Guide To Picking Mushrooms: What You Need To Know
The most important thing you need to know about mushrooming comes in the form of a warning: When it comes to mushroom picking, you need to know what you’re doing. It requires a certain level of experience and expertise to correctly identify which mushrooms are safe to eat and which to avoid. Mushrooms can span the spectrum from delicious to deadly, and lookalikes are out there. Some are lethally poisonous, meaning there are no second chances.
For that reason, if you’re new to mushroom foraging, you are advised not to actually eat the mushrooms you pick for the first year or two. Instead, take this time to study and learn how to correctly identify the different types of mushrooms instead.
When you start picking mushrooms to be consumed, you should not eat any wild mushroom until your identification has been verified by an expert mycologist. Only after your identifications has been verified by an expert to be correct for a certain species five times in a row, you can consider starting eating that species without asking an expert.
The fact is, most mushrooms are inedible and some of the most common types are poisonous. So it’s vital to familiarize yourself with the mushroom varieties in your area.
What’s more, a great variety of edible mushrooms have poisonous doppelgangers that you need to be able to recognize. To safely distinguish between the tasty and the toxic, cross-reference your mushrooms with numerous sources and pay careful attention to detail. Always double-check your information and remain sceptical of your conclusions until you’re 100% certain.
When you’re starting out, focus on the mushrooms that are considered safe to pick first. These are for example species without gills. And once you’ve learned how to identify your first edible species and possible poisonous lookalikes with certainty, stick to picking just that one species to begin with. Don’t try to pick too many species at once or you may get confused and make mistakes.
In a similar vein, avoid all mushrooms in the button stage because they’re even easier to confuse with poisonous and inedible types. Only pick mushrooms that already have open caps.
As you learn, it’s very helpful to surround yourself with other enthusiasts so you can soak in their knowledge. Don’t have any foraging friends? Consider joining a mushroom club in your area or your local mycological society! This will give you greater access to information and the ability to consult with experts whenever you need. You can also check out various Facebook groups like the Mushroom Identification or Mushroom Hunters of the World to connect with fungi enthusiasts across the globe.
After safety, the second most important aspect of mushrooming is location. This will have a huge impact on the kinds and quantities of mushrooms you’ll find. With that in mind, choose pristine landscapes, uncontaminated by industrial zones or heavily trafficked roads nearby. If you’re required to obtain a permit for mushroom foraging where you live, make sure to do so in advance. And of course, it’s best to enlist an experienced forager to act as your field guide and show you the ropes, particularly in an area you’ve never foraged before.
Once you’ve picked your forest bounty, it’s important to prioritize safe storage and transport. Bring paper bags, wax paper, or a container to transport the larger mushrooms you pick and a small, sturdy box for the smaller varieties. And make sure to keep all of your mushroom species separated!
From what we’ve discussed so far, you can see that mushroom picking requires careful study and attention to detail. It takes years of experience to develop an educated eye; so in the meantime, be careful and follow the golden rule: When in doubt, toss it out!
Books
The web is a great source of information on everything, and mushroom foraging is no exception. But nothing beats well-researched books on the topic written by expert foragers. We recommend the following books to gain the best information (click to go to the Amazon store):
For beginners, Mushrooming Without Fear is an excellent place to start. It contains a collection of mushrooms that are not easily confused with poisonous varieties and provides easy-to-follow directions on how to start foraging. The last entry, Edible Mushrooms by Geoff Dann, is recommended for Europeans.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Disclaimer
If you use information from this site in order to identify mushrooms, the responsibility for the identification is yours; the site takes no responsibility for damage caused by wrong identifications. Please read the disclaimer.