If you’re going to forage for mushrooms, you’ll need to increase your knowledge of varieties. Consider bringing along a good field guide or an app like iNaturalist. Even better, tag along with an experienced forager who knows the local habitat. While mushrooms are often eaten raw, cooking them first makes them easier to digest. Two of the best edible varieties are morels and chanterelles, but be wary of their toxics lookalikes known as false morels and jack-o-lanterns. Last, follow the rules when harvesting mushrooms from U.S. Forest Service lands.
Key Takeaways:
- Despite some dangers, including fatal reactions, when consuming wild mushrooms, there are great benefits when you know the appropriate ones to eat.
- It is important that you engage with other mushroom enthusiasts and experts to ensure you are able to best identify the safety of the mushroom you have found.
- Once you have identified a safe mushroom to eat, it is preferred that you cook it because that will make it easier for your body to digest.
“According to the National Poison Data Center, there are over 7,000 exposures to toxic mushrooms in the U.S. annually. Of these, 39 per year result in major harm, and statistically, 2.9 per year prove fatal.”
Read more: https://www.offgridweb.com/survival/the-dos-and-donts-of-wild-mushroom-foraging/