INTRODUCTION
Picking and eating wild mushrooms can be one of the most rewarding experiences any lover of the out of doors or gourmet cooking can experience. Edible wild mushrooms are many times more delectable than store-bought button mushrooms. Many people believe the taste of Morels tops the list. As you comb the woods and fields for mushrooms, you will likely learn more about the out of doors than you ever felt possible. The experience is like hunting for a treasure chest. It is exciting and fun. However, you need to be aware of potential dangers.
SOME GUIDELINES FOR YOUR HUNT
You will encounter many very nice people. You may also encounter tics, poisonous snakes, bears or wild dogs. Be careful not to break a leg or get lost. Be cautious, but enjoy the hunt. Be exacting in your mushroom identification. Buy several field guides to aid you, and triple check your information. Go hunting with someone who really knows what they are doing. By all means join a mushroom club. If you do, your learning curve will increase dramatically. If you don’t know of one, check the North American Mycological Association website at www.namyco.org and find the one closest to you. Remember that any source may produce a mistake, so cross-check everything. I may even have a mistake in this book, try as I did to make it accurate. It is up to you to triple-check what I say as well.
Do you know who’s who? One of these can be lethal; the other is a harmless delicacy. (Deadly Galerina on left, Eastern King Bolete on right)
BEFORE YOUR FIRST BITE
Some people are allergic to chocolate, peanuts or milk; others are allergic to specific mushrooms even though they are edible. The first time you eat a mushroom, eat only a small quantity. Don’t eat more than one new type of mushroom at a time. Always thoroughly clean and cook wild mushrooms. Check the field guides to see what they say about alcohol consumption with the mushroom; some mushrooms and alcohol don’t mix. You don’t eat rotting meat; don’t eat rotting mushrooms. Mushroom rule number one is: When in doubt, throw it out! Always keep a refrigerated sample (whole, uncooked mushroom) of what you have eaten, which will aid health workers in treating you if you have made a mistake.
IT’S ALL ABOUT ID’ING
This booklet is intended to be a guide to some of the more common edible wild mushrooms and their poisonous look-alikes. It should be only one of the tools you use in identification. Most of the photos in this book have been set up in a way that their use will aid in the mushroom identification process. Some photos show the mushrooms cut in half so you can see how the interior looks or how the cap is attached; others show habitat, plants or trees.
SAFE, NOT SORRY
Although I have picked and eaten wild mushrooms for over 35 years, I always err on the side of caution. As delicious as they may be, they can be dangerous or deadly. The safest thing is not to eat wild mushrooms at all. If you choose to eat them anyway, the responsibility is entirely yours.
That being said, I have one more word for you: Enjoy!
COLLECTING & PREPARING EDIBLE WILD MUSHROOMS
COLLECTING
Basket
Mushrooms can be somewhat fragile, so many folks prefer to collect them in a basket. The first thing to look for when choosing a basket is the direction of the handle. The handle should go from the front to the back of the basket when it is held at your side. It should be connected to the widest ends of the basket, which will make it much easier to carry.
After the basket is purchased it should be stained a quiet color, one that will not make the basket stand out and draw unwanted attention from other mushroom hunters. It should be varnished for protection, which will also make it easier to clean. If you don’t have a basket, use a large, clean brown paper grocery bag. I also like to use camouflage netted bags when hunting at a location where the mushrooms need to be concealed because of competition. In addition to mushrooms, in my basket I often keep a field guide, bags, and a small collecting multi-chambered container for delicate mushrooms, as well as a can of mace and a camera. I also like to attach a compass and a whistle to the basket with a piece of string just in case I become lost. Take a cell phone along; you never know when it might come in handy (if you’re able to get a signal).
Bags
If you are picking a lot of one kind of edible mushrooms, put them directly into a clean basket. Otherwise, separate different kinds of mushrooms into different bags before putting them into your basket. Wax paper bags are best, but brown paper lunch bags will also do. Do not mix species of mushrooms. It goes without saying that special care should be given not to mix edible and poisonous mushrooms together.
Do not use plastic bags, because moisture and heat build up in them and cause the mushrooms to quickly rot. The main consideration is to always keep mushrooms cool and dry; heat and water hasten the rotting process. When you get home, clean immediately and put the mushrooms in the refrigerator in a paper bag.
Knives
A penknife with several blades is particularly useful in collecting. When I collect mushrooms, I use one with three blades. The large blade is good for cutting edible mushrooms. The smaller blade can be used for digging up the entire mushroom when taking it home to study, since the base of the mushroom will tell you a lot about its identity. Wipe your knife off after collecting a species and make sure to wash it at the end of the day.
After having gotten a whole sample to keep for identification, cut off the rest of the edible mushrooms just a little up from the base. We do this for two reasons. First, so as not disturb the mushroom’s mycelium (root system), which may possibly increase the chance of the mushroom reappearing the next year in the same spot. Most mushrooms are like apple trees; if you cut the apple off the tree it does not hurt the tree. The second reason is to keep the mushrooms clean. (See below on cleaning mushrooms)
Walking Stick
A good walking stick is useful in helping you maneuver through rugged territory. It makes us feel a little safer if we come across a poisonous snake or wild dog. It can also be used to push away underbrush and spider webs. Make your own. Get a sapling between 2" and 2½" in diameter, scrape the bark off, and let it dry. Give it a coat of stain, two coats of varnish and you are ready to go.
FIELD CLEANING MUSHROOMS
Cleaning mushrooms begins with picking them. If you just yank them out of the ground and throw them into a basket, dirt will be over everything. That will mean you will have a mess to deal with when you get home. Take your time, cut each individual mushroom off a little above ground level (after identifying it by looking at the base). Do a little field cleaning, knock or trim off the dirt. Pick off that leaf or blade of grass. This will keep the mushrooms relatively clean. Toss out any that are too old, full of bugs, or don’t look right. While you are doing this, take another look at each individual mushroom to make sure it is the one you want. Be sure not to pick mushrooms