Foraging Hygeine

[PMG]

Originally Posted by Chris Yeates

hi

given that we are not reliant on wild fungi to stay alive, I would be very wary of eating any Clitocybe . . . the recommendation with C. geotropa is to avoid the stems, but . . . .

I realise that we are venturing into "is my fungus edible" here, but don't forget - it's horses for (dinner) courses . . . . I know people who are allergic to shop-bought mushrooms . . . the illest I have ever been was after eating Leccinum versipelle which were a little (only a little, mind) past their sell-by date

I once ate a meal of honey fungus on toast which I found quite delicious, no problems - a former partner was violently ill eating the same meal* - you have to be very careful, eat only a little if for the first time - it really isn't worth taking any risks

cheers

Chris

* oh, and she survived I'm glad to say - we met up only last week, nearly 20 years later, for a meal

Did you both have honey fungus on toast for old times sake?!!!!!!

[flaxton]

I ate Lepiota rhacodes back in the days when my "library" consisted of the Collins Guide by Lange and Hora where it said edible and good. It was untill two oclock the next morning when stomach cramps and sweating kicked in. All the books now add the proviso "may cause gastric upset in some people"

Mal

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by cybershot

I was thinking cheapskate, then remembered your location

cheeky monkey! round here "we met up only last week" does not equate with "we only met up last week"

C

[Michael Jordan]

[quote=cowshill;667782]Jon,

I've always been led to believe that A. phalloides and A. virosa were the only two fungi one is likely to come in contact with that are deadly enough that you need to be careful if you touch them.

For what it's worth there are a number of other species that synthesise the same amatoxins found in the two you mention. However, handling (minus gloves) is not going to do you any harm. I believe you need to ingest about 20gm minimum for the serious damage to ensue.

Back in my broadcasting days with the BBC Natural History Unit and Channel 4 I handled both A.phalloides and A. virosa several times over quite long periods (30 minutes) while sequences were filmed with no adverse effect. The molecules of these amatoxins are simply too big to pass through the pores of your skin . . . . and you would need pretty hefty finger nails to trap enough for an inadvertent snack. There are to my knowledge no UK records of poisoning other than after ingestion of accountable quantities as part of a meal.

MJ