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I have to say; when I was a kid (in Alberta, not California), the general advice was not to pick and eat mushrooms without significant knowledge. I don't really see the allure either, common table mushrooms are very tasty and plentiful. I think this is just one of the Darwin award's new qualifying categories.
Have you tasted Morels?
Somewhere I read that if a mushroom has white gills then it could be poisonous, and that brown gills are safe to eat. Not that I'm going to pick mushrooms, but is that advice sound?
To forage safely for plants or mushrooms, you should know the identifying characteristics of your target species and any non-edible lookalikes.
There are definitely no general rules for determining mushroom edibility.
A great resource is Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora.
Somewhere I read that if a mushroom has white gills then it could be poisonous, and that brown gills are safe to eat. Not that I'm going to pick mushrooms, but is that advice sound?
Anyways, never ever try out your luck with mushrooms, if you were not well-taught to deal with them by someone experienced, in person (internet advice / taking and sending m-room photos do not count, period).
Couple seasons of mushroom-hunting alongside someone, willing to teach you, is a minimum before you ever decide to put any mushroom you picked up yourself into your (or someone else's) mouth.
Btw, even experienced people sometimes do not pick up mushrooms, they have suspicions about (there are some not quite deadly ones here, masquerading as edible in my place, for example).
Somewhere I read that if a mushroom has white gills then it could be poisonous, and that brown gills are safe to eat. Not that I'm going to pick mushrooms, but is that advice sound?
The notion that brown gilled mushrooms are safe whereas white gilled mushrooms are not sounds like region-specific folk knowledge, and given the way mushroom species migrate and the existence of relatively rare mushrooms, I wouldn't count on it to be reliable anywhere in the world. Positive identification is the only safe way to select edible mushrooms, and as this article points out even that bears the risk of false identification, particularly if you aren't fully aware of what other similar species to check for.
Given how hard wild mushrooms can be to identify, I'm surprised that there are people who pick and eat them.
On the other hand there are many edible species which are unmistakeable and which you can quickly learn to reliably identify based on obvious features. In many European countries, foraging for wild mushrooms is a traditional pastime and intimately linked with national cuisine.
I have to say; when I was a kid (in Alberta, not California), the general advice was not to pick and eat mushrooms without significant knowledge. I don't really see the allure either, common table mushrooms are very tasty and plentiful. I think this is just one of the Darwin award's new qualifying categories.
For me, the flavors and textures are so varied, each suited to a different range of classic dishes, that saying common table mushrooms should suffice is the position of a philistine. I mean, bananas are tasty and plentiful, why bother with mango and papaya and passionfruit...
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-07/death-cap-mushroom-sea...
Another common garden plant most people dont know to be aware of is Oleander. I see this everywhere like in schools and am amazed. People have died using the branches as skewers to cook. The smoke can also be poisonous if people burn this plant.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerium
And for interest, only a problem in North Queensland check out the Gympie Gympie tree. This is really something to keep a wide berth. Amazing what nature can produce.
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/science-enviro...
Here in Norway we had this publicly funded mushroom control staff located strategically near the forest to allow people to get their mushroom-forage checked by an expert. They would literally go through all the mushrooms in your basket and throw out any mushrooms they couldn't positively identify as edible. Unfortunately the money "ran" out. I guess we'll take the hit as an increased spending on public healthcare ins…
I can see paying someone to be there a couple hours a week, but as a full time job that seems ridiculous.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Have you tasted Morels?
I have and had the same reaction as GP. They tasted pretty much like any regular store-bought mushroom.