recommend it, because many people have become ill after eating improperly canned foods, especially ones that are not acidic. If you are willing to give it a try, contact your local county extension office first. They will have instructions and a list of approved methods.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN TO COOK
First of all, remember to save a few of your uncooked mushrooms just in case you become sick. That will make it much easier to identify what you ate. They should be uncooked and not prepared in any way, and refrigerated to be kept fresh. When the hospital calls, it is very difficult and often impossible to identify the mushrooms someone has eaten by the stomach contents. Also remember that some mushrooms such as the Alcohol Inky can make you sick if any alcoholic beverages are drunk before or after eating them, so be careful.
As I cautioned in the Introduction, if this is the first time you are eating a species, try only a small quantity, since you may be allergic to them even though they are edible And do not eat more than one type of mushroom at a time; otherwise, you would not know which one you are allergic to if you have an allergic reaction – or in the case of poisoning, it would be too difficult to find out which of the many species that you ate could be the cause of the poisoning.
COOKING MUSHROOMS
As a general rule, all mushrooms should be cooked before eating. If you are a beginner and want to try wild mushrooms and don’t know any for sure yet, get some at the grocery store. Today, many of the bigger stores sell button mushrooms and some other cultivated or wild mushrooms such as Shitake, Oyster mushrooms, Wood Ear, Black Trumpets, Morels, Boletes, and Chanterelles – often available both fresh and dried. Other mushrooms such as the Paddy Straw Mushroom and Enoki can be found canned in the Oriental foods section of the store.
If you desire to purchase even more varieties of wild mushrooms than your store carries, contact Fungi Perfecti (see Resources page at the back of the book). They sell over 20 types of mushroom kits that you can use to grow your own “‘shrooms,” and they’ll send you a nice little catalog. Their kits really do work; I’ve tried several of them.
If you cook your mushrooms in a pan with butter as we often do, occasionally too much liquid will develop in the bottom of your pan (mushrooms are over 90% water). Just remove some of the water so your mushrooms won’t become too soggy. Some mushrooms, such as the Abortive Entoloma, taste better if cooked in butter on medium heat until slightly browned (when the juice starts to disappear). Others taste better not browned. Experiment a little.
Chicken Mushroom Cacciatore (recipe on p. 82)
IF YOU ARE NOT 100% SURE OF THE IDENTIFICATION OF MUSHROOMS, DON’T EAT THEM. REMEMBER THE MUSHROOMER’S SAYING:
“WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW THEM OUT.”
BASIC MUSHROOM ANATOMY
COMMON MUSHROOM TERMS
Bruise – Some mushrooms change colors when they are bruised or scratched, as seen on some species of Boletes and other mushrooms. When the pores get scratched they may change colors (for instance, from yellow to blue). The color changes can vary.
Fertile surface – This refers to the part of the mushroom that is spore-bearing. It could be gills, pores, teeth or veins, and is often on the underside of the mushroom.
Flush – When a quantity of mushrooms quickly appears it is called a flush – for example, if 50 mushrooms appeared under a tree in a yard overnight.
KOH (potassium Hydroxide) test – A drop of 3–5% KOH mixed with water can be applied to parts of the mushroom, such as the cap, and produce a color reaction. For example, a mushroom with a pink cap can change to green where the KOH was applied. Color reactions vary from non-distinctive to distinctive color changes.
Latex – Some mushrooms, especially the Genus Lactarius, produce a substance called latex; when the gills are scratched or the mushroom is broken, this milklike juice may appear.
Mycelium – This is the collective name for the threadlike structure at the bottom of the mushroom, usually found underground or covered.
Spore Print – A spore print is a deposit of mushroom spores. The color of the spore print can be useful to help determine the type of mushroom and it may also let you know if you may have made a mistake in the mushroom’s identification. (See next page for more information.)
Veil – A thin covering over the gills, etc., occurs on some young, immature mushrooms, covering the fertile areas between the cap’s outer edge and the top of the stalk. When it breaks apart it can form a ring (a partial veil) on the stalk. Other mushrooms such as Amanitas have a universal veil covering the immature mushrooms; as the mushroom develops and breaks free, a sac-like cup remains at the base of its stalk.
Zones – Many mushrooms can have zoned caps; the zones are often multi-colored in concentric bands on the top of the cap, like rings.
HOW TO MAKE A SPORE PRINT
Why make a spore print? Spore print instructions are not something that authors put into books just to take up space. They can save your life. Different types of mushrooms have many different colors of prints: white, yellow, pink, brown, black and more. The color of a spore print will not tell you what the mushroom is, but it may tell you if you made a mistake in the mushroom’s identification. If the mushroom you’re ID’ing is supposed to have a white spore print but the print turns out brown, you know you’re on the wrong track and there was a mistake in the ID.
To make the print, place a fresh mushroom cap on a sheet of paper with the gills or pores facing down. The stalk may need to be removed or a hole made in the paper to allow for the stalk. It can then be covered with a cup or bowl to stop any harsh air movement from blowing the spores away. The mushroom is left there anywhere from a few hours to overnight. When the mushroom is removed, the print will be left on the paper. It is often preferable to place white colored paper under one side of the cap and black under the other; that way, if it has a white print it would show up on the black paper or if the print is black it would show up on the white paper.
Spore printing an Agaricus
A brown colored Agaricus spore print
INEDIBLE OR POISONOUS MUSHROOMS
BERKELEY’S POLYPORE
(Bondarzewia berkeleyi / Bondarzewia montana)
DESCRIPTION
When
