US doctors took a few semesters of organic chemistry doesn't meant that they can tell you anything useful about the subject.
- martingoodson 5y agoI’ve made this comment before: If anyone wants to start eating wild mushrooms and doesn't want to poison themselves I recommend this approach: 1. Choose one edible mushroom species that is often found in your region and is difficult to mis-identify (ceps, giant puffballs, beefsteak, field mushrooms etc) 2. Get to know this species inside out and learn which species look similar to it, especially any poisonous species. Learn the visual differences. 3.Learn the diagnostic tests (spore prints, smell tests, color changes on bruising). 4. Go mushroom picking! 5. Don't eat anything until you've picked this species so many times that you have become expert in identifying it. 6. Start learning about a new species and repeat
- thelittleone 5y agoThere was an interesting session with Joe Rogan and Paul Stamets, an amazing mycologist [1]. During that interview Stamets said that talking about Portabello mushrooms could put his life in jeopardy. Further research suggests that Portabello (among other mushrooms) contain hydrazine, a carcinogenic [2]. [1]https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/paul-stamets-says-talking-about-portabello-mushrooms-could-put-his-life-in-jeopardy.25942/ https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/paul-stamets-says... [2]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2132000/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2132000/
- WalterBright 5y agoThe safest mushrooms to forage and eat are the ones foraged from the grocery store.
- pvaldes 5y agoThen you are assuming that the forager that sold the mushroom to the grocery knows more than you. Don't do this. Learn, read a lot and take the control about what you eat and don't. This is the safest way. And this is not restricted to botany, you need geology knowledge also. Because edible species can poison you also. Some Agaricus species that are unmistakable and fine otherwise store high amounts of heavy metals when growing in contaminated soils. Don't ask me how I discovered it.
- dreamcompiler 5y agoI rescue and relocate venomous snakes my neighbors find in their yards. They're easy to identify (in the US) and easy to deal with if you have a modicum of training. But wild mushrooms scare the shit out of me. The only mushrooms I'll eat are accompanied by a cash register receipt.
- anm89 5y agoChantrelles are a terrible pick here imo. They can be easily mistaken for highly poisonous and probably even more common jack-o-lanterns
- lawlorino 5y agoThis is interesting and really highlights why these kinds of lists are dangerous, since the answers are very region dependent. In Finland we have no chanterelle lookalikes (to my basic knowledge), but this changes as you point out if you live somewhere that Jack o lantern a grow.
- SoonDead 5y agoI opened the comments just to warn people how shitty this article is, but I guess I was not the only one. In my experience foraging is regional, locals know what kind of mushrooms grow in which forest. This kind of "look out for these LOL" list is not useful at all. e.g in my region the parasol mushrooms are one of the best picks due to their sheer size and distinct characteristics. I would recommend it more to beginners. Some mushrooms on the list have similar quite toxic ones, and here there is only one picture, there is no explanation on what to look out for. I hope no reader gets the false impression of it being safe (which is literally in the title of the article). Hate it.
- Zickzack 5y agoAs so many others have said, this article is dangerous for your health. Firstly, how can mushroms harm you? 1. The most common case - rotten mushrooms. Mushrooms live in interesting places. If your mushroom has begun to rot and you did not watch out, then you will suffer from food poisoning. Beginners are hardly able to tell whether a mushroom is fresh. 2. Mushrooms that have not been prepared properly. Must mushrooms are poisonous, if eaten raw. Some can be stir fried, but there are species where every part of the mushroom must be given full heat for at least a quarter of an hour. Ignore this, and you will regret it. 3. Personal intolerance - quite some species are known to be digestible by some and to give bad reactions to others. This may even mean death. Learn that carefully, and go step by step when you try them while avoiding the all too dangerous stuff. 4. Poisonous in the strict sense. When one explains mushrooms to inexperienced people, you have to teach them about the defining features of a certain species. This means that if any of the features is not clear, different, or missing, then they may not eat the mushroom. "I believe" is ok, just do not eat it. In detail: Puffballs - he must be joking. There are too many of them, and the beginner will not even understand what to look for. Chanterelles - he even mentions the Jack O'Lantern without specifying the specific difference. That difference is ridges instead of gills. Further, there are many mushrooms with ridges, but I dare anyone to explain the similarity of a ridge of a chanterelle to a ridge of a trumpet of the dead (do not let the name scare you). Oyster mushrooms - oh yes, they can be mistaken. Saying that they are difficult to mistake depends on the knowledge of the person and that may vary wildly. Chicken of the woods - there is a persistent rumor that it is poisonous, if it grows on a poisonous tree. You will need botanic knowledge to be safe. Hen of the woods - not even this one is foolproof. King bolete - too little detail given, while many people still believe that all mushrooms with pores are edible. This is a dangerous and wrong belief. Lion's mane - I bet money on that there are people who will mistake an old hedgehog mushroom for a lion's mane.
- s1artibartfast 5y agoHow could anyone mistake a hedgehog for a lions mane? The same person would confuse apples and lettuce. They might also confuse toilets for fondue pots
- hericium 5y agoCultivating mushrooms on one's own seems safer. There are species of edible and safe fungi - like Hericium erinaceus (lion's mane) or Lentinula edodes (shiitake) - which can be grown in the backyard or in-house terrarium. Lion's mane is eaten raw in parts of Asia as it becomes toxic at about 7g of raw mushroom per 1kg of body. It's the only organism known to produce a substance called Erinacine A, which stimulates nerve growth factor synthesis. There are some other fungi - like Trametes versicolor (turkey tail) or Ganoderma lucidum (raishi) - with medicinal properties also proven by western medicine. In most parts of the world, above species can be cultivated to be less polluted than store bought dried mushrooms. Fungi absorb heavy metals like crazy.
- RavingGoat 5y agoI would suggest taking the Mushroom Mountain certified foraging class if the certification covers your state. It's valid in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Pennsylvannia, New York, Rhode Island. It allows you to forage and sell mushrooms legally. https://shop.mushroommountain.com/collections/wild-mushroom-certification https://shop.mushroommountain.com/collections/wild-mushroom-...