Edible Fungi

[Pixie Toadstool]

I have been picking wild mushrooms to eat for many years now and these are the ones that I consider safest.  As far as I am aware they cannot very easily be confused with anything which is poisonous:

• Hedgehog fungus
• Chicken of the woods
• Beefsteak fungus
• Ceps
• Bay boletus

• Giant puffball

Everything else I can think of that is edible can possibly be confused with poisonous species.  Here is a list of some of the others I pick but check meticulously before eating:

• Wood blewit
• Field blewit
• The Prince
• Horse Mushroom
• Parasol
• Field Mushroom

• Chanterelles

• Morels
• Trompette de mort
• Oyster mushrooms

If you look up any of these on the internet you should be able to find reasonable photos to use for identification.

I also use Roger Phillips' book - any other books I have come across give insufficient detail or inadequate pictures to give me the confidence to try them.

So far this year I have only managed a reasonable haul of hedgehog fungus - which was early due to the wet summer, I think.

Pix (aka Valerie)

[Cat]

Roger Phillips has a great mushroom site as well http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/chooser.asp

We've nothing exciting yet (mushroom-wise) either.

[Pierre ZFP]

Here in Luxembourg there is a huge abundance of musrooms of all sorts.  You can't take a walk in th ewoods for stepping on them.  I'll have a look at Roger's site and if I can definitely and unambiguosly identify some I'll give it a try, after checking with a collegue who can identify some safe types.

 

[Hagar]

Hi Pix,

Interesting that you list Morels as one that can be confused with poisonous species. I wasn't aware that there was anything else quite like them - particularly since they appear so much earlier than most other species.

Is there something I should be careful to avoid ?

rgds

 

hagar

[Pixie Toadstool]

Hi there Hagar,

Gyromitra esculenta is deadly!  Check this out! [+o(]

http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/DisplayBlock~bid~5984.asp

I can't remember why I am not too sure about oyster mushrooms but something in the back of my mind suggests that there is something a little like them which will at least make you sick!

Pix

[5-element]

Pixie, what about shaggy ink caps? When they are very young, crisp, very tasty and safe - I used to pick them on the campus green when I was a student!

 

[Pixie Toadstool]

I have never tried shaggy ink caps because I don't think you can drink with them (alcohol) - they have the same or a similar compound in them as Antabuse - which they used to give alcoholics to try and get them to dry out - it makes you vomit if you drink alcohol!!

[+o(]

Just realised how sad that makes me sound - can't go a day without a drink!! [:$]

Pix

[5-element]

As far as I know, it is the False shaggy ink cap which has the same properties as Antabuse. The name of this false shaggy inkcap (quite easy to differentiate from the real one) escapes me at the moment, but is easy to look up.

Perhaps you have been depriving yourself unnecessarily all these years![:D]

[Danny]

mmm, yes

The Shaggy inkcaps I ate were very tasty but they did not go with the nice red wine and I had really bad hangover symptoms for 3 days because of it. So I avoid "coprinus" 'cos I like to drink too. Even if you have alcohol 3 or 4 days later than eating the shaggy ink caps it can still cause this reaction.

Danny

EDIT ADDED - PS yes it was the real shaggy ink cap not the common ink cap I ate. But both can have the same effect.

 

[5-element]

Thank you for clarifying that!

Not a problem for me as I am a virtual teetotaller (not meaning that I feel virtuous because of it!) but obviously an issue for someone who is not.[+o(]