Foraging for wild mushrooms can be very rewarding, but it does carry risks. Eating a poisonous mushroom can make you sick or even be fatal. That’s why it’s critical to be able to accurately identify edible mushrooms before consuming them.
How to identify safe mushrooms
There are a few key steps you should take to safely identify edible mushrooms:
- Learn the distinguishing features of common edible mushrooms in your region
- Avoid mushrooms with certain dangerous characteristics
- Take spore prints of mushrooms you aren’t 100% sure about
- Start slowly and only consume a small amount of any new mushroom at first
Learning the distinguishing features of edible mushrooms takes time and experience. It’s best to go mushroom hunting with an expert mycologist at first. However, here are some of the most common edible mushrooms to look for:
Morel Mushrooms
Morels are one of the most popular edible mushrooms. They have a distinctive honeycomb-like cap with pits and ridges rather than gills. The cap connects directly to the stem with no ring or volva (cup at the base). Morels can be hollow or solid inside depending on the species. They have a nutty, earthy flavor.
Chanterelle Mushrooms
Chanterelles have a trumpet-like shape with wavy caps that slope down to meet the stem. Rather than gills, chanterelles have wrinkles or ridges that run partway down the stem. They are yellow, orange, or white-yellow in color and have a fruity aroma and mild peppery taste.
Puffball Mushrooms
As the name suggests, puffballs are round like a ball and don’t have a stem or gills. When immature, the flesh is white throughout. As they mature, they turn yellowish, olive, or brown inside. Smaller puffballs tend to be better eating with a mild mushroomy flavor.
Chicken of the Woods
Chicken of the woods is a shelf mushroom that grows in clusters on trees. It has multiple fan-shaped caps that are orange, yellow, or white and feels rubbery. The underside has pore-like indentations rather than gills. This mushroom has a texture like chicken and a mild, woodsy flavor.
Oyster Mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms have thin, delicate caps that grow in overlapping clusters on dead trees. They can be different colors like white, grey, yellow, pink, or blue. Underneath are closely spaced gills that run down the stem. Oyster mushrooms have a mild, sweet flavor.
Mushrooms to avoid
While identifying edible mushrooms takes experience, there are a few clear signs that signal a mushroom might be dangerous or poisonous:
- White gills – Many toxic mushrooms have white gills rather than black or brown gills
- Red on white – Avoid any mushroom with a red color on top of white cap
- Small mushrooms – Tiny mushrooms can be very poisonous, so avoid unless you’re certain
- Mushrooms growing in rings – Mushrooms growing in a ring pattern are often poisonous
- Mushrooms with bags, sacks, or volva – Poisonous mushrooms often have a bag-like structure at the base
- Mushrooms with red or orange pores under the cap – These often indicate a toxic mushroom
- Mushrooms with milky or discolored juice – Sap that weeps or changes color can signify danger
- Mushrooms that stain blue or black – Bruising on some mushrooms produces deadly toxins
Some mushrooms don’t just cause a mild stomach upset – they can be deadly. Do not consume any mushroom if you have doubts about whether it’s safe.
Taking a spore print
If you find a mushroom you think might be edible but lack the expertise to identify it with 100% certainty, taking a spore print can help narrow it down:
- Cut the stem off flush with the cap
- Place cap gills down on white and black paper
- Cover cap with a bowl to allow spores to drop
- Check after 8-10 hours for color of spore deposit
Compare the spore print color to known edible and poisonous mushroom lists. But remember spore print color alone doesn’t guarantee a mushroom is safe. Use it as one input along with other identification features.
Safety first when trying new mushrooms
It’s advisable to eat new mushrooms in very small quantities the first time even if you’re quite sure they are edible. This helps test your reaction and identify any allergies or sensitivities.
When trying a little bit of a new mushroom for the first time:
- Only eat a small portion – a spoonful is plenty
- Cook the mushroom thoroughly first
- Wait 24 hours to monitor your reaction before eating more
- Have only a small serving the second time
- Build up slowly to larger portions over multiple tries
And of course, never eat any wild mushroom raw. Cooking helps break down any irritants or tough-to-digest compounds.
