FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Funny! I went kinda crazy with growing and collecting wild mushrooms since moving to Missouri! I order liquid cultures and inoculate grain spawn and then move onto fruiting blocks. It's super easy -- easier than culturing Venus flytraps for sure!!

Last year for the first time I went full circle with a mushroom - harvested a wild lion's mane, cloned it, and then got it growing on a fruiting block and harvested the fruit -- felt pretty cool to be able to clone mushrooms like I do Venus flytraps

DragonsEye wrote: ↑Thu Jul 13, 2023 4:32 pm Other than obvious edibles like morels, I’m too ignorant to trust myself with regards to identifying nonpoisonous wild mushrooms.

I'm with you on that! I just ventured into the Chantrells because of other people showing me what to look for. Then, when I looked up the look alikes, it is pretty easy to distinguish the edibles. Now to figure out what to do with all of these mushrooms I have.

Panman wrote: ↑Thu Jul 13, 2023 7:39 pm

DragonsEye wrote: ↑Thu Jul 13, 2023 4:32 pm Other than obvious edibles like morels, I’m too ignorant to trust myself with regards to identifying nonpoisonous wild mushrooms.

I'm with you on that! I just ventured into the Chantrells because of other people showing me what to look for. Then, when I looked up the look alikes, it is pretty easy to distinguish the edibles. Now to figure out what to do with all of these mushrooms I have.

If they’re edibles, you can sauté them then freeze them. Or, you can dry/dehydrate them for later use.

Yep - definitely what DragonsEye recommends (for Chanterelles). We do a dry saute to basically get the moisture content low, then freeze in batches with a food preserver (remove the air type bags).

As for how to use them - so may ways, chanterelle chowder, tacos, make a polenta (or risotto) and mix the frozen mushies with a bit of butter and herbs (serve on the polenta), in scrambled eggs, etc, etc.

Panman wrote: ↑Thu Jul 13, 2023 7:39 pm

DragonsEye wrote: ↑Thu Jul 13, 2023 4:32 pm Other than obvious edibles like morels, I’m too ignorant to trust myself with regards to identifying nonpoisonous wild mushrooms.

I'm with you on that! I just ventured into the Chantrells because of other people showing me what to look for. Then, when I looked up the look alikes, it is pretty easy to distinguish the edibles. Now to figure out what to do with all of these mushrooms I have.

Don't be too intimidated to try to experiment a bit. I bought a couple of books in 2021 and have eaten probably over 30 types of wild mushrooms since reading them and using them for reference. There are certainly types of mushrooms that are difficult to ID and that are toxic, but not deadly. Most will give you a stomach ache and/or diarrhea but that's about it.

There are also certain deadly types, like amanitas, that you'd want to avoid entirely if you're not sure of your ability to positively ID them. But there are so many delicious ones out there that are edible and mushroom hunting is a great way to get outside and enjoy the wilderness!! So don't let the risk of poisoning stop you from collecting wild mushrooms. It's only about 3% of them that are poisonous!! Source:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl ... 0poisonous.