A general rule is if it has pores instead of gills, you’re probably in the clear.
Except for that one in Europe, that shit will megadeath you.
In all seriousness, the general rule I’ve heard for foraging wild unknown things is:
- cut it open and rub it on your skin, wait an hour, if it gives you a reaction, stop here.
- touch it to your lips, wait a while, if it gives you a reaction, stop here
- touch it to your tongue, wait a while, if it gives you a reaction, stop here
- chew a bit and spit it out, wait a while, if it gives you a reaction, stop here
- swallow a small amount, wait a few hours, if it gives you discomfort, stop here
- if you’ve made it this far, it’s likely ok, do so at your own risk tolerance
Roots are generally OK, particularly if you have access to double boil them.
For mushrooms:
- pores are generally safer than gills
- don’t eat it if it’s bioluminescent
- don’t eat if it oxidizes quickly when you cut it open
- don’t eat it if it bruises blue or red
- learn how to detect what a bolete is. Boletes are generally safe, unless it breaks one of the rules above
- Slime: Just say no.
- make sure there’s not a mushroom growing on your mushroom. Double the mushroom is not double the fun.
- learn what a destroying angel looks like, even when it’s young. Appreciate it from a distance, but give that fucker 5 feet of space at all times.
I am by no means an expert. I’m just a rando guy from Appalachia with some wild ass Russian buds and we do some funky shit down here. Take everything I say with as much trust as you give to anyone on the Internet.
When in doubt, take it to an expert and even then, consume at your own risk tolerance.
For mushrooms the only good advice is, if you don’t know what you are doing, don’t go foraging for mushrooms. Rules and guidelines that apply for one region might not work for another. The risk reward never works out if you’re inexperienced. You either get a tasty treat or incurable certain death. It’s not a great gamble.
Sure, and I suppose you’re going to advise me not to do my own electrical home wiring either. 😛
If you’re even half competent, you could (not recommended) actually do some basic electrical work at home and come out of it alive and well after a few youtube videos and some reasonable precautions. I can’t same the same about mushroom foraging.
That’s interesting, my general rule for foraging wild unknown things is: don’t.
Imagine dying for a D tier pizza topping
