Should I eat this Mushroom?
Share
That is a weighty question and one that only you can answer. Experience will certainly help inform that decision, but there are a few things you need to consider.
It boils down to three main things:
1. Have I identified the mushroom properly?
Much to consider; some mushrooms are so distinct that it is nearly impossible to misidentify; others are nearly impossible to identify. Mushrooms like the Lions Mane or Combs Tooth are pretty easy to figure out. Oyster mushrooms are as well, but you still should look closely and confirm that the gills are not serrated, the spore print is white, and it is growing on a hardwood tree. Could it be something else if all the features don’t add up? Absolutely! Three out of four features are not enough. Luckily, Oyster mushrooms and their look-alikes, have no seriously toxic mushrooms in our Alberta habitat. This is a good mushroom to start to learn.
There are many common edible mushrooms that are relatively easy to identify.
These include Morels, Fairy Rings, Puffballs, Shaggy Manes, Hedgehogs,Delicious Milkcap (Lactarius deliciosus, interestingly one mushroom with a scientific name that everyone likes to use) and Shaggy Parasols. The Shaggy Parasols have one very distinct characteristic beyond their large size - they instantaneously bruise red-to-reddish-brown when you scrape the stalk with your fingernail. If that feature is not present, you have something else. Mushrooms that are not so distinctive require more experience, and more agonising over all the small details that the mushroom presents. Mushrooms that have poisonous look-alikes should be avoided, especially when starting out. Which ones are those? Research deadly mushrooms and build an understanding. I know my deadly mushrooms well, even though I rarely see them and some I've never seen.
Finally, are you sure that all the mushrooms in your basket have been properly scrutinized? A knowledgeable mushroomer should give them a good once over
before they are cut up for the pan. So, the main takeaway: mushroom identification can be easy, but not always. And not for all mushrooms.
2. Have I prepared the mushrooms properly?
The single largest mushroom poisoning reported in North America came from a “choice” gourmet mushroom, the Morel. A chef, ignorant of the fact that you must not eat raw Morels, served said raw Morels in a salad. Eighty-eight people were hospitalized and fortunately all survived. The North American Mycological Association tracks the list of poison mushroom cases across North America each year. These reports show that most common mushroom poisonings come from edible mushrooms. These include mushrooms like Red Tops, Shaggy Manes, Honey Mushrooms, and Morels among others. So, what’s up with that? It appears there are three apparent reasons:
a) The mushrooms were undercooked. Many mushrooms have some mild acids and an assortment of volatile compounds that are quickly neutralized or dissipated with heat. This is the case with Morels. Mushrooms are also complex structures with many polysaccharides and chitins which are just hard to digest. Cooking helps break down all these compounds, and actually releases the flavor. Think back to your last salad bar raw mushroom, didn’t taste like much, did it? If you are older or have acompromised digestive system eating undercooked mushrooms can literally come back and haunt you.
b) Overindulging. Review my “All Mushrooms are Medicinal” YouTube video; it discusses the antimicrobial characteristics of mushrooms. Whether you are overwhelming your digestive system with difficult-to-digest mushrooms, or if the antibiotic actions disrupt your gut microbiome needs more research. But there is something going on and likely it is a bit of both.
c) Wine consumption. Alcohol can trigger a major gastroenteritis event in some people but not others, when imbibed with a mushroom meal. Some of the mushrooms that are known for this effect include: Early Morels, Morels, Shaggy Manes, Red Tops (all orange Leccinum species) and Honey Mushrooms. The list includes many of those delicious and easily-identified mushrooms listed above. For people who have experienced this say that the event often becomes and remains an unforgettable moment.
3. You, and your own personal reaction.
A visit to a grocery store can be a life-threatening moment for many people. So many different foods can cause anaphylactic and other reactions. Mushrooms can and should join the list of many other scary foods such as peanut butter, crab, shrimp and other seafoods, nuts of all types, soy, milk and dairy, gluten, nightshades (peppers, tomatoes and tobacco smoke), oxalates (spinach, chard, beet tops). This list can go on; in fact one of the worst allergens can be Penicillin, which is a fungus. Be mindful especially when you are eating a mushroom for the first time, don't consume too many, and only try one mushroom species at a time. Keep those delicious wild mushroom medleys for those well acquainted with their mushrooms. One final note to keep in mind, over time some people can develop an allergy, usually to their favourite mushroom, the one they eat the most of. Just one more reason to avoid gluttony…
So, there it is. Should you eat that mushroom? That is completely your decision, a decision you need to make with every mushroom you bring home. Remember, people have eaten and enjoyed mushrooms for millennia, entrenched them into their cultures, and celebrated with them and made them into medicines. The mushroom world can truly be a delight, sending us on a culinary journey, a journey that should start with small confident steps as we educate ourselves.
Keep the following rules in mind, they will help keep you safe:
● Always be thorough identifying your mushrooms.
● Do not ignore any feature or lack of it.
● Focus on the easy ones till you start to understand Mushroom Identification
better..
● Always cook your mushrooms well.
● Never eat old rotten mushrooms.
● Double check all the mushrooms in your basket.
● Do not overindulge.
● When trying a new mushroom, always one at a time.
Good luck with your mushroom adventures! If you are feeling hesitant or unsure that might be a good thing. For some help there are different mushroom courses and guided walks that can help launch your journey. Some of those are right here on this website. Join me to learn more.
Please leave a comment, share an observation, anecdote or testimonial, ask
a question, leave a suggestion for a topic or start a dialogue.