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Thread: Mushrooms

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    Junior Member jcgrip26's Avatar
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    Default Mushrooms

    Here is some of the best advise I ever learned on wild edibles. When looking for wild edibles in the woods, forget about mushrooms. Mushrooms have hardly any nutritional value and most are poisonous. So unless you are a mushroom expert, forget about loping for edible mushrooms, the risks highly outweigh the rewards. If you want to look for wild edibles that will actually give you nutrition/calories, go out and find EDIBLE nuts, berries, and fruits. These have the most calories, especially nuts which are high in necessary fats, proteins and carbs.
    -Just a thought
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Yea...but they are soooooo good.

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    Junior Member jcgrip26's Avatar
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    Oh don't get the wrong idea, I still eat store-bought mushrooms all the time!
    stay positive and party on!

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    One just needs to know what are good and what are not....and which one look like good 'shrooms but are not.

    Nothing to fool with if you don't know.......but then again many berries aren't good either.

    Your advice is valid for the unknowing.
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    I love my chanterelles, they are so good and they grow everywhere!
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  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by hunter63 View Post
    One just needs to know what are good and what are not....and which one look like good 'shrooms but are not.

    Nothing to fool with if you don't know.......but then again many berries aren't good either.

    Your advice is valid for the unknowing.

    Exactly what Hunter said.

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    Cool well now...

    I 2nd what the OP has stated! Morals can be tricky and if you find any they need to be tested right away! When hunting them in the spring, send them to me for testing and I'll check them out by eating them! If I don't die you'll know they were okay!...
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    Of course one should never eat ANYTHING they are not 100% sure of it's identification.... That said, I don't know a single mushroom that will kill you in fifteen minutes flat. *ahem* poison hemlock. I feel that too many are quick to rule out mushrooms when they are not more difficult to identify than a plant. Sure, you may have to do some spore prints. But with several mushrooms with protein contents similar to beef, I feel they would make a valuable addition to a balanced diet, not to mention all of their micro-nutrients. The key here is to learn them BEFORE you end up in a survival situation. The same is true of plants.

    I can't count how many threads on here and elsewhere I have read that spread fear rather than knowledge. For abundance (in my part of the globe) and ease of harvest and preparation, the mushroom is unmatched by most plants. It is not to be relied upon solely, but finding a fifty pound chicken mushroom could certainly make a huge difference to the survivor.

    By the way, "most" mushrooms are not poisonous. About twenty percent are. And only one percent will kill you. It is still not worth the risk to eat an unidentified ANYTHING. I routinely walk by mushrooms that I'm 99% sure of their ID. I don't play games with my life.

    My 0.02 fwiw

  9. #9

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    With mountainmark's comment. He is correct about the poisonous part.. There is a HUGE difference between poisonous and inedible. About 20% are poisonous inedible does not mean poisonous it means that people has not found a way to make them taste good. Here in Missouri we have a book sold by the conservation department that is solely written on mushrooms. Before I got it I ate none other than morels cause I was raised with the info that every mushroom was poisonous besides morels. Since the book I've tried a dozen or so varieties and like all I've tried.

    But as many state. Eat with extreme discression. Even looking in the book there are some I won't eat cause even though the fit the description they may have a slightly different look than the pic....

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    Senior Member xjosh40x's Avatar
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    I won't eat any mushroom besides one. I don't know the name but it mainly grows on stumps and is a brown color with scales. I grew up eating those with my brothers along creek banks. Kinda flavorless. I want to learn more about them but to be honest I'm afraid of the stories and people becoming very ill.

  11. #11

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    I feel it is important to study mushrooms. In survival it really isn't easy to snare food daily especially if your going to a destination and on the move. And impossible to find nuts when not in season, which seems to be a couple weeks out of the year in the fall mostly Plus many nuts like hickory take so much to get any good out of. Acorns are nasty bitter, pine nuts well.

