# Those big, white hand sized mushrooms that pop up in your front yard. Safe to eat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 27, 2006, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320 "2006-09-27T04:21:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/41 "2006-09-28T08:54:28Z")
[(Cite)](http://www.cdc.gov/NCIDOD/DBMD/diseaseinfo/botulism_g.htm#What%20is%20botulism) > [@](#): > > **What is botulism?** > > Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. There are three main kinds of botulism. Foodborne botulism is caused by eating foods that contain the botulism toxin. Wound botulism is caused by toxin produced from a wound infected with Clostridium botulinum. Infant botulism is caused by consuming the spores of the botulinum bacteria, which then grow in the intestines and release toxin. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/42 "2006-09-28T13:07:56Z")
> [@](#): > > There’s at least one edible species in America which is easy to positively identify: the morel. Also the chanterelle, as **Xema** mentions. Mmmmm, good stuff. My parents go mushroom-hunting all the time on the Oregon coast. Chanterelles in abundance, as well as matsutake and several other varieties which I eat happily but whose names I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/43 "2006-09-28T13:11:22Z")
[QUOTE=Gadarene] Also the chanterelle, as **Xema** mentions. Mmmmm, good stuff. [/QUOTE] There are fungi that superficially resemble chantarelles; easily distinguished if you know the key identification points, but cases of mistaken identity can and do occur, even with this distinctive mushroom. The point is that the cases of mistaken identity are always avoidable; not by becoming an expert mycologist, just by being properly able to identify the species you’re seeking. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/44 "2006-09-28T13:14:09Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] But you don’t have to become an expert in identifying every single species of fungus; you only have to become adept in _positively_ identifying those that are common, and worthwhile; if you learn to positively identify these (including an dichotomous understanding of species that can be mistaken for them) and just ignore anything else you find, it’s really very safe. People only suffer or die of poisoning because they (or whoever picked the fungi) failed to observe these simple precautions. It’s not to be taken lightly, but it’s not impossibly hard. [/QUOTE] I agree. We used to go mushroom picking every year when I was a kid, and it’s not too hard to gather a basket of champignons without getting any death caps or destroying angels in there - just be very conservative about what you identify as pickeable. Ditto for Boletus and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/45 "2006-09-28T14:51:23Z")
> [@](#): > > There are fungi that superficially resemble chantarelles; easily distinguished if you know the key identification points, but cases of mistaken identity can and do occur, even with this distinctive mushroom. Huh. I didn’t know that. Thanks, **Mangetout**. Do you have more information? (It’s hard for me to imagine someone mistaking another mushroom for a chanterelle, but I certainly defer to your expertise.) ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/46 "2006-09-28T14:58:58Z")
And now I’ve Wikied the Jack O’Lantern mushroom, which is apparently a poisonous chanterelle lookalike. Either we don’t have any of those on the Oregon coast, or my parents never bothered to warn me about them because they hate my breathing guts. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/47 "2006-09-28T15:13:56Z")
[QUOTE=Gadarene] Huh. I didn’t know that. Thanks, **Mangetout**. Do you have more information? (It’s hard for me to imagine someone mistaking another mushroom for a chanterelle, but I certainly defer to your expertise.) [/QUOTE] The False Chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca) is the one I had in mind; its appearance is quite variable, but can superficially resemble true Chanterelles. The spore print is a different colour, the gills do not extend down the stem and it does not have the apricot smell of true Chanterelles. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/48 "2006-09-28T15:24:38Z")
> [@](#): > > the gills do not extend down the stem This is what I always look for. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/49 "2006-09-28T15:28:14Z")
In fact the gills on Chanterelles are not really like gills at all; they’re more like deep wrinkles (this is another diagnostic feature). ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/50 "2006-09-28T15:48:19Z")
Everything about chanterelles rocks; I’m an unabashed fan. Nothing like seeing a small, firm bit of yellow peeking out from underneath a tangle of wet leaves and humus. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/51 "2006-09-28T18:02:07Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] First, find an old mycologist who lives in your area. Both of those qualifications are important: Mushroom species may vary from place to place, and a young mycologist is often just one who hasn’t managed to kill himself yet. Then, bring him to your house and ask if a mushroom is safe to eat. If he says yes, then let him eat half of it. Wait a few days. If he’s still alive, that particular mushroom is safe to eat, and you can have the other half. Then, ask him about the second mushroom, and repeat. [/QUOTE] Even those precautions might not save you. The Coprinus atramentarius, also known as the Alcohol Ink-cap, is safe only if you don’t drink alcohol. [cite](http://www.knet.co.za/mushrooms/realbad.htm) Sounds like a plot twist from a detective novel. ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/52 "2006-09-30T21:33:06Z")
