Happy mushroom

Hen-of-the-Woods (Grifola frondosa)

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Description: This mushroom really does look something like a large, ruffled chicken. It grows as a bouquet of grayish-brown, fan-shaped, overlapping caps, with off-center white talks branching from a single thick base. On the underside, the pore surface is white.

A single clump of hen-of-the-woods can grow to enormous size and weigh up to 100 pounds. It often grows in the same spot year after year.

When and Where: Summer and fall; on the ground at the base of trees, or on stumps.

Cautions: Many gilled mushrooms grow in large clumps-remember that hen-of-the-woods is a pore fungus.

This mushroom has no poisonous look-alikes, but there are some similar species of pore fungi that are tough and inedible. If what you have tastes leathery or otherwise unpleasant, you probably didn't pick a hen-of-the-woods.

Cooking Hints: Use only fresh, tender portions. Simmer in salted water until tender (requires long, slow cooking), and serve as a vegetable with cream sauce; or chill after cooking and use on salads.

There are many other good edible wild mushrooms available to Missouri mushroom hunters, including the popular meadow mushrooms. If you'd like to try collecting some of these, the references listed at the end of this article will help you do so safely.

Sulfur Shelf (Laetiporus sulphureus)

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Description: These mushrooms light up the forest with their brilliant orange-red caps and pale sulfur-yellow pore surfaces. Some specimens fade to a peach or salmon color.

The sulfur shelf always grows on wood, usually in large masses of overlapping caps. It has no stem; the cap is attached directly to the wood. The pores are tiny.

Other names include chicken mushroom and chicken of the woods. Size: 2 to 12 inches wide.

When and Where: Summer and fall; in clusters on living trees or dead wood.

Cautions: This is a distinctive mushroom with no poisonous look-alikes. It does cause a mild allergic reaction (swollen lips) in some people.

Cooking Hints: Cook only the tender outer edges of the caps; the rest is tough and woody. Slice and simmer in stock for 45 minutes, then serve creamed on toast.

When cooked, this mushroom has the texture and often the taste of chicken.

Boletes (Boletaceae)

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Description: If you can picture a hamburger bun on a thick stalk, you will have a good idea of what most boletes look like. These sturdy, fleshy mushrooms can be mistaken at first glance for gilled mushrooms, but if you turn over a cap you will find a spongy layer of pores on the underside rather than bladelikegills. The pore layer can easily be pulled away from the cap.

Bolete caps are usually brownish or reddish-brown, while the pores may be whitish, yellow, orange, red, olive or brownish. Size: up to 10 inches tall; caps 1 to 10 inches wide.

There are more than 200 species of boletes in North America. The King Bolete (Boletus edulis) is probably the best edible.

When and Where: Summer and fall; on the ground near or under trees. Frequently found under pines.

Cautions: Boletes are considered a good, safe edible group for beginning mushroom collectors. However, you should observe these cautions:

1. A few boletes are poisonous. To avoid these, don't eat any boletes that have orange or red pores.

2. Some boletes, while not poisonous, are very distasteful. Check this by tasting a pinch of the raw mushroom cap. If it is bitter or otherwise unpleasant, throw it out.

3. To make them more digestible, boletes should be cooked before eating. If the cap is slimy, peel off the slime layer; it sometimes causes diarrhea.

4. Bugs seem to like boletes as much as people do, so check your specimens carefully. Boletes also tend to decay quickly. Be sure to collect and eat only fresh specimens.

Cooking Hints: Remove tough stems, and peel off the pore layer in all but the youngest specimens.

Saute in butter and add to any cheese dish. Dried boletes also are good in soups.

Chanterelles (Cantharellaceae)

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Description: Chanterelles are a great favorite of European mushroom hunters and are becoming more popular in the United States.

These mushrooms are funnel-or trumpet-shaped and have wavy cap edges. Most are bright orange or yellow, although one, the black trumpet, is brownish-black. Fresh chanterelles have a pleasant, fruity fragrance.

To make sure you have a chanterelle, check the underside of the cap. Some species of chanterelle are nearly smooth underneath, while others have a network of wrinkles or gill-like ridges running down the stem. The ridges have many forks and crossveins and are always blunt-edged. (True gills are sharp-edged and knife-like). Size: 1/2 to 6 inches wide, 1 to 6 inches tall.

When and Where: Summer and fall; on the ground in hardwood forests. Usually found in scattered groups.

Cautions: When you can recognize those blunt-edged, crisscrossing ridges, you won't confuse chanterelles with anything else. However, take extra care at first that you do not have the poisonous jack-o'-lantern (see Poisonous Mushrooms). Jack-o'-lanterns have knife-like gills and grow in the tight clusters on wood or buried wood, rather than on the ground.