    'I know' you boil the acorns for a couple hours changing the water a few times during this process, then roast them at about 400 deg for a hour. SO anybody see a down side to this in a survival situation.
    1. need something to boil in need lots of water, where your lucky to have any at all.
    2. all the time
    Food is food, but i think too many people think that they can find what they want anytime of the year.
    Nut's a couple months Fall
    Edible berries a mo. in spring and month in fall.
    Fruit (You wish) I know its out there but very little in most areas and it will be fall.
    Hard to get game (by snare) in the summer. winter not so bad

    Mushrooms are around 80% of the year some places 100%.

    I guess what I am trying to say is don't go from almost nothing to absolutely nothing because you didn't see the need to study mushrooms. You will be that further along and have that much more in your repertoire.
    Last edited by ace_maveric; 10-23-2014 at 09:09 PM.
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    Senior Member wilderness medic's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by xjosh40x View Post
    I won't eat any mushroom besides one. I don't know the name but it mainly grows on stumps and is a brown color with scales. I grew up eating those with my brothers along creek banks. Kinda flavorless. I want to learn more about them but to be honest I'm afraid of the stories and people becoming very ill.
    With all respect, I would not do that anymore. That is a very dangerous practice if you not only don't know the name, but only have 3 descriptive features, one being a very broad color. You are wise to head the stories of people becoming ill, but that should persuade you to learn more, not continue to eat something you know nothing about.

    Quote Originally Posted by mountainmark View Post
    Of course one should never eat ANYTHING they are not 100% sure of it's identification.... That said, I don't know a single mushroom that will kill you in fifteen minutes flat. *ahem* poison hemlock. I feel that too many are quick to rule out mushrooms when they are not more difficult to identify than a plant. Sure, you may have to do some spore prints. But with several mushrooms with protein contents similar to beef, I feel they would make a valuable addition to a balanced diet, not to mention all of their micro-nutrients. The key here is to learn them BEFORE you end up in a survival situation. The same is true of plants.

    I can't count how many threads on here and elsewhere I have read that spread fear rather than knowledge. For abundance (in my part of the globe) and ease of harvest and preparation, the mushroom is unmatched by most plants. It is not to be relied upon solely, but finding a fifty pound chicken mushroom could certainly make a huge difference to the survivor.

    By the way, "most" mushrooms are not poisonous. About twenty percent are. And only one percent will kill you. It is still not worth the risk to eat an unidentified ANYTHING. I routinely walk by mushrooms that I'm 99% sure of their ID. I don't play games with my life.

    My 0.02 fwiw
    Well put. to paraphrase David Aurora- Come home with some wild picked onions that could easily be deadly death camas, no one bats an eye. Come home with a wild picked harmless edible mushroom, everyone freaks out.

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by jcgrip26 View Post
    Mushrooms have hardly any nutritional value and most are poisonous. So unless you are a mushroom expert, forget about loping for edible mushrooms, the risks highly outweigh the rewards
    Not true.
    though I agree with the statement "unless you are an expert", there is no reason one cannot become expert. Familiarizing one's self with what plants are available in an area, their nutritional value, when they grow, and which are noxious or poisonous- is standard fare for survivalists, and those who enjoy foraging.

    For example, Porcini mushrooms (Boletus edulis) are very high in protein, 20 essential amino acids, and vitamins, etc... eating only this mushroom could theoretically, keep one alive in an emergency for quite a while.

    Besides, (apart from the supermarket variety) most of these exotic fungi simply just taste wonderful and add so much flavor to simple dishes.

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    Woodsman Adventure Wolf's Avatar
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    Personally I don't go near mushrooms, because I don't know anything about them. I would rather go hungry then eat something and die.

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    Default Lean to identify by growing in backyard, from know spores

    The more you know an item the easier it is to identify an impostor. Therefore if you grow your own mushrooms and eat them often it will be more easy to identify those particular species in the wild and avoid any that may have toxins. Same with plants where you could easily get confused if you were very hungry, low light conditions and had not "read the book" on them in a long time.