All this talk of fungi and no-one’s mentioned [puffballs](http://epod.usra.edu/archive/images/puffball.jpg) … yummy! Finding a pristine one of these is like Christmas coming early. 🙂 Can’t see them being mistaken for something else … **Mangetout** … you like these? If you’re interested I know somewhere on the south coast where they grow big and wild. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/53 "2006-09-30T23:34:21Z")
what about a dark purple and red mushroom with little orange blots on it? Grows out of trees? ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/54 "2006-10-02T03:40:03Z")
Anyone wanna come make a meal out of this [puppy?](http://dragon43.googlepages.com/ts2.jpg) This is [36 hours later.](http://dragon43.googlepages.com/ts6.jpg) Go big fella, go … ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/55 "2006-10-02T06:34:37Z")
Well, I wouldn’t want to eat the mushroom itself, but anything that can turn generic diet cola into Dr Pepper is OK by me. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/56 "2006-10-02T07:42:26Z")
[QUOTE=Shrinking Violet] **Mangetout** … you like these? If you’re interested I know somewhere on the south coast where they grow big and wild. 😉 [/QUOTE] I’ve tried them a couple of times, but was disappointed with other people’s suggestions of how to serve them; they’re so absorbent that frying them in oil turns them into flaccid greasy sponges. Obviously I need to experiment a bit more; I’m thinking about cubing and stewing them -Greek-style- with tomatoes, garlic and herbs, so if you know of a good place to collect them, I’m all ears; email address is in my profile. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/57 "2006-10-02T14:52:34Z")
[hijack] I just have to share this story, which I read way back in sixth grade as part of a reading comprehension test and which has stuck with me to this day: A high-society lady was planning her dinner party when she came across some wild mushrooms in her back yard. She was intrigued by the possibility of serving them but worried about their being poisonous when she noticed that their dog was eating them, and evidently had been for the past day or so. Convinced that they were safe, she gathered them up and asked the cook to include them in the evening’s menu. The dinner was delicious, and she told her guests about her source for the mushrooms and her cleverness in determining that they were safely edible. Moments after she finishes her story, the maid rushes in, terribly upset. “Madam,” she cries, “The dog is dead!” Bedlam ensues. People scream, panic, and rush to the emergency room for an orgy of stomach-pumps and mushroom poison antidotes. When our socialite returns home, her social life and reputation in shambles and her throat sore from the stomach pump, the maid tells her, “Madam, the truck driver left his name and number and wishes to apologize personally.” “What truck driver?” the woman wearily asks. “Why, madam, the truck driver that ran over the dog.” [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Dingbang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac8455/32.png) [@Dingbang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dingbang)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/58 "2006-10-04T13:48:27Z")
I can’t imagine why anyone would risk their life for a mushroom. A mushroom! Let’s see… Good result: You enjoy a tasty, better-than-anything-in-the-supermarket plate of mushrooms. Yum! Bad result: You poison yourself and die a rapid but painful death, leaving your loved ones behind to mourn and go on without you. Since it is remarkably easy to end up in the “bad result” column, why on earth take that risk? Is the plate of mushrooms really _that_ good? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/59 "2006-10-04T14:54:09Z")
[QUOTE=Dingbang] I can’t imagine why anyone would risk their life for a mushroom. A mushroom! Let’s see… Good result: You enjoy a tasty, better-than-anything-in-the-supermarket plate of mushrooms. Yum! Bad result: You poison yourself and die a rapid but painful death, leaving your loved ones behind to mourn and go on without you. Since it is remarkably easy to end up in the “bad result” column, why on earth take that risk? Is the plate of mushrooms really _that_ good? [/QUOTE] As I have said several times in this thread, the risk is vanishingly small if you take a small amount of sensible care. It’s not mistakes that kill here, it’s simple ignorance. If you learn to positively identify half a dozen of the common, worthwhile edible species (which is actually rather easy to do), and simply pass over anything about which you are uncertain, then the risk of being poisoned is nonexistent. If you pick mushrooms without bothering to learn to positively identify them, then the risks are considerable and serious, but that’s just the same as crossing the road; if you learn to look both ways and take other sensible precautions, the risk is minimal; if you don’t bother to do that, you’re likely to become roadkill. And yes, the plate of mushrooms really IS that good; I bet my life on it on a regular basis (but the bet is a certainty, so no big deal). ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320/60 "2006-10-04T15:09:31Z")
Many years ago a mexican restaurant in the Detroit area killed I think 16 people. They added local mushrooms to their sauce. Many more were sick. They thought they knew what they were doing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-big-white-hand-sized-mushrooms-that-pop-up-in-your-front-yard-safe-to-eat/374320.md?page=4)