Foraging for Mushrooms

Foraging is a great hobby, especially if you live near a forest or park with mushrooms. Foraging for wild mushrooms can be very rewarding and delicious, but it also comes with some risks. Here, we'll cover some essential tips on identifying different types of edible wild mushrooms and avoiding poisonous ones.  

Why Forage for Wild Mushrooms?

Wild mushrooms are delicious and nutritious. They can be found worldwide, and they're free to collect! Mushrooms are an excellent hobby for those who love being outdoors and want to connect with nature. 

How To Identify Mushrooms

Mushrooms have gills on the underside of their caps, not on their stems. Spores are also found on the underside of a mushroom's cap and not on its stem.

Gills are thin strips that grow from under the cap and are usually white or brown. Depending on the kind you're looking at, they can be narrow or broad!

Spores are tiny seeds produced by mushrooms when they mature. They're usually brownish and stick to anything they touch (like clothing!).

Mushrooms grow best in moist areas like forests or fields. They prefer shade rather than direct sunlight because it helps them stay cool while they grow bigger! Most species only live for around four weeks before they die off completely, so make sure you don't pick up any old ones lying around, as they would already be dead anyway.

How To Avoid Poisonous Mushrooms

• Avoid mushrooms that are growing in urban areas.
• Avoid mushrooms that have a strong or unpleasant odor.
• Avoid mushrooms that have a slimy or waxy texture.
• Avoid mushrooms growing in a group, especially if they're all the same species of mushroom (this is called "fruiting" and means there's an excess of spores).
• If you find yourself near a road or path, don't eat any mushrooms growing nearby!

Common Edible Mushrooms

• White button mushroom
• Shiitake mushroom
• Oyster mushroom
• Portobello mushroom
• Crimini (aka Criminis) is a brown version of the typical white button mushroom, with a firmer texture and slightly more earthy flavor than its paler cousin. The name comes from the Italian word "criminale," which means "criminal" and refers to their resemblance to crimini (eggplants). They're also sometimes called baby portobellos or cremini mushrooms.

Avoiding Poisonous Mushrooms

The most common poisonous mushrooms are the Amanita species. If you need help determining which mushroom you've found, do not eat it. Unfortunately, many other edible mushrooms can be mistaken for an Amanita. If you're new to mushroom hunting and want to avoid eating toxic ones, research common inedible mushrooms in your area before hunting.

Confirm with two independent sources when identifying anything new or unfamiliar--especially wild edibles! For example, if you need clarification on whether a mushroom is safe for consumption, wait until another person has identified it (preferably someone who knows more about edible fungi than yourself).

Tools For Mushroom Foraging

• A good field guide
• Gloves and a hat, just in case!
• A basket or bag to carry your mushrooms home.
• A knife is handy for cutting the stems off your finds and scraping away any dirt that may still be attached. 
• Remember to take pictures if you want to research a mushroom later. 

Raw mushrooms can be toxic if the wrong type is eaten. If a mushroom has a strong odor or tastes bitter, do not eat it! Also, avoid any spoiled or moldy mushrooms, as these can also make you sick. Finally, never eat any wild mushrooms growing on trees, as they could be poisonous (there's no way of knowing what tree they're growing on).

If you have found some edible mushrooms while out foraging but aren't sure if they're safe yet, either because they aren't fully grown or because there's only one specimen instead of many like usual, then here's some advice:

• pick only one type per day so that if something goes wrong later on due to misidentification, there won't be too much harm done;
• don't eat more than ¼ oz per person per mealtime (this amount includes both raw and cooked varieties);
• wash thoroughly before cooking--you don't want dirt particles in your food!