    Most arborists (tree trimmers) have a bunch of cut logs they are happy to let you have, just ask them for the tree species you want, or hear chainsaws and chippers and drive over and ask for some. Then grow your own shiitake or whatever native species you prefer, in straw or wood chips or whatever. Join a local club to learn more, go on a guided tour with someone who knows a lot, or just read up and watch a bunch of videos. Here is a quick little intro video:



    Personally I will not eat a mushroom or plant unless I am absolutely certain. I don't trust grocery stores and restaurants either if there is something that looks strange mixed in I will ask, and if the answer is off I don't eat it.

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TXyakr View Post
    The more you know an item the easier it is to identify an impostor. Therefore if you grow your own mushrooms and eat them often it will be more easy to identify those particular species in the wild and avoid any that may have toxins. Same with plants where you could easily get confused if you were very hungry, low light conditions and had not "read the book" on them in a long time.

    Most arborists (tree trimmers) have a bunch of cut logs they are happy to let you have, just ask them for the tree species you want, or hear chainsaws and chippers and drive over and ask for some. Then grow your own shiitake or whatever native species you prefer, in straw or wood chips or whatever. Join a local club to learn more, go on a guided tour with someone who knows a lot, or just read up and watch a bunch of videos. Here is a quick little intro video:



    Personally I will not eat a mushroom or plant unless I am absolutely certain. I don't trust grocery stores and restaurants either if there is something that looks strange mixed in I will ask, and if the answer is off I don't eat it.
    I grow shiitake mushrooms on a log....(bought it at the farmers market form a professional)....have morels, and Hen of the Woods wild.
    Puff balls also grow in spots.

    Your advice is good, but really over simplified, as there is a whole lot more to it that.
    Type of log, chips, bags moisture and of course the spoors to inoculate.

    Not something that is simple and easy...but woryth the work if you do, do it.

    BTW shiitake mushrooms are not native to the US, but are cultivated
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiitake
    Last edited by hunter63; 11-26-2014 at 06:19 PM. Reason: added stuff
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    Default sorry if my comments were misleading

    hunter63 I appreciate your additional remarks. I was just suggesting that videos like that one I linked are only an introduction, growing mushroom as with most gardening is mostly for people primarily looking for fun and recreation etc. not cost effective sustenance. (I am a Certified Master Gardener and have taught many classes and spend many hours on county's hot line aswering questions etc. after growing acres of darn expensive food.) Also I stated "Shiitake OR native", never said they were native, and many mushrooms native to certain parts of country or parts of forest but will not grow a few yard away in a sightly different micro climate. Can be very frustrating. Also not all have the same nutritional value but many are generally fairly high in carbohydrates and protein by weight compared to many of other wild forage foods.

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    Senior Member wilderness medic's Avatar
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    Depends what your definition of cost effective is. It can be as simple as dragging a colonized log into your yard for free or as complicated as a sterile glove box and agar cultures.
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    Quote Originally Posted by TXyakr View Post
    hunter63 I appreciate your additional remarks. I was just suggesting that videos like that one I linked are only an introduction, growing mushroom as with most gardening is mostly for people primarily looking for fun and recreation etc. not cost effective sustenance. (I am a Certified Master Gardener and have taught many classes and spend many hours on county's hot line aswering questions etc. after growing acres of darn expensive food.) Also I stated "Shiitake OR native", never said they were native, and many mushrooms native to certain parts of country or parts of forest but will not grow a few yard away in a sightly different micro climate. Can be very frustrating. Also not all have the same nutritional value but many are generally fairly high in carbohydrates and protein by weight compared to many of other wild forage foods.
    Not trying to give you a hard time....but many people will read these forums, with little or no experience.....don't want to give them the wrong idea.....as a Certified Master Gardner.....I sure you see my point.
    All information is good.....thanks for the vid.

    That said.....My shiitake logs were purchased at a farmers market....DW looked at me and said, "You just spent $20 buck on a stick?"
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    Well....hon.....when you say it like that it sounds bad. But it's not JUST a stick. This is dinner on the bark. You'll see. Why, with any luck this "stick" will be a cornucopia of delectable mushrooms in very short order.

    Right, just like that junk truck sitting out back or that bookcase you started building down in the basement.

    Hey, now. Don't badmouth Sadie. She's in reserve for hauling firewood.

    Or buggin' out?

    Ex actly!

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