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Tim Y

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mushrooms in my yard

by Tim Y » Tue Sep 20, 2011 1:43 pm

This is probably a dumb question, but how do you tell if they are of the edible variety? Is there a good "test", or is it trial and error. LOL I got about 5 lbs worth, and hate to see them go to waste. I have googled shrooms and there are a gozillion pics to compare, but how can you be sure? Anybody got info?
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JustinHammond

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Re: mushrooms in my yard

by JustinHammond » Tue Sep 20, 2011 2:01 pm

Tim Y wrote:This is probably a dumb question, but how do you tell if they are of the edible variety? Is there a good "test", or is it trial and error. LOL I got about 5 lbs worth, and hate to see them go to waste. I have googled shrooms and there are a gozillion pics to compare, but how can you be sure? Anybody got info?


There are some great books out there to help you identify or you post a pic and I'll have my shroom guy take a look.
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Gary Guss

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Re: mushrooms in my yard

by Gary Guss » Tue Sep 20, 2011 2:55 pm

You need to hire a Bohemian.. you can find them in Chicago and Berwyn, Illinois
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Megan Watts

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Re: mushrooms in my yard

by Megan Watts » Tue Sep 20, 2011 3:11 pm

I once heard that you have to be extremely sure before ever sampling any mushroom. Even people with years of experience have made horrible mistakes. Not too long ago I heard a story on NPR about a writer and his wife who had eaten wild mushrooms before and went out with some friends to pick them. Well they were wrong and both nearly died. I believe he is still on kidney dialysis :shock: I don't think it's worth the risk.
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John Hagan

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Re: mushrooms in my yard

by John Hagan » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:23 am

The safest way to identify mushrooms is to make a spore print. Its almost like a finger print in that the gill structure on shrooms are quite unique to each species. Google "spore print" and you should find something useful. Otherwise...I wouldnt mess with them without being sure. With any luck you may have turned up some magic mushrooms...they tend to appear toward fall.
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Re: mushrooms in my yard

by Tim Y » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:41 am

Thanks for the input. I will try the "spore print" next. Everything else I have found has not made me comfortable enough to pick them though. I was suprised at the volume of these things, and at $5 a #, I really want to use them. They resemble shitakes in shape, but are a "burnt orange" in color and some are about 5 inches in diameter. If they are "magic", that would be a trip, so to speak :wink:
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Re: mushrooms in my yard

by Tim Y » Thu Sep 22, 2011 10:01 am

OK, so I actually picked one to further investigate. I used a glove to protect myself, just cause you never know. It seems to be a pine boletus since they are under a pine tree, duh. They are edible but I don't think they are worth the risk. Too bad, cause they are very dense and heavy so I probably got more than 10#. :cry:
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Stephen D

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Re: mushrooms in my yard

by Stephen D » Thu Sep 22, 2011 5:04 pm

Tim Y wrote:OK, so I actually picked one to further investigate. I used a glove to protect myself, just cause you never know. It seems to be a pine boletus since they are under a pine tree, duh. They are edible but I don't think they are worth the risk. Too bad, cause they are very dense and heavy so I probably got more than 10#. :cry:


Boo...some fresh foraged mushrooms are the stuff of legend.

:(
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Re: mushrooms in my yard

by Tim Y » Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:29 pm

I gotta tell you Stephen, these things look and smell like heavenly shrooms. Their "spongey" gills are heavy and dense, like a tight sponge, but have a yellow color against the burnt orange top. The research i have done on these says stay away from orange and red gills, but the underside is definately yellow, not orange, but a "funny" yellow at that, SCAREY (yellow and orange make red, right?) The "meat" has a yellow tint to it almost to the "heart" of the shroom. I really hate to see them go to waste. And they are still growing!! They have been up for a week and have doubled in size. I can see grilling them up and having a shroom burger,...... and if they are magic? 8) That is one groovy burger :lol: In the words of Jim Stafford, "take a trip and never leave the farm". Oh but that is a different plant altogether, but FUN!! If anybody wants these I am 1 minute from Phoenix Hill Tavern, and my # is in the pumpkin time thread. Tim
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Lois Mauk

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Re: mushrooms in my yard

by Lois Mauk » Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:56 pm

My brother has hunted 'shrooms for a long time. Years ago, I pulled into my mother's gravel driveway and almost stepped on a huge morel growing there. I called my brother and told him about it. He said, "Oh, it can't be a morel growing in the middle of all that gravel." He finally came up to Mom's house and harvested it . . . it was at least 5 inches tall. He still has pictures of that one. I believe it may be the biggest morel he'd ever harvested -- though even he would have to admit he didn't find it. I did!

I used to run across a lot of unique looking mushrooms when I was involved in cemetery restoration work. But, to tell the truth, I'd never risk trying them without someone VERY knowledgeable confirming they are edible.

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Re: mushrooms in my yard

by Tim Y » Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:31 pm

Well Lois, I am sure all the ladies can identify a morel. Are you sure he didn't try to tell you it was 8" tall? :lol:
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Lois Mauk

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Re: mushrooms in my yard

by Lois Mauk » Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:25 pm

:-)

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Re: mushrooms in my yard

by Tim Y » Thu Sep 22, 2011 10:47 pm

Touche' That is so cool you had that laying around for "just such an occasion". (a la Foghorn Leghorn) 8) If you are a Looney Tunes fan you have heard him say it after getting blown up, "Fortunately, I keep my feathers numbered for just such an occasion" LMAO
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Re: mushrooms in my yard

by Carla G » Thu Oct 13, 2011 8:36 pm

My grandfather hunted mushrooms for many years. He always warned us not to try it ourselves because of the numerous look alikes . Unfortunately he he himself died of renal failure due to, the doctor suspected, poisonous mushrooms. And he was considered a pro by other 'shrumers. I wouldn't risk it.
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JustinHammond

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Re: mushrooms in my yard

by JustinHammond » Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:26 pm

"The idea is to eat well and not die from it-for the simple reason that that would be the end of your eating." - Jim Harrison

https://www.facebook.com/Louisville-Eat ... 129849554/
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