Wild picked mushrooms offer more variety and flavour to a home cooked dish than their cultivated, shop bought cousins. A great number of wild mushroom varieties are edible and each has its own distinctive taste and texture and it is a pity that many people are put off picking them because of fear of poisoning. It is also a great shame how many people are poisoned every year by eating mushrooms they have not identified correctly. The North American Mycological Association reports approximately 2,000 cases of poisoning in 30 years of record keeping. Before going out foraging, there are some very important guidelines to keep in mind.
The Importance of Identification of Mushrooms
Always be 100% certain of your identification. Many edible varieties have inedible or toxic lookalikes that will harm you. It is not enough to go on a rough appearance. There are NO “rules of thumb” when it comes to knowing if a mushroom is edible, and there are NO shortcuts around identifying each one carefully.
To help with identification, obtain more than one field guide and preferably own one that is specific to your geographical area. There are so many varieties of mushroom in the world that any guide will not be able to cover them all. A photographic guide is recommended and a more detailed and scholarly work will also be most useful.
What to Look For when Picking Mushrooms
With a species you do not recognise, do not try to identify it in the field, you will need to take it home for closer examination.
Make sure you know the spore print, the smell and texture and any staining characteristics of common edible and poisonous varieties. These are all better tested at home than in the field.
Other identifying characteristics that are not always obvious at first sight include the structure of the gills. For example, “Decurrent” gills run part way down the stem and “Adnate” gills stop when they join the stem. Some species have gills that are rubbery and flexible and others have crumbly, brittle gills. Mushrooms from the boletus family do not have gills but a sponge like structure and hedgehog fungus has spines underneath. The stem may have a ring on it and end in a root or a bulb shape. Every single detail is important to know.
Picking Mushrooms
Pick specimens that are intact and younger. As mushrooms get older they break up and often become infested or change colour. Not only does this make them useless for the cooking pot, but it also makes accurate identification more difficult.
The very best way to learn about edible varieties is to go foraging with someone more experienced who will be able to teach what to look for. If this is not possible, learn as much as possible from books and if in doubt about any fungus, leave it out.
Do not pull mushrooms up by the roots, cut through the stem with a knife and leave the base in the ground in order to avoid damaging the growing part of the mushroom under the soil. This will mean the fungus will keep growing and improves the chances of finding it again in the same place in the future.
Foraging for Fungi
It is surprising how many varieties of mushroom are edible and good for the cooking pot but the majority of species are simply no good for eating. Several types of mushrooms can cause death or lasting damage to the body’s organs and many varieties will also cause temporary illness. However, while keeping a healthy respect for the potential dangers and ensuring accurate identification of edible species, hunting mushrooms can be a delicious and rewarding way to add value to an Autumn walk and a Winter dish.
Related Articles:
Learn Edible Mushrooms in the UK - Learn how to avoid poisonous fungi and enjoy wild mushrooms.
Introduction to Mushrooms - the basics of mushroom biology.
Seymour Jacklin - Seymour Jacklin is a freelance writer based in Durham, UK. He is a Registered Mental Health Nurse with a background in psychiatric ...
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