re: Mushroom ID help - UPDATE in OP (ate 'em and didn't die)

quote:

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'm not risk adverse, but picking and eating wild mushrooms is something I've always thought was insane.

One of those "the juice ain't with the squeeze" things.

But please let us know how they taste. I'll live vicariously through you.

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I understand the reticence to jump into something like mushroom foraging. I am sure I pass up many edible varieties because I recognize the risk in misidentification.

I have a couple of varieties I'm very confident in my ID on (like traditional oyster mushrooms, chanterelles, and morels) and then have some general guidelines I know to follow.

For example, almost any mushroom growing on oak and willow logs or stumps is going to be safe to eat or at worst cause some mild gastric upset. I also never eat any raw as many mushrooms are fine when cooked but can be disagreeable when raw. If i can't get a positive ID, I just toss them and I don't feed any to my son or wife until after I've eaten them.

It's not for everyone, but I enjoy it and I now have the time to get more into it. I recently became a full time stay at home dad so it gives me and my son another fun activity to get us outdoors.