Mushrooms are undoubtedly a tasty ingredient with which to enrich pizzas, pasta dishes, salads and much more. It would be best to leave the search for wild edible mushrooms to professional mycologists (ie mushroom scientists); if you still want to collect them yourself, you must be very careful: take a good look at the appearance of the mushrooms you find, consult reliable sources and, if you accidentally ingest an inedible one, pay attention to the alarming symptoms and consult a doctor.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Observe the Mushroom Appearance and Use Caution
Step 1. Avoid mushrooms with white gills
Look for those with brown or light brown gills. Although there are edible varieties with white gills, these are a typical feature of one of the most poisonous and deadly mushroom families in the world, the Amanitas.
Step 2. Do not pick mushrooms that have a red cap or stem
Choose those with white, brown or tan hats and stems. Many red-colored species are poisonous.
Red is the natural warning system those mushrooms use to warn predators (including you) to stay away
Step 3. Look for scaleless mushrooms on the cap
Avoid mushrooms with spots or scales that are lighter or darker than the color of the hat; they are frequent in poisonous species.
For example, champignons may have brown or light brown scaly patches
Step 4. Discard any mushrooms that have a ring around the stem
Look under the hat and check for a membranous ring that looks a bit like a second mini-hat. Many mushrooms with this characteristic are poisonous, so avoid picking them.
Step 5. Bring two collection baskets
Put mushrooms that you think are edible in one basket and those that you are not sure about in the other. Don't worry: you won't get intoxicated by a poisonous mushroom just by handling it. Consult an expert to identify the ones you have doubts about.
- You can get in touch with a mushroom expert through a mycology group in your area or a nearby university.
- There is no particular place where mushrooms grow. You can find them on tree trunks, on the ground or in the moss.
- There is no need to wear gloves when picking mushrooms.
Step 6. Do not ingest a mushroom unless you are 100% sure it is edible
You need to be very careful when harvesting - many poisonous varieties resemble edible types; furthermore, some varieties can change their appearance according to the environmental conditions in which they grow, making identification difficult.
- For example, mushrooms of the same type can have a different color depending on the exposure to the sun.
- Experts recommend not eating any variety of mushroom that you haven't been able to identify at least three times in the woods. Furthermore, each of the three identifications should be confirmed by a professional.
Part 2 of 4: Identifying the Most Common Edible Mushrooms
Step 1. Look for the boletus
They have a brown or light brown hat, of medium size, and are found near pines, firs and spruces. They can usually be harvested in early autumn, at low altitudes, and in summer, at higher altitudes. The stem is typically thick and bulbous near the ground and narrows towards the cap.
Step 2. Look for chanterelles
Also known as chanterelles, they range from yellow-orange to golden-yellow and have a small, concave hat in the center, with wavy, upturned margins. The stem widens at the height of the cap, similar to a trumpet. They are found at the foot of conifers and deciduous trees, between autumn and early spring.
Step 3. Look for vesce
The hat is round, white or light brown, covered with characteristic very dense quills that come off easily. They are usually found along paths or on the edge of woods, in autumn and winter.
Cut them in half to check that they are good to eat: the inside should be pure white; if it is yellow or brown, the mushroom is no longer edible
Step 4. Look for the canopy covers
The hat is long, column-shaped, covered with scales. They have dense blade-like gills that hang over a hollow stem. They grow well in urban areas, in cold and humid environments.
Avoid collecting the covers near busy roads, as they may have been contaminated by exhaust fumes
Part 3 of 4: Learn More About Edible Mushrooms
Step 1. Join a mycology group in your area
On the site of the "Nuova Mycology" association you can find a list of mycology associations and groups in Italy. These groups promote the study of mushrooms and organize courses and meetings open to the public.
They could also organize excursions or other field activities for those who want to learn more about mushroom picking
Step 2. Buy a guide
Search online or in bookstores for a guide to mushrooms in your region. You can take it with you when you go mushroom picking to practice identifying the different varieties; It can also help you become more familiar with the most common edible and poisonous species.
Step 3. Look for mycology courses at a university
Check if the university closest to you offers mycology courses that you can take. They would be very useful for you to deepen your knowledge about edible varieties and further develop the ability to recognize them.
In case you can't find classes to take at university, ask the mycology group in your area if they can recommend courses or materials to study on
Part 4 of 4: Seeing a Doctor After Ingesting an Unidentified Mushroom
Step 1. Watch out for gastrointestinal complaints
If in the 24 hours after ingesting an unidentified fungus you experience symptoms such as abdominal cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, traces of blood in vomit or stool, go immediately to the nearest emergency room, where they can replenish the fluids you have lost and treat. intoxication.
- In some cases, if not treated right away, these problems can escalate into kidney failure;
- Even if you feel embarrassed to admit that you have eaten a potentially dangerous mushroom, don't hesitate to get treated. Doctors are interested in nothing but your health.
Step 2. Watch out for excessive salivation, tearing, sweating, or lactation
If you notice any of these symptoms, call for help right away. These are all involuntary reactions of the nervous system that can emerge within just 15-30 minutes after eating the mushroom and, if not acted quickly, degenerate into vision problems, drops in blood pressure or breathing difficulties.
- Given how quickly these symptoms can evolve, it is better to call an ambulance than to try to get to the hospital on your own.
- Once in the emergency room, you will likely be given atropine, an antidote that resolves most of these ailments. It generally recovers completely within 24 hours; however, if not treated in time, intoxication can lead to respiratory failure.
Step 3. Don't ignore symptoms such as visual distortions, hallucinations or excessive sleepiness
See a doctor if you have any central nervous system disorder. Some fungi can cause very serious central nervous system reactions, such as seizures or even coma.
- Doctors can provide you with supportive care if you have anxiety or fluid loss;
- Usually, these disorders resolve on their own and without causing long-term damage.
Step 4. Monitor for symptoms returning after treatment
Notice any disorders, mental or physical, that reappear after you are apparently healed. Some lethal fungi, such as those of the Amanita family, can cause intoxication in which, within 24 hours, patients seem to improve, then relapse that can even lead to multi-organ failure.
- If you have reason to believe that you have ingested any kind of Amanita, don't wait for symptoms to appear. Go to the hospital immediately and tell the medical staff what type of Amanita you ate, how much and how much recently.
- If you have any remaining pieces of the mushroom you ate, give them to staff for analysis.
Warnings
- Never ingest mushrooms based solely on information you find on the Internet, including this article. Even if the source is reliable, there is always a risk that you can misidentify it.
- Eating a potentially poisonous mushroom can have serious consequences - you could get sick, develop organ failure, or even die. It is best to only eat mushrooms intended for food consumption that are sold in the supermarket.
