13 Ways on How to Get the Best of Edible Mushrooms

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How to Get the Best of Edible Mushrooms

1. Get the Background

Mushrooms make a delicious addition to pizza, pasta, salads, and more.

That said, it’s best to leave searching for wild, edible mushrooms to professional mycologists (scientists who study fungi).

If you still want to identify edible mushrooms, use caution.

Observe the appearances of mushrooms in your area, and learn more from reliable sources.

In the event that you eat an unidentified mushroom.

Look for troublesome symptoms and seek medical care.

2. Choose mushrooms without white gills.

Look for mushrooms with gills that are brown or tan.

While some mushrooms with white gills are edible.

The most deadly and poisonous mushroom family—Amanitas—nearly always have white gills.

How to Get the Best of Edible Mushrooms

3. Select mushrooms without red on the cap or stem.

Choose mushrooms with white, tan or brown caps and stems.

Many red mushrooms are poisonous.

• A red mushroom is using its only natural warning system.
• It’s color, to tell predators—including you—to steer clear.

4. Look for mushrooms without scales on the cap.

Avoid mushrooms with patches or scaling of a lighter or darker shade on the cap, which may appear like spots.

These scaly spots are common among poisonous mushroom varieties.

• For example, white mushrooms may have tan or brown scaly patches.

5. Seek out mushrooms without a ring around the stem.

Check beneath the cap of the mushroom for a second veil-like ring of tissue that looks a bit like a mini-cap beneath the cap.

If the mushroom you’re observing has this ring of tissue, skip it.

Many mushrooms with this feature are poisonous.

• It can be hard to spot or identify the ring, and no single.
• Obvious trait will tell you if a mushroom is poisonous, so your best bet is to consult an expert.

6. Take two baskets when you forage.

Place mushrooms you are confident are edible in one basket.

And mushrooms you aren’t sure about in another.

You won’t get ill simply from handling a poisonous mushroom.

Consult a knowledgeable expert to identify any mushrooms you aren’t sure about.

• You can connect with a mushroom expert through a local mycological group or at a local university.
• There is not one particular location that edible mushrooms grow.
• They can be found on trees, logs, the forest floor, or on moss.
• There is no need to wear gloves when foraging.

How to Get the Best of Edible Mushrooms

7. Don’t ingest a mushroom unless you are 100% sure of what it is.

Use extreme caution when foraging for mushrooms.

As many poisonous and nonpoisonous varieties look alike.

Some varieties of mushrooms can change their appearance depending upon growing conditions, making identification difficult.

• For example, mushrooms of the same variety can develop color differently based on their exposure to sunlight.
• Experts suggest never eating any variety of mushroom that you haven’t been able to identify at least 3 times in the wild. A professional should confirm that you have identified the mushroom properly each of those 3 times.

8. Look for a medium-sized tan or brown cap to find porcini mushrooms.

Search for Porcinis near spruces, firs, and pines.

They are typically ready to harvest in early fall at lower elevations and summer at higher elevations.

They tend to have thick bulbous stems near the ground that get thinner towards the cap.

9. Forage for a small cap with a concave center to find Chanterelles.

Look for a yellow to golden-yellow colored mushroom with wavy, upturned edges.

The stalk is shaped like a trumpet and thickens where it joins the cap.

Chanterelles are often found under hardwood trees and conifers in the fall to early spring time.

How to Get the Best of Edible Mushrooms

10. Look for a globe-shaped white or pale tan cap to find Puffballs.

Keep an eye out for the puffball’s unique, densely packed spines on the cap, which brush off easily.

Puffballs tend to grow along trails and woodland edges in the fall and winter.

• Cut puffballs in half to check that they are good to eat.
• They should be pure white inside. If they are yellow or brown inside, they are no longer edible.

11. Search for a tall, column-like cap with flaky shingles to find Shags.

Look for numerous, blade-like gills that hang down tightly over a hollow stalk.

These mushrooms grow well in urban areas in cool, wet weather.

• Avoid picking Shag mushrooms near busy roads, as they may be contaminated with car exhaust.

12. Join a local mycological group.

Search for a mycological group in your area online.

If you’re in the U.S., search the directory of the North American Mycological Association.

These groups promote the study of mushrooms.

And many hold classes or other meet-ups to help educate the public.

• Many groups may even hold nature walks or other field events for people who want to learn more about foraging.

13. Buy a mushroom field guide for your area.

Go to your local bookstore or an online retailer to purchase a mushroom field guide for your region.

You can take the book when you go out foraging to practice identifying different mushrooms.

It may also help you become more familiar with common edible and poisonous varieties.