Does anyone have any good rules of thumb for picking non-poisonus mushrooms. I heard the season is right around the corner. I thought I remembered pink under the cap was edible and gray was not?? Any tips would be appreciated.

-- Mike in Pa (smfine@yahoo.com), February 14, 2002

Answers

NONE of teh thumb rules work with all mushrooms, Find out what growing in your area and when,, get a GOOD book with pics,, and hopefully someone to show you. Here,, morels,, beefsteaks,,puffballs,, are all good eating,,I know there are more,,I'm just not sure about them,,so I dont pick them

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), February 14, 2002.

Man this can get tricky. I know we have puffballs and morels here. I just don't know if there are any "look alikes".

-- Mike in Pa (smfine@yahoo.com), February 14, 2002.

BE careful,morals have look-a-likes,get a good shroom book with color pictures!

-- Daryll in NW FLA (twincrk@hotmail.com), February 14, 2002.

Thanks Daryll. And yeah MORALS do have look alikes ... they're what the polititions WANT you to believe they have. Sorry had to.

-- Mike in PA (smfine@yahoo.com), February 14, 2002.

That's funny LOL. If you see a good photo of a Morrel, you will know it when you see it. They are wonderful!!! The "look alike" really doesn't look like the real thing, once you have seen the real thing. Try to find someone who is a mushroomer in your area and ask them to mushroom with you. (but don't expect them to show you THEIR place ;>)

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 14, 2002.

There are look-a-likes for both morels and puffballs. There are false morels but they usually come up in the summer and fall. Morels come up in early spring. With puffballs there is a similar mushroom called Amanita buttons and they may be deadly! To be sure you have a puffball, slice each one at least once down the middle. You are looking for a solid white mushroom on the inside that smells good. Do NOT eat it if you see an "embryo" of mushroom stem or gills.

Take Stan's advice. Get at least one good field guide, check your library and read, read, read, and if you can, find a knowledgable person to go hunting with you. They might also know a good spot to find them. Good luck!

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), February 14, 2002.

Thanks a lot guys(generic term),

I think I'll get a photo classification book if I can find one but I don't know any mushroomers ... I think I might have in college but that's a whole different story!

-- Mike inPA (smfine@yahoo.com), February 14, 2002.

yes Mike, now wouldn't college just be a whole nother story ;>) If you lived closer, I'd go with you. Come mushroom time no one sees me unless it is very dark, very rainy (which is negotable if I am already FINDING mushrooms) or they are someplace they don't belong (like MY WOODS) LOL

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 14, 2002.

I was told once that anything with vented ribs was definitely poisoneuous. But there very well could be mushrooms that do not have vented ribs that could be poisoneous as well.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), February 14, 2002.

I don't know where you live, but I use Mushrooms of Northeast North America: Midwest to New England by George Barron. It's an excellent book. DO NOT GUESS with mushrooms. You could be looking at a liver transplant if you get unlucky.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), February 14, 2002.

I am very confident with Lobster mushrooms and Puffballs, but that's it. Maggie won't even try them - her theory is that I may eat them without ill effects, but I want to collect her insurance if she tries them. Both are delicious. But I am very careful, and I suggest you try no wild mushrooms until you have an "expert" help you identify them. Good luck and good eating!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), February 14, 2002.

Hey Mike,

please be careful...I know two people who are no longer with us because they (in separate events) ingested enough of what they thought was a choice edible to be DOA

All of the advice here is really wise...and every shroom book will tell you to have an expert confirm for you initially. Also, some of the alkaloids in things like inky caps and shaggy manes can be very hard on you if you eat them with alcohol

havng said that, be prepared too enjoy some of nature's most remarkable gifts.

Good Luck

Oscar

-- Oscar H. Will III (owill@mail.whittier.edu), February 14, 2002.

my granny said always look for morels where the mayapples come up. i dont think you can mistake morels. they are in a class by themselves...

-- js (schlicker54@aol.com), February 14, 2002.

"The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms" is a great source of information on this subject. Several book stores carry or can get this book. It tells edibility, range, and many other facts. There are look-alikes that can make you very ill so check it out.

-- Dave (drcomer@rr1.net), February 14, 2002.

The best way is to find someone that knows about mushrooms and go with them a couple times. They will be able to tell you lots of little things that you probably won't find in books - or maybe it is written in books but a master mushroom picker will tell you you all the stuff you really need to know.

-- kelly (kellytree@hotmail.com), February 15, 2002.

I have a good book [loaned out !] but am still to 'chicken' to eat any until I se someone else pick, eat and live !!!

-- carol (kanogisdi@yahoo.com), February 15, 2002.

There is NO cure for mushroom poisoning!!!!!!

-- Susan In Minnesota (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), February 15, 2002.

hello mr. mike,

have you seen any of the field guieds by David Aurora?

well written for complete beginers OR old timers at foraging. great photos,as well as quick & accurate lists of look alikes,edibility & such.

ms. susan, i would have to disagre w/ you on the statement "there is no cure for mushroom poisioning"

there are many medical practices for all classes of mushroom toxins. but many variables often often lead a person to wait too long before seeking medical help.

what race you are will affect some mushrooms toxins performance, your current liver/kidney health & function-[i.e.-ones bogged down in alcohol will have a harder time], how much mushroom was ingested, how high were the toxins in the mush.[i.e-last time they gave you a litle indigestion, this time your fingers are going numb!]

there are more cases of 'mushroom psychosis'[ohh, those were bad mushrooms...+ralph+..] than actual poisionings. so a good guide, paper or human is really needed to educate or give confidence while hunting!

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), February 18, 2002.

The rule of thumb is to thumb your way through a good guidebook. And bring it with you, and bring a friend who knows more than you. There are many, many, mushrooms out there (in my area there are hundreds of species), and the number that are desireable to eat can be counted on your hands. Be very careful. Know your poisonous mushrooms first. Find a teacher. I agree with B.J. Pepper's comments. I would add that there are a few edibles that if combined with an alcoholic beverage become VERY toxic. To be safe, don't consume alcohol, and mushrooms at the same meal, until you know. fatal mushroom poisoning is often the result of the liver failing to deal with the toxins (alcohol would quicken the process of failure). The liver is a very forgiving organ, but it does not do well with mushroom toxins. Once you know what you are doing, the rule of thumb is garlic, and onlons, butter or olive oil, basil, white pepper, cayenne and salt, all in quantities to your desire. happy harvests

-- roberto pokachinni in B.C. (pokachinni@yahoo.com), March 09, 2002.