Safe Mushroom Foraging...?

[CindyJ]

How can you tell if wild mushrooms are safe to eat?

I live in the heart of southeast Pennsylvania's mushroom country. Is it possible that some spores from the nearby mushroom growers found their way over to my property? We always see mushrooms sprouting on the lawn and in the wooded areas around the house, but they always look pretty ominous, and I've never been tempted to research their safety. But I just now noticed some 'shrooms that have sprouted in the back of my house and darned if they don't look JUST like shitakes. Is there a way of knowing when wild mushrooms are edible? I won't be eating them, but now I'm curious to know if there's a sure way to tell whether mushrooms are safe to consume. (I know, I know, if you buy them in the market, they're probably safe to eat!)

[BobB]

Find some Russian emigres to go mushroom-hunting with. I married one, but you don't have to go to that extreme.

[susancinsf]

sorry, but this is potentially very harmful advice. Many if not most of the mushroom poisoning cases in my area have been to foreign nationals who picked something that looked just like a (tasty and safe) species they have back in their home country, but that turns out to be something different (and highly toxic).

Check out the Mycological society if there is one near you. An excellent resouce for mentoring.

http://www.msafungi.org/

[BobB]

I have heard of such cases too, but only with Asians from very different climates. Most Russians here are from the Moscow/St. Petersburg region where the plant and mushroom varieties are basically identical to those here in New England.

It might be a question of where you live - here in the Boston area we have a huge (tens of thousands) Russian community, virtually all of whom forage - making the better hunting spots quite competitive - and no known cases of mushroom poisoning.

All the ones I know stick to a few easily-identified varieties and are very careful not to eat anything they are not entirely sure of.

Having said that, it's certainly a good idea to talk to the local mycological society as well, even if you do manage to find some Slavic homies.

[susancinsf]

It is important to remember that this board is read by a national, indeed, international audience. And some of us are not aware of regional differences. I, for one, couldn't even tell you without further research if the part of PA where OP lives is even considered a comparable climate to Boston or part of New England. (I was able to confer with hubby, who is from Central PA, his opinion is that PA is 'not really part of New England', but who knows if he knows either).

For that matter, I don't even know if climate differences account for the types of differences that could be fatal if foraging. Moreover, it seems reasonable to assume that if a Russian could make a mistake in Russia, he or she could also make a mistake outside of Boston:

http://www.bellybuttonwindow.com/1998...

[al b. darned]

HMMM! DW married one, too, albeit a 3rd generation Russian who learned foraging from his Dad. Unfortunately, he can be of no help to her, as none of the mushrooms he foraged for in Vermont grow around here in central NYS. So to her, mushrooms still come from the mushroom farms in Kennett Square, PA. via the supermarket produce dept.

[Nyleve]

Do not - I repeat - do NOT pick any mushrooms just because they happen to look like shitakes. Mushrooming is a rewarding and delicious activity, but requires some serious research, and if at all possible, mentorship. There are many many different types of edible mushrooms that can be found on lawns, fields and forests but you really have to know what you're doing when you pick them. Many look alike or similar and unless you have taken the time to learn about the edible mushrooms that grow in your neck of the woods, you can easily confuse poisonous with edible. There is no simple formula to figure out which mushrooms are safe to eat - each species has to be examined closely for all its characteristics for a reliable identification.

Having said that, I've been an avid mushroomer for probably 30 years. There are some species that I pick without any hesitation because they're either so distinctive that they can't be confused with anything else, or because I have taken the time to learn how to identify a specific variety. My suggestion, if you have a real interest in this, is to a) get a good book; b) take a course or workshop on amateur mycology; and c) find a friend who can help you identify mushrooms when you first go out picking.

I've never heard of mushroom spores being blown over from a commercial grower. But I suppose stranger things have happened.

[CindyJ]

Oh, I had no intention of eating them; I just thought their resemblance to shitakes was uncanny. We get lots of weird looking fungi that sprout all over, some of the most spectacular of these grow on decaying tree stumps in the area. It's be interesting to find a local foraging group. Until then, I'll buy my 'shrooms locally.

[SQHD]

There are probably mushroom forager groups around you somewhere. You can certainly join one of those and learn along the way. As far as any specific rules... there are none. You really have to have some knowledge of what you're doing or go with someone who does. There are countless numbers of books out there and websites, etc. that you can lean bits and pieces from.