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Poison Mushrooms

6.5K views 46 replies 35 participants last post by  Mama Bär  
#1 ·
Mods. I did not know where to post this feel free to move.

I have been wondering. Is the only way to be poisoned by mushrooms is to eat them or can they also affect you by handling or inhaling the spores if you do handle them . Thanks just one of those random thoughts.
 
#2 ·
I'm sure ingestion is they way most folks would get sick and die. However mold or other spores could be inhaled and perhaps cause death. Some sort of organic decay chemical or psychoactive compound could be present that could absorb right threw your skin or lungs is possible.

Back when I was studying mushrooms I had 4 books. 2 on eatable and 2 on poisonous. I don't really bother with them much these days, not much nutrition compared to other things to forage. GreenDean on youtube "eattheweeds" is a great start.
 
#5 ·
Certain ones are pretty safe because they don't have look-alikes, such as morels. There's usually a mycologic society in most communities that you could check out. They are volunteer groups that are expert in the kinds that grow in your area. They do scout and learn trips which are scheduled at the appropriate growing time.
 
#8 ·
Morels can be confused with false morels, many of which are poisonous. Also generally regarded as safe are Boletes, of which there are poisonous species, but not lethally so, as well as some that are inedible.

Boletes are the mushrooms that have spongy gills. --Still though, if you want to collect mushrooms, learn how to take spore prints, and also arm yourself with a microscope as well in order to identify those that are safe.

As far as handling mushrooms is concerned, you will probably have no issue, though still you may want to wash you hands after handling unknown species just to be on the safe side. -- About the only ones that I would avoid handling though are some of the amonitas, as these are generally poisonous, and many of them lethally so due to the fact that they contain high levels of hydrazine compounds that will destroy your liver and kidneys.
 
#6 ·
#19 ·
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Good mushroom ID book.

Yup.

Furthermore, you will not get poisoned by a mushroom simply by handling them or inahle their spores. As others have said, hydrazine compounds are the major poison in deadly mushrooms. That being said, if you are handling mushrooms that you know are toxic, such as Deathcap Amanitas or White Amanitas, it's generally a very good idea to wash you hands after handling them, due to the fact that a single bite from either will kill you.

Furthermore, the mushroom guide will tell you which mushrooms are toxic when consumed with alcohol, which ones are perfectly safe to eat at a particular time of the year, but will make you ill at other times, as well as which mushrooms are perfectly fine except for the times when they are growing in proximity to certain trees.
 
#10 ·
I met two through hikers on the PCT that were foraging their way from San Diego to Canada. Their main food sources were fish and mushrooms. They had studied mycology and did not get sick. but they were scrawny guys and food was their main topic of conversation. Very interesting to talk with them and get their perspective of life in the wilds for 3 months. We talked about replacing their crossbow which was slow to deploy with a .22 pistol for small game animals.
 
#15 ·
Never trust any ID book. The human brain is wired to make connections which aren't there, and will generally think: oh, it could be this dangerous one, or this good one, i'm sure it looks more like the good one (this gets worse the more hungry you get.). Unless you are 100% sure, don't try to eat it. 100% sure includes not getting your ID from a book, but real training in recognizing them, several times, with different shrooms, in the wild. (An ID book can help you as a memory aid if you have been trained.) As other's have said before: even experts make mistakes easily.
 
#18 ·
poison mushrooms

Just go to a good field guide for mushrooms and learn what the "foolproof four" look like--puffball, field mushrooms (Look like the ones you buy in a store except that when they are really fresh, they have pink undersides), morrells, and shaggy mains (White when fresh, black inking look when over ripe.) These are the only kinds I will try.
 
#22 ·
If you're really interested in collecting mushrooms, join a local group that does this. Most have informal classes and conduct mushroom hunts where you can get the experience and knowledge you need to identify, harvest, and prepare the mushrooms. Some groups are interested in growing mushrooms.

You can find the groups via local universities, extensions, arboretums, garden clubs, nurseries, etc.
 
#37 ·
Not trying to split hairs with you, but I feel that ingest is a better word than eat.

A few years ago there was an old couple in my area that died from poison mushrooms. They supposedly had been collecting and eating mushrooms for many years. They mistook death caps for field mushrooms. Apparently the wife made her husband a sandwich with them but never ate any herself. He died rather quickly, she lingered for awhile before death. Just preparing the mushrooms without washing her hands, then eating something else was enough to kill her.
 
#29 ·
Back in the early 60's my immigrant Italian grandfather would come visit us out in the "boonies"..if there is such a thing in CT. :)

We would walk our wooded 4 acres filling paper shopping bags hunting mushrooms. I've forgotten most of what he taught me. But I do recall under the pine trees was the best hunting ground.

I do remember him adding a silver dollar to the pan while cooking them. Some old wives tale about the mushroom would turn brown if poisonous :confused: Whatever, he must have known what he was doing...he was 97 when he passed.

Guess my first real post didn't offer much help...but thought I'd share anyhow. :upsidedown:
 
#46 ·
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I do remember him adding a silver dollar to the pan while cooking them. :
Funny you said that! My dad told me of a family friend who visited and told his family if you cooked mushrooms with a silver dime it would remove any poison. So they cooked up a mess of them and everyone ate them and all got food poisoning (except the friend, who did not like mushrooms) .
 
#30 ·
I would love to learn how to recognize local edible species.

Reading up on it a bit it takes more than just pictures of the adult mushrooms to be sure. Immature deadly mushroom types can look like edible types in some cases, the stage of growth, interior structure and color of the mushroom, and the matter they are growing in all need to be considered.

Also mushroom sites warn to be extra careful with your dogs especially while foraging, apparently dogs are more likely to get poisoned than any other animal. I can see how that could happen especially if their owner was inspecting or handling poisonous mushroom varieties around their curious canine.

While it may or may not be a good idea in a "survival" situation I could absolutely see the value of gathering fresh mushrooms on a homestead or in the back forty.

Interesting article here: http://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/stories/wild-mushrooms-what-to-eat-what-to-avoid
 
#39 ·
Interresting thread!
Eating wild mushrooms is obviously in the US not as common as in Austria, i had not known that.
The best way to learn the edible ones is do go with somone who has experience and can show you what to look for. There are good books out there, but they dont tell you all you need to know.
What a mushroom looks like is one part, but a old one looks quite different than a younge one, if it grows in a dryer place the coloring may often differ from one found between moist mossy ground..
All of them have a uniqe smell, some get discolord in if scratced or pressed, some only grow in certain habitats or seasons..
All in all i would recommend to realy learn the dangerous ones first, and find somone from whom to learn.
Wild mushrooms taste great, every cookbook in my country has recipies for them, and we have very little accidents with poisonings.
 
#41 ·
100g wild Mushrooms have 15 kalories, 2,1g protein, 0,1g karbohydrates, 0,7g fat.
That does not sound all that mutch, but normally you will cook a basket full of them. Many of them keep very vell dehydratet, and then they are a lot more nutritious.
I would never consider it risky to forage wild mushrooms myself, there have been accidents with refugees last jear where they wer poisoned by deathcaps they thougt to be champignons.
 
#45 ·
So a full pound has just over 60 calories. That's a net loss in calories. You can burn 50 Cals standing still for an hour let alone walking cross country. Even eating 2 lbs of them is only about 125 calories.

Bottom line I guess imo would be, if you happen to find a species you are positive about, eat it. Don't waste energy searching them out though as you get negative returns.