Fly Amanitas are a colorful (but poisonous!) addition to the forest floor!
No discussion of gathering wild mushrooms would be complete without addressing the topic of mushroom poisonings. Some wild mushrooms are toxic, and a few are deadly poisonous. Many so-called poisonous mushrooms simply cause stomach upset (sometimes severe), while others simply accumulate their toxins in one or another of your internal organs, doing their damage over time. Most beginners at some point ask the question, “how do you know which mushrooms are poisonous?”
Well, we don’t always know. There are over 2,000 different species of mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest, some of them so closely similar that even degreed mycologists can’t identify them precisely. Moreover, the toxicity of many mushrooms is unknown, and some mushrooms are toxic to some people but not to others. So, again, the question, “How do you know?”
The simple answer to the question is, “we don’t always know which mushrooms are poisonous, but we do know which mushrooms aren’t poisonous!”
We are not degreed mycologists. We consider ourselves to be experienced mushroomers. We have learned to recognize with absolute certainty a couple of dozen species which are safe edibles that we enjoy, and those are the ones we gather. We also recognize a hundred or so others that interest us for some reason, usually their unusual beauty, but either we don’t particularly like their flavor, don’t know they are safe to eat or, more directly, know they are unsafe to eat. We may take them home (carefully segregated from the others, in their own container) for further study or observation or even to be photographed, but we never even remotely consider putting one in our mouths. The old adage, “Every mushroom is edible…once” is a good one for wild mushroomers to mind.
Our best advice to beginning mushroomers is to choose one or, at most, two species of good edible wild mushrooms at the start of a season. On every foray, focus on only those. Learn everything you can about them: what they look like at every stage of their development, what they smell like, where they are found, what trees they seem to grow near, what elevation, what the soil is like, etc. Take good notes in a pocket field journal as to when and where found, what the weather has been like, and so on. At the end of the season, you should really know that species. Next year, add another species or two. In this way, you will gradually develop a wealth of knowledge that will be satisfying and will keep you safe. You will also have a written record of your experience on previous forays, which can help you pinpoint likely spots on just the right weekend.
All decent mushroom guides discuss mushroom poisons. Refer to them, and believe them.
Don't know the mushroom? Don't eat the
mushroom! Sue Dawson photograph.
Here are some further thoughts. Even though you are absolutely certain of your identification of a species, sample it in small amounts first, rather than stuffing yourself. We know it can be tempting to make a big feast of them, but use caution. Some wild mushrooms classed as safe edibles can cause temporary - but sometimes severe - stomach upset in some people but not in others. Ease your way into this.
Think about where you are gathering mushrooms, too. If you find a patch of mushrooms growing by a busy highway, for example, you might be certain that your identification of them as an edible is accurate, but what you don’t know is the amount of run-off from the road they have absorbed. Oil, gasoline, antifreeze, etc. invariably leaks onto highways and runs to the shoulders. Are you sure you want to risk that? Areas that have recently been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides are another thing to consider. Our intent here is not to scare you, but just to make you think carefully about what you’re doing, and use reasonable prudence.
Wild mushrooms should never be eaten raw; always cook them thoroughly. Some mushrooms are very toxic when raw (one good example is morels, of all types) and will sicken almost everybody; morels and some others lose all this toxicity in the cooking process and are perfectly safe to eat when cooked (note: dehydrating or freezing is not a substitute for cooking!). Mushrooms do not degrade from cooking and, in fact, their flavor is always improved with proper cooking in butter or olive oil and the accompaniments you like, such as garlic, wine, various spices and seasonings. Experiment, and try different recipes. That’s part of the fun.
The Puget Sound Mycological Society, in which we were active members for many years when we lived in the Seatle area, had an annual wild mushroom dinner they called “the Survivors’ Banquet,” in mock celebration of having survived another year of eating wild mushrooms. Among experienced mushroomers, there is a certain amount of “gallows humor” about mushroom poisonings, and that’s not bad. It heightens our awareness, and that’s a good thing. We have been eating the wild mushrooms we gather for many years and even providing some to a few close friends with absolute confidence… but that confidence is not macho posturing, but rather the result of learning and knowing. You can do the same.
Be cautious: some mushrooms are look alikes!
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