Cooking Hints: Chanterelles are tough and need long, slow cooking, but when properly prepared their flavor is excellent. Saute slowly in butter until tender, season with salt, pepper and parsley and serve on crackers

Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus)

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Description: Those hardy souls who take long winter walks are sometimes treated to the sight of a snow-capped mass of fresh oyster mushrooms growing on a tree or log.

This large white, tan or ivory-colored mushroom is named for its oyster shell-like shape. It has white gills running down a very short, off-center stem. Spores are white to lilac, and the flesh is very soft. Oyster mushrooms usually are found in large clusters of overlapping caps and always on wood. Size: 2 to 8 inches wide.

When and Where: Spring, summer, fall and during warm spells in winter. On trees and fallen logs.

Cautions: This mushroom has a number of look-alikes, (including Crepidotus and Lentinus spp.), but none are dangerous. they may, however, be woody or unpleasant-tasting. Check by tasting a small piece and by making a spore print. Watch out for the small black beetles which sometimes infest this mushroom.

Cooking Hints: Soak in salted water to remove bugs. Dip in beaten egg, roll in cracker crumbs and fry.

Bearded Tooth (Hericium erinaceus)

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Description: With its clumps of hanging white "fur," this tooth fungus looks much like a polar bear's paw. It is pure white when fresh and young, but yellows with age.

The bearded tooth may grow quite large, as much as a foot across. Its size and whiteness make it easy to spot against the dark logs on which it grows.

Other names include bear's head, satyr's beard and hedgehog mushroom. Size: 4 to 12 inches across.

When and Where: Summer and fall; always on trees, logs or stumps.

Cautions: The bearded tooth is distinctive and has no poisonous look-alikes. There are several closely related species which are more open and branched, but all are good edibles.

Only young, white specimens should be eaten; older, yellowed ones are sour.

Cooking Hints: Slice, parboil until tender (taste a piece to test), drain and serve with cheese sauce.

MORELS (Morchella spp.)

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Description: Sponge, pine cone and honeycomb mushroom--the nicknames of the morel--are all appropriate. Morels are easy to recognize and delicious to eat, making them the most popular wild mushroom in Missouri.

The surface of a morel is covered with definite pits and ridges, and the bottom edge of the cap is attached directly to the stem. Size: 2 to 12 inches tall.

There are three common species of morels:

1. The common morel (Morchella esculenta): When young, this species has white ridges and dark brown pits and is known as the "white morel." As it ages, both the ridges and the pits turn yellowish brown, and it becomes a "yellow morel." If conditions are right the "yellow morel" can grow into a "giant morel," which may be up to a foot tall.

2. The black morel or smoky morel (Morchella elata): The ridges are gray or tan when young, but darken with age until nearly black. The pits are brown and elongated. These morels are best when picked young; discard any that are shrunken or have completely black heads.

3. The half-free morel (Morchella semilibera): This is the exception to the rule that morels have the bottom of the cap attached directly to the stem. The cap of the half-free morel is attached at about the middle (see illustration). These morels have small caps and long bulbous stems.

When and Where: From spring to early summer. Morels are found on the ground in a variety of habitats, including moist woodlands and in river bottoms.

Cautions: Morels have been known to cause mild poisoning symptoms when consumed with alcohol. Morels are quite distinctive, but there is a small chance they could be confused with false morels. See the poisonous mushroom page for ways to distinguish true morels from false morels.

Half-free morels may be confused with a mushroom called the wrinkled thimble cap (Verpa bohemica). Fortunately, this mushroom is also edible in moderation. The cap of the wrinkled thimble cap is free from the stem except at the top (see illustration).

Cooking Hints: Cut morels in half to check for insects. Wash carefully. Morels can be breaded and fried, stewed, baked, creamed or stuffed with dressing. Their delicate flavor is brought out best by sauteing them in butter for about five minutes on each side.

CORAL FUNGI(Clavariaceae)

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Description: These fungi appear as clumps of branching stems which point upward. They do look much like coral. Most are tan, whitish or yellowish; a few are pinkish or purple.

Also called club fungi, antler mushrooms or doghair mushrooms. Size: clusters may be up to 8 inches high.

When and Where: Summer and fall; in wooded areas, growing on the ground or on decaying logs.

Cautions: A few coral fungi have a laxative effect, and some people seem to be particularly sensitive. Avoid coral fungi that taste bitter, bruise brown when handled or have gelatinous bases. These are most likely to case trouble. No serious poisonings from coral fungi have been reported.

Cooking Hints: Tips and upper branches are most tender. Saute and add to vegetables or white sauce.

