Edible Wild Mushrooms By David H. Urmann At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Mushrooms are spore-bearing bodies of fungus. Wild mushrooms are edible and safe to eat. It is used in many cuisines known to have nutritional value. Understanding mushroom identification must be followed upon assuming that a wild mushroom is edible.

A mushroom is a fleshy spore typically produced, above the ground, on soil. Thousands of its types are regularly harvested. However, some cannot be cultivated easily. It is reported to have nutritional content such as riboflavin, thiamine, biotin, niacin, and ascorbic acid. Other minerals include selenium, potassium, iron and phosphorus. A wild mushroom can be eaten if one learns important facts about it.

Most wild mushrooms are found in forests. Look for places that are damp or with high moisture content including areas that have many old rotting tree matters. It is also found on the base of a tree and other dense leafy deposits. An old land that has little disturbance also spurts mushrooms, creating more mycelium (fungi roots). Mushrooms hardly grow on dry, rocky and sandy ground.

Mushrooms have different variations, depending on the soil type. We discuss here some of the edible varieties of mushrooms.

The Puffballs (LYCOPERDON spp. and CALVATIA spp.) are round or pear-shaped mushrooms that can be white, gray or tan. First it is solid white, and then, it turns to yellow and brown as it ages. Puffballs are found in lawns, pastures, and in open and decaying woods during late summer and fall.

Puffballs should be sliced from top to bottom. A good puffball is completely white with no traces of yellow and brown colors. The outer skin is removed if it is hard. It is sliced and deep fried when cooking.
The Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus) is so big, having shaggy white cylinders and brownish scales. It is sometimes called “a lawyer’s wig that crumbles easily.” You can pick shaggy mane during summer, spring or fall, particularly in soil or wood chips, lawns, pastures and even growing in grass.

Shaggy mane is best picked before its caps turn to black. This mushroom is so delicate that it needs to be picked while young and be eaten right away.
The Coral Fungi (Clavariaceae) appear like corals, ometimes tan, whitish, yellowish, pinkish and purple. It is also called as club fungi or dog hair mushroom.

Pick coral fungi in wooded areas or on decaying logs. Avoid the type that taste bitter and bruise brown or have gelatinous bases. Use the tips and upper branches when sautéing in white sauce because it is the most tender part.

The Morels mushroom is sponge and pinecone in shape. The surface is covered with clear cut pits and ridges, and the bottom part of the cap is attached to its stem.

The three common type of Morel are common morel, black morel and the half-tree morel. Their variety of habitats is easy to recognize, including woodlands and river bottoms. Pickers should be aware of some false morels for they are quite distinctive.

The Bearded Tooth (Hericium erinaceus) has white purrs that may grow quite large. It is primarily found on trees, stumps or logs. Bearded tooth is not the poisonous type.

The Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) is a large white or ivory colored mushroom popular for its shell-like oyster shape. It is usually found in clusters of overlapping caps, trees and fallen logs. Crepidotus and Lentinus spp. are its look alikes, also not dangerous to eat.

The Chanterelles (Cantharellaceae) are funnel or trumpet shaped mushrooms. It is bright orange or yellow with fruity fragrance. Some have smooth bottoms and others have wrinkles found on hardwood forests. Chanterelles need long slow cooking.

The Boletes (Boletaceae) are fleshy sturdy mushrooms. It is brownish or reddish brown in color. The pores can be whitish, orange, yellow, olive, red or brownish. King Bolete is the best edible type in more than 200 species along North America. Poisonous boletes have orange and red pores. Some tends to decay quickly and possesses an unpleasant taste.

The Sulfur Shelf (Laetiporus sulphureus) features brilliant orange-red caps and sulfur yellow surfaces. Most of it grows on woods with large overlapping caps. It also has no stems and is tiny. Sulfur shell mushrooms cause mild allergies on some people. The texture and taste is similar to chicken when cooked.

Last, the Hen-of-the-Woods (Grifola frondosa. This mushroom looks like ruffled chicken. It is grayish brown and fan shaped, growing in the same spot every year. Hen-of-woods have no poisonous look alike but are very similar to other pore fungi.

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