Identifying Wild Mushrooms: What to Eat, What to Avoid
13.06.2024 - 20:09
/ treehugger.com
Wild mushroom collecting is a practice that helps people discover local food sources and the bounty generated by their own neighborhood forests. Of the many different species in North America, almost all of the mushrooms are technically edible, but many are too fibrous to consume. Only about 250 are considered significantly poisonous.
The consequences of making a wrong guess or a misidentification about whether a mushroom is edible can be severe. What's even more challenging is that some edible and poisonous mushrooms look quite similar. In this guide, we'll help you identify some common edible mushrooms and highlight which ones are poisonous, how they may resemble edible varieties, and why they should be avoided.
When searching for mushrooms in the wild, inexperienced foragers should search for mushrooms alongside an experienced and trusted mycologist.
Chanterelles and Jack-o'-lantern mushrooms look a lot alike; however, Jack-o'-lanterns should not be eaten as they are poisonous. They will not kill the average adult, but eating them will result in several days of digestive discomfort.
The gold-yellowish or brilliant orange color of chanterelles makes them easy to spot during a walk in the woods. Chefs love to cook with chanterelles because of their unique peppery, peachy, and apricot-like flavor and because they are found only in the wild.
Where they grow: Chanterelles are found on the east and west coasts of the U.S. At maturity, eastern chanterelles tend to be smaller (about the size of a fist) than those on the west coast, which can weigh up to two pounds.
When to forage: You can forage east coast chanterelles during the summer and early fall, and west coast chanterelles from September to February.
Habitat: Cha
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