SHAGGY MANE (Coprinus comatus)

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Description: The shaggy mane or lawyer's wig is so large and distinctive that with a little practice you can identify it from a moving car.

The cap of a fresh specimen is a long, white cylinder with shaggy, upturned, brownish scales. The gills are whitish, and the entire mushroom is fragile and crumbles easily. Most important, as the shaggy mane matures, the cap and gills gradually dissolve into a black, inky fluid, leaving only the standing stalk. Size: 4 to 6 inches tall, sometimes larger.

When and Where: Spring, summer and fall, growing in grass, soil or wood chips. Often seen scattered in lawns and pastures.

Cautions: Shaggy manes are best when picked before the caps begin to turn black. However, until you become familiar with these mushrooms, check for the developing ink to be sure of your identification. (Note: The shaggy mane is the largest of a group of edible mushrooms called inky caps. The field guides listed at the end of this article can help you identify other members of this group.)

Cooking Hints: Saute butter and season with nutmeg or garlic. Good in scrambled eggs or chicken dishes. Shaggy manes are delicate and should be picked young and eaten the same day.

PUFFBALLS (LYCOPERDON spp. and CALVATIA spp.)

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Description: Depending on their size, puffballs have been mistaken at a distance for everything from golf balls to sheep.

These round or pear-shaped mushrooms are almost always whitish, tan or gray and may or may not have a stalk-like base. The interior of a puffball is solid white at first, gradually turning yellow, then brown as the mushroom ages. Finally, the interior changes to a mass of dark, powdery spores, Size: 1 to 12 inches in diameter, sometimes larger.

When and Where: Late summer and fall; in lawns, open woods, pastures, barren areas. On soil or decaying wood.

Cautions: Each puffball should be sliced from top to bottom and the interior examined. It should be completely white and featureless inside, like a slice of white bread. There should be no trace of yellow or brown (which will spoil the flavor) and especially no sign of a developing mushroom with a stalk, gills and cap (see Poisonous Mushrooms). Amanitas, when young, can resemble small puffballs, but cutting them open will quickly resolve the question.

Cooking Hints: Remove outer skin if it is tough, then slice, dip in batter and fry.

About edible mushroom

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Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. Mushrooms belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either below ground (hypogeous) or above ground (epigeous) where they may be picked by hand.^[1] Edibility may be defined by criteria that include absence of poisonous effects on humans and desirable taste and aroma.^[2]^[3] Of the estimated 1.5 million species of fungi, only about 150 are considered toxic.^[4]

Edible mushrooms are consumed by humans for their nutritional and occasionally medicinal value as comestibles.^[5] Mushrooms consumed for health reasons are known as medicinal mushrooms. While hallucinogenic mushrooms (e.g. Psilocybin mushrooms) are occasionally consumed for recreational or religious purposes, they can produce severe nausea and disorientation, and are therefore not commonly considered edible mushrooms.^[5]

Edible mushrooms include many fungal species that are either harvested wild or cultivated. Easily cultivatable and common wild mushrooms are often available in markets, and those that are more difficult to obtain (such as the prized truffle and matsutake) may be collected on a smaller scale by private gatherers. Some preparations may render certain poisonous mushrooms fit for consumption.

Before assuming that any wild mushroom is edible, it should be identified. Proper identification of a species is the only safe way to ensure edibility. Some mushrooms that are edible for most people can cause allergic reactions in some individuals, and old or improperly stored specimens can cause food poisoning. Deadly poisonous mushrooms that are frequently confused with edible mushrooms and responsible for many fatal poisonings include several species of the Amanita genus, in particular, Amanita phalloides, the death cap.

Vasccellum pratense

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Meadow puffball. Edible young. The plant is meadows and pastures in summerand autumn ....

Verpa bohemica

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Czech morel. Edible. It grows in deciduous forests in the spring. Rare ....

Verpa conica

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High morel. Edible. Rising in the bushes in the spring ....

Verpa digitaliformis

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Small morel. Edible. Rising in the bushes in the spring ....

Volvariella bombicina

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Woolly-colored mushrooms. Edible, bad. It grows on decaying broadleavedsummer and autumn ....

Volvariella gloiocephala

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Viscous colored mushroom. Edible, bad. It grows in rich soil treated in the springand autumn ....

Xerocomus badius

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Late mushrooms. Edible, excellent. Growing under conifers in the fall ....

Xerocomus chrusenteron

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Toadstool. Edible, bad. Grows in all forests in summer and autumn ...

Xerocomus rubellus

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Reddish mushrooms. Edible. It grows in deciduous forests in summer and early fall....

Xerocomus subtomentosus

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Subparagraph. Edible. Grows in all forests in summer and autumn ....

