Know Your Mushrooms?

West Ender · 02-09-2008, 13:16

The author Nicholas Evans, who wrote "The Horse Whisperer", is seriously ill after eating poisonous mushrooms. He and his wife and her brother and sister-in-law ate Avenging Angel mushrooms, thinking they were safe puff balls. The 4 of them are in hospital and Evans is in a bad way.

Can you tell the difference between safe and poisonous fungi? The only wild mushrooms I've ever eaten used to grow in the field opposite my house and I only ate them after noting that my neighbour, who ate loads of them, didn't drop dead. Other than that, I haven't a clue.

Have you ever picked and eaten wild mushrooms and did you really know what you were doing?

emamum · 02-09-2008, 13:19

noooooo......dont eat them if you dont know what they are!!

BERNADETTE · 02-09-2008, 13:32

Wouldn't have a clue what was safe to eat, so will stick to bought ones

emamum · 02-09-2008, 13:32

some of the ones in asda look a bit odd lol

entwisi · 02-09-2008, 14:16

At my works we have loads of wild mushrooms growing in teh grounds and I'd love to know if they are edible.

Anyone an expert if I take some piccys?

keetah992000 · 02-09-2008, 15:01

I would love to do the wild eating thing - but I am so catious - maybe we should have athread about things you can pick from local areas and eat - its cheaper than asda lol

Neil · 02-09-2008, 16:55

You should have gone on Gayle wild mushroom hunt/walk/thingy the other week. Then you would all be experts.

garinda · 02-09-2008, 17:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

You should have gone on Gayle wild mushroom hunt/walk/thingy the other week. Then you would all be experts.

The Pixies who are sitting on them are usually reliable, if you ask them nicely.

Tealeaf · 02-09-2008, 17:14

Feed 'em to your cat first and if poor moggy then pukes up, keels over and dies you will know it is probably not a good idea to have some yourself.

emamum · 02-09-2008, 17:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

Feed 'em to your cat first and if poor moggy then pukes up, keels over and dies you will know it is probably not a good idea to have some yourself.

yeah,....cats love mushrooms

Gayle · 02-09-2008, 21:16

Well actually, I went on my mushroom hunt and I can't say I'm much clearer.

Most mushrooms that are growing wild seem to be ok apart from one nasty one, which he said looked almost exactly like an edible one - so unless you're an absolute, studied it for years, kind of expert you can still get caught out.

To make things more complicated some that don't look like mushrooms at all are mushrooms and very edible!!!!

Lilly · 02-09-2008, 21:19

We used to get mushrooms growing on our field when I was at school.

The teachers were always warning us not to eat them.

I wouldn't have a clue which were safe and which were poisonous so I'll just stick to shop bought too.

steeljack · 02-09-2008, 23:13

unless you are an EXPERT I would say that no one should take a chance on eating wild picked mushrooms, far too easy to make a mistake that may require you or a family member needing a new Liver .

cashman · 02-09-2008, 23:38

theres a moral here somewhere, man with a bob or two do not be a tight get.

MissTechnophobe · 03-09-2008, 10:04

I love mushrooms but wouldn't know one from another. I never eat anything wild, berries or anything. Even blackberries have to be taken home and washed first in case a dog has weed on them