Let then eat blushers!

[cowshill]

Up here in the north the season for edible fungus seems either to have come to a premature end or to be in a lengthy period of rest before the next flush. The boletes have all gone to ground as have the edible milkcaps (which never made much of a showing). The agaricus sylvaticus, which were abundant last year, have so far refused to show a single head. Even the puffballs have refused to poke above ground. Perhaps there's more to come in the autumn, but I'm hungry now!

What have been amazingly abundant, as is apparently the case throughout Britain this summer, are blushers. Although the huge early flush has slackened, they are still poking up in reasonable numbers when everything else (edible) seems to have disappeared. So, having spent most of August becoming intimately acquainted with them, and, uncharacteristically going into late summer fungal withdrawal, I'm thinking it's time to take the plunge and actually eat a white-gilled mushroom.

As a consequence, I'm looking for a little advice. I noticed a post recently from someone who eats blushers, but I can't remember who it was or in what thread. I know they must be cooked, and I think I read mention of parboiling them. Is this necessary/desirable, or is a thorough frying with butter in a hot saucepan sufficient? Any other tidbits on best ways to prepare/serve them would be most appreciated as well.

- Jim

[thelawnet]

follow-ups here:
Toxicity of Amanita Rubescens

[SheffieldLass]

With your decision to try eating Blushers you can be almost sure that as of today those in your region will join the other edibles and go to ground ...

[cowshill]

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

With your decision to try eating Blushers you can be almost sure that as of today those in your region will join the other edibles and go to ground ...

Normally you'd expect that to be the case. But, lo, there were still plenty out there. I brought three home. Now I just have to convince myself to eat them!

- Jim

[cybershot]

Originally Posted by cowshill

Normally you'd expect that to be the case. But, lo, there were still plenty out there. I brought three home. Now I just have to convince myself to eat them!

- Jim

What was the verdict Jim? I have feasted well on Blushers (and L. deliciosus) this season and still rate them as one of my favourites (the secret is finding them in the young button/cap stage.

David

[cowshill]

Very nice sautéd in butter. I just tried a small amount (as is always suggested with any mushroom the first time), and I overcooked them a bit just to be sure, but was most pleased with the taste and texture! There will be more coming home for sure.

Somewhat off topic now, but I am aware of 4 amanitas of generally similar conformation and growth habit, differing most obviously in color: muscaria, pantherina, spissa and rubescens. (I am aware that there are other visible differences as well.) My question is are there any other similar amanitas? I have never, to my knowledge, seen a pantherina, but I am quite familiar with the other three. However, at various times I have come across similar looking amanitas in a full range of colors from silvery (not white!) to deep mahogany red, and often with few or no spots on the cap. I have assumed that these were color variations of spissa and rubescens and that, particularly in wet weather, the spots may have washed off. Is that the likely story, or might they be other species of amanita that I am not aware of?

- Jim

[morgy]

this and other posts in these forums much appreciated. i've just bitten the bullet and eaten my first blushers... very nice they were too, although my family largely demurred - no trust in my identification abilities!

i'd like to know if there's any solid info on what temperature is required to destroy the toxins - i made sure and cooked them more than i would cook a mushroom usually. other posts seem to indicate that they don't need that much, but it would be nice to have some objective information, not just "i didn't cook 'em much and i was fine"!

i found them (along with some equally tasty saffron milk caps, also a first for me) on Skye last week. am hoping to find more now i'm back home - from cowshill's remarks, the likelyhood seems pretty good!

i'm new here, by the way, seems like a nice place; found via googling for amanita rubescens, not surprisingly...

cheers,
rog.

[cowshill]

Hi Rog, and welcome!

I haven't been able to find any specific info on the Blusher toxin other than it is destroyed by heat. There are, of course, other mushrooms that are toxic in the raw state but safe when cooked and those who forage mushrooms to eat think nothing of eating them cooked. I think the issue here is that this is an AMANITA (!) and that name (rightly in many other cases!!) brings fear.

There's another thread on this topic in the forum here. Particularly notice the post my Mollisia in the thread. (I believe he is a recognized authority and author on fungi.) Also, as I have stated somewhere in these posts, it is not true that the blusher must be parboiled and the water discarded. The toxin is rendered harmless by the heat of cooking.

Remember, the rubescens toxin is not in any way related to the deadly or hallucinogenic toxins of other amanitas. It is not a deadly toxin, rather, according to my reading, one which causes a few hours of rather distressing discomfort (should you consume the mushroom uncooked).

And finally, of course, the disclaimer: I'm not recommending you eat a. rubescens or any other wild mushroom. Anything you read here could be wrong. It is, however, definitely true that my wife and I have consumed cooked (just cooked - not cooked to death) blushers several times with absolutely no ill effect.

- Jim