Bearded Tooth - (Hericium erinaceus)

Bearded Tooth - (Hericium erinaceus)
Edible Mushrooms
Description: With its clumps of hanging white "fur," this tooth fungus looks much like a polar bear's paw. It is pure white when fresh and young, but yellows with age.

The bearded tooth may grow quite large, as much as a foot across. Its size and whiteness make it easy to spot against the dark logs on which it grows.

Other names include bear's head, satyr's beard and hedgehog mushroom. Size 4" to 12" across.

When and Where: Summer and fall; always on trees, logs or stumps.

Cautions: The bearded tooth is distinctive and has no poisonous look-alikes. There are several closely related species which are more open and branched, but all are good edibles.

Only young, white specimens should be eaten; older, yellowed ones are sour.

Cooking Hints: Slice, parboil until tender (taste a piece to test), drain and serve with cheese sauce.
Edible Mushrooms..
Edible-mushrooms-morels

Edible Mushroom: MORELS

Edible Mushroom: MORELS
Edible Mushrooms
(Morchella spp.) Description: Sponge, pinecone and honeycomb mushroom-the nicknames of the morel-are all appropriate. Morels are easy to recognize and delicious to eat, making them the most popular wild mushroom in Missouri.

The surface of a morel is covered with definite pits and ridges, and the bottom edge of the cap is attached directly to the stem. Size: 2" to 12" tall.
There are three common species of morels mushroom:

1. The common morel (Morchella esculenta): When young, this species has white ridges and dark brown pits and is known as the "white morel." As it ages, both the ridges and the pits turn yellowish brown, and it becomes a "yellow morel." If conditions are right the "yellow morel" can grow into a "giant morel," which may be up to a foot tall.
2. The black morel or smoky morel (Morchella elata): The ridges are gray or tan when young, but darken with age until nearly black. The pits are brown and elongated. These morels are best when picked young; discard any that are shrunken or have completely black heads.
3. The half-free morel (Morchella semilibera): This is the exception to the rule that morels have the bottom of the cap attached directly to the stem. The cap of the half-free morel is attached at about the middle . These morels have small caps and long bulbous stems.

When and Where: From spring to early summer. Morels are found on the ground in a variety of habitats, including moist woodlands and in river bottoms.

Cautions: Morels have been known to cause mild poisoning symptoms when consumed with alcohol. Morels are quite distinctive, but there is a small chance they could be confused with false morels. See the poisonous mushroom page for ways to distinguish true morels from false morels.

Half-free morels may be confused with a mushroom called the wrinkled thimble cap (Verpa bohemica). Fortunately, this mushroom is also edible in moderation. The cap of the wrinkled thimble cap is free from the stem except at the top (see illustration).

Cooking Hints: Cut morels in half to check for insects. Wash carefully. Morels can be breaded and fried, stewed, baked, creamed or stuffed with dressing. Their delicate flavor is brought out best by sauteing them in butter for about five minutes on each side.
Edible Mushrooms
edible-mushrooms-gallery

Edible Mushroom:CORAL FUNGI (Clavariaceae)

Edible mushrooms
CORAL FUNGI (Clavariaceae)

Description: These fungi appear as clumps of branching stems which point upward. They do look much like coral. Most are tan, whitish or yellowish; a few are pinkish or purple.

Also called club fungi, antler mushrooms or doghair mushrooms. Size: clusters may be up to 8" high.

When and Where: Summer and fall; in wooded areas, growing on the ground or on decaying logs.

Cautions: A few coral fungi have a laxative effect, and some people seem to be particularly sensitive. Avoid coral fungi that taste bitter, bruise brown when handled or have gelatinous bases. These are most likely to case trouble. No serious poisonings from coral fungi have been reported.

Cooking Hints: Tips and upper branches are most tender. Saute and add to vegetables or white sauce.
Edible mushrooms..

Edible Mushroom:PUFFBALLS (LYCOPERDON)

PUFFBALLS (LYCOPERDON spp. and CALVATIA spp.)
Edible Mushrooms..

Description: Depending on their size, puffballs have been mistaken at a distance for everything from golf balls to sheep.

These round or pear-shaped edible mushrooms are almost always whitish, tan or gray and may or may not have a stalk-like base. The interior of a puffball is solid white at first, gradually turning yellow, then brown as the mushroom ages. Finally, the interior changes to a mass of dark, powdery spores, Size: 1" to 12" in diameter, sometimes larger.

When and Where: Late summer and fall; in lawns, open woods, pastures, barren areas. On soil or decaying wood.

Cautions: Each puffball edible mushrooms should be sliced from top to bottom and the interior examined. It should be completely white and featureless inside, like a slice of white bread. There should be no trace of yellow or brown (which will spoil the flavor) and especially no sign of a developing mushroom with a stalk, gills and cap (see Poisonous Mushrooms). Amanitas, when young, can resemble small puffballs, but cutting them open will quickly resolