Author Topic: [Mushroom IDs please] we found a diversity of hopefully edibles today  (Read 1505 times)

Hugh_3170

  • NG Supporter
  • **
  • Posts: 2008
  • Back in Melbourne!
Re: [Mushroom IDs please] we found a diversity of hopefully edibles today
« Reply #15 on: October 25, 2022, 14:37:31 »
In 2012 in Canberra here in Australia several people died and a number subsequently required transplant surgery when death cap mushrooms were mistaken for very similar looking Asian edible straw mushrooms:

https://www.smh.com.au/national/deadly-mushroom-meal-was-made-in-a-restaurant-kitchen-20120105-1pn3g.html 

The spores for the death cap mushrooms were inadvertently imported into Australia in the soil surrounding the roots of American Oak tree seedlings.

The warnings in this thread about the dangers of eating poisonous fungi are for real.

Edit:  There have been multiple ocurrences of such poisonings in Canberra - e.g. in 2014:  https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6142894/fourth-case-of-death-cap-mushroom-poisoning-in-act/

Hugh Gunn

Birna Rørslett

  • Global Moderator
  • **
  • Posts: 5243
  • A lesser fierce bear of the North
Re: [Mushroom IDs please] we found a diversity of hopefully edibles today
« Reply #16 on: October 25, 2022, 16:36:28 »
The advice is very simple, yet universal: never, ever, eat fungi you cannot reliably put a name on. Meaning in practice that a fungus-competent expert should vouch for correct species determination by examining the actual specimens.

Fungus identification via images can never be fail-safe. Always avoid eating any fungus identified in this manner. No exception

In Norway, we experience fungus poisoning every year by people not heading such simple advice. Sometimes the incidents are fatal or nearly as bad, meaning you have to be linked to a dialysis machine for the remainder of your life. The poison of Amanita and other dangerous fungi can destroy the kidneys.

Learn the 5-10 "safe" species and stick to them. Ruth and I enjoy mushrooms every autumn without any fear. Whatever we don't eat directly go into the freezer for later use.


Birna Rørslett

  • Global Moderator
  • **
  • Posts: 5243
  • A lesser fierce bear of the North
Re: [Mushroom IDs please] we found a diversity of hopefully edibles today
« Reply #17 on: October 25, 2022, 22:28:09 »
Late autumn is the peak season for various trumpet chantarelles. Excellent tasty mushroom which can be prepared in various manners and if you have enough of them, they can be pickled and stored for years.

Ruth sampled some this afternoon in the nearby conifer forests. This species is one of the "safe" mushrooms.

Øivind Tøien

  • NG Supporter
  • **
  • Posts: 1707
  • Fairbanks, Alaska
Re: [Mushroom IDs please] we found a diversity of hopefully edibles today
« Reply #18 on: October 26, 2022, 05:08:40 »
Nice image, apparently trumpet chantarelle is a species that requires caution as it tends to grow together with another highly poisonous species, deadly webcap (Cortinarius rubellus) that can at the best cases destroy your kidneys with intake of very small amounts. So attention is needed during picking and inspection to avoid one of these bad ones sneaking in among all the edible ones (if necessary use google translate on Norwegian link):
https://www.klikk.no/helse/doktoronline/sykdommer/se-forskjell-pa-spiss-giftslorsopp-og-traktkantarell-3614898
Øivind Tøien