RUJNIĆ

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RUJNIĆ (1actarius deliciosus) ... High 6 to 14 paragraphs. Hat convex when young, later funnily dish faced, orange-red color, with clearly visible concentric circles, which can be tinted green, the edge is twisted, dry hat light like glass, and the wet, slippery. The handle at the bottom a little thinner, 'orange, the first full, after thehollow, sometimes with the presence of shallow pits darker orange.
It is located in coniferous forests and wet meadows next to forests. Prepare thegrill, salad, pickled, etc..
Do not mix with brezovka, which grows under birch and hairy, which is visible all over the hat, especially at the edge, and cause indigestion.

Oak Turk (Leccinum quericinum)

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Oak Turk (Leccinum quericinum)

6-24cm, hemispherical, and a growing sphere, properly coated circular, with adults sometimes slightly distorted around the edge of the furrow is occasional. The skin growing over the edge for a long time it is hanging, chunky rough, slightly cracked, in the elderly is almost smooth. Basically, red-brown, usually brick, chestnut or brown fritillary, the elderly are becoming lighter, sometimes almost cream, or as rust (then pressed blush of wine).
Tubule
Badly with a bouquet of deep, 10-35mm long, gray, cream, then brown the slices immediately become violet, lilac and darker.

Small, about 0.3 to 0.4 mm, rounded or slightly angular compact, at first white, then istobojne with tubes.

Darker brown.
Bunch
8-20/2-4cm, cylindrical or down a bit thicker, sometimes spindle-shaped or batinasto thicker at the bottom. Basically, white, down crvenosmđ growing in the base of the mycelium whitish coated. Densely covered with granular scales darker above all, from white to dark brown over crvenosmeđeg, the elderly almost to black. Full and firm, even slightly fibrous at the turn.
MEAT
Thick, compact, all aging soft, white or greyish permeated. At the intersection of it but for the 1-start from top to bottom 2minute permeate deep lilac, with gray, black and a hint that after 24 hours will become dominant. At some stage occurs after the lilac viskicrvena. The taste is pleasant, odor-free.
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
In KOH the skin and amber Klobuk cinoberkarmin, lower in meat bouquet of yellow-gray, the surface of a bouquet of olive, the orange tubes and pores, then the color of honey, and NH3, the meat of Pocrnela KOH diluted with blue-gray border. On a bouquet of NH3 by sulfur yellow, else nothing happens. The SV at the bottom of a bouquet of pink.
MICROSCOPY
Spores very light yellow, hyaline, coarse granular, elongated spindle-shaped, almost cylindrical: 12-16/4-5 mm size.
HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION
End of oak species, but oak, very common, and in the lower regions of Croatia and Vojvodina's mass. He likes the lighter seats, mostly from the edge of the forest roads and very acid soils. Found in Europe.
AGE
It occurs mostly in late summer, early fall, precisely-from August to November. Some years there is also in June.
Edibility
Excellent edible mushroom, never worm-eaten. Saving to all the right ways and mushrooms, pickled and even the great, the only thing we do not know what the full flavor when dried. Cut off as he is a tough bunch.
SIMILAR SPECIES
Only in recent times this was excluded from the term Turk Turk, Leccinum aurantiacum. Stands out above all by the end of the oak habitat, the blue-green stain at the bottom of the bouquet, the weaker red n admixtures, as well as chemical reactions.

BUKOVAC

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BUKOVAC (Pleurotus ostreatus) (beech mushrooms, oyster beech,ostrigar) emerges from a common trunk and larger number of hatscovering smaller, sizes 3 to 25 st. Color depends on which woodgrows: gray, bluish, purple, brown, almost black and white. The handle is short paragraphs 1 to 4, or missing. The thickness of 1 to 3 paragraphs. The flesh is white. Older mushrooms hardening of the handle. A pleasant smell of sawn timber. Steady in September, mostly from December to January the Rece-white-mountain stumpsof trees (poplar, walnut, beech, maple, willow, poplar, locust, etc.)..
The most common in beech forests, usually in places where the wood is injured. Oak does not tolerate. It is often high on the letters,and improvisation is removed from a thin rope and stone.

Agaricus campester

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Agaricus campester (Polish mushrooms, plum, shepherd, tanner) Height 5 to 9 st. hat diameter of 5 to 12 Celsius. Pure white mushrooms, svilsnkaste or "soft" epidermis, sometimes a little brown with darker scales. The ballots are the first age of white, pink and fleshy and eventually red.Helpdesk is short and usually toward the bottom of narrow, white, with a simple ring. The smell pleasantly refreshing, and the white sail meat slightly brown, and turns red at the intersection.