With mushroom foraging coming more into season we’ve been talking about education being a good thing before eating mushrooms. I’m sure many of you know at least some of the poisonous mushrooms to avoid, so let’s play a game. I’m going to post a series of pictures. You try to guess if they’re poisonous or not, then click on the picture to open the link and see if you’re right. Ready?
Not too long ago, I wrote about wet weather causing Sulphur Tufts to grow all over and raising a health concern. Now, with El Niño causing heavy rains in California, Death Cap mushrooms are popping up. These mushrooms are highly poisonous; so it is important to be cautious, but as always, I believe education can go a long way, so here’s an easy how to identify Death Cap.
While Morels are a fairly popular mushroom, there are some poisonous mushrooms that look similar. Knowing how to tell the difference is important. While the class is sure to be more in depth, I found this guide that is a good start to making sure you’re getting the good stuff.
Researchers might have discovered the beginning of a solution in mushrooms that eat plastic waste, and don’t seem to absorb any of the dangerous chemicals. While this is just in the prototype stage, the research can open the doors to discovering more potential solutions. If this is able to progress we could get rid of a hazardous product while producing a necessary one; food.
It shouldn’t be surprising that winter is causing problems in the mushroom world. A few weeks ago, I wrote about mushrooms laws to try to protect people from poisonous mushrooms in the wild. While I still don’t believe we need laws against foraging, I believe even more that we need education about mushroom safety.
I love meat. I enjoy everything about it, honestly. I’ve tried to give it up a few times, and I get sick every time. While I enjoy meat, I’m also trying to get healthier. It’s not easy, but there’s good news. Many restaurants are starting to blend hamburger meat with mushrooms. Up to half the meat will actually be mushrooms, but most people like them just as mush as 100% meat.