Without a doubt, there are a lot of people who are very anxious to get outside and forage for mushrooms, but being patient is paramount.
I wrote “Beginner’s Guide to Safely Foraging for Wild Mushrooms” which was released by Calisto Media. It has over 100 pages of information (and of course wild mushrooms you can eat), so this tells you that there is a lot to learn.
There are over 10,000 wild mushrooms in North America so getting to learn even one percent of these can take several months. First and foremost, get yourself a minimum of two but preferably three or four mushroom identification books. This is really important because mushroom identification apps, although helpful, are not always reliable.
Once you go out into the woods it is important to remember that if you make an identification error, and you consume that mushroom, it may cost you your life. Also, even if you correctly identify a mushroom, wild edible mushrooms must be cooked before consuming.
When looking through books and online, be sure to learn what toxic mushrooms are out there as well. Part of learning what wild mushrooms are safe to eat is also knowing the toxic ones.
Learn the terminology! You will need to know the words that are commonly used in books and online. This may sound daunting, but in reality, it is not that difficult.
You’ll need to know areas where you can go to forage. Always remember never to trespass and also know the laws (some state and federal parks may require permits to forage; some may forbid foraging).
Is the area you want to forage in known for having lots of ticks? If yes, you may want to think about going to another location. Or be sure you have totally protected yourself from ticks and be sure to do a thorough tick check when you get home.
Keep a journal with places you have been and the mushrooms you found. Most mushrooms will return to the same area year after year because they have a mycorrhizal association with specific trees.
Bug spray is nice to have if the mosquitoes are bad. Take lots of water with you and a snack if you are going out for several hours.
Your first trip out should be more of an explorative trip. Gather some mushrooms for the sole purpose of learning how to id them, making sure to note what trees they were near. When you take them home, take time to study each specimen you collected. Make note of each specimens:
• Size
• Color
• Cap shape
• Stem shape (especially at the base and where it connects to the cap)
• Gills, ridges, or pores on the underside of its cap
• Texture
• Smell (some mushrooms have a very distinctive smell that some field guides describe)
• Spore print (put a mushroom cap on a piece of paper and place a small bowl over it. After a few hours, remove the jar and cap to see what color spores the mushroom dropped)
Spore prints make some really unique designs. After you have your spore print, on that paper, write down the identifying features (listed above), place the mushroom on it, then take a photo. You can protect the spore print by placing a piece of clear Mactac over it and keep that paper in a binder. Before long, you’ll have your own library of various mushrooms.
There’s so much more but the above information covers the basics. It truly is fun being out with nature and learning about the myriad of mushroom species regardless of whether they are edible or not.
Always remember: safety first!
Be sure to purchase my book on Amazon (in the U.S.) and in Canada!