Storing wild mushrooms
Proper storage preserves flavor and texture:
- Clean gently with damp towel rather than washing
- Don’t soak or expose gills to water which can degrade quality
- Use paper or cloth bags rather than plastic
- Refrigerate quickly after picking
- Cook within 3-4 days for best flavor
- Brush off debris rather than washing when preparing
Cooking wild mushrooms
Mushrooms contain a lot of water so they cook down significantly. Here are some tips:
- Add wild mushrooms at the end of cooking a dish or sauté separately
- Use high heat to brown and develop flavor
- Slice meats and firm mushrooms; leave small or delicate ones whole
- Add woody mushrooms to stews and soups
- Roast hearty mushrooms until crispy
- Puree tough mushrooms into sauces
Wild mushrooms enhance many dishes like:
- Omelets, scrambled eggs, and frittatas
- Pizza
- Pasta
- Risottos
- Vegetable medleys
- Salads
- Soups and stews
- Casseroles and baked pasta
- Sautéed meats
- Gravies and creamy sauces
Foraging tips
To successfully and safely forage for wild mushrooms:
- Learn your region’s edible and poisonous species
- Obtain permission before foraging on private property
- Always bring along a mushroom field guide
- Don’t pick old mushrooms, only young to middle aged
- Cut mushrooms to avoid pulling up the roots
- Use a mesh bag to allow spores to drop
- Stick to easily identifiable edible species at first
- Never eat a wild mushroom raw
- When in doubt, throw it out!
Best places to forage for mushrooms
Mushrooms grow in a variety of habitats, but some places to look include:
- Among grasses in fields and meadows
- In marshes and wetlands
- On decaying logs or tree stumps
- In mossy areas
- Under shrubs and dense foliage
- In wood chips or mulch
Times to forage:
- Spring for morels, oyster mushrooms, chanterelles
- Summer for chicken of the woods, hedgehog mushroom, lobster mushroom
- Fall for hen of the woods, giant puffballs, honey mushrooms
For more specifics, get to know your bioregion’s mushroom season and productive habitat types.
Edible mushroom identification chart
| Mushroom | Description | Habitat | Cap | Gills / Pores | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morel | Prized edible mushroom with honeycombed cap | Woodlands in spring | Conical, pitted | No gills, irregular pits | Generally hollow |
| Chanterelle | Funnel-shaped mushroom with wavy cap | Under trees and shrubs | Vase-like, wrinkled | Ridges run down stem | Solid, tapered |
| Puffball | Round mushrooms filled with spores | Fields, woodlands, lawns | Rounded, no stem | No gills when young | None |
| Chicken of the Woods | Shelf mushroom growing on trees | Dead or dying trees | Clustered, fan-shaped | Pores rather than gills | Lateral, off to side |
| Oyster Mushroom | Delicate mushrooms in overlapping clusters | Dead trees and logs | Fan or oyster-shaped | Decurrent gills | Off-center, lateral |
Poisonous mushroom identification chart
| Mushroom | Description | Habitat | Cap | Gills / Pores | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Death Cap | Deadly and abundant mushroom | Woodlands near hardwood trees | Convex to flat, green-yellow to brown | Closely spaced white gills | White ring on stalk, large sac at base |
| Destroying Angel | Deadly all-white mushroom | Fields or near woodlands | Convex to flat | Closely spaced white gills | Ring or sac at base |
| Webcaps | Mushrooms with caps coated in web-like veil | Wood debris | Bell shaped with dangling remnants | Decurrent gills | Often has ring or volva |
| Amanitas | Toxic mushrooms including Death Cap | Mycorrhizal, near hardwoods | Convex to flat | Free from stem | Bulb at base, ring or sac |
| False Morels | Poisonous look-alike to morels | Woodlands and thickets | Irregular, brain-like | Folds and pits rather than gills | Irregular, not hollow |
Conclusion
With some diligent study and great care, you can safely discover and enjoy many delicious wild mushrooms. Get to know the mushroom species in your region, avoid any with questionable features, and always exercise caution when trying new varieties. Start slowly, use multiple identification aids, and never consume a wild mushroom you aren’t 100% sure about. With experience, you’ll be rewarded with ample edible mushrooms to turn into culinary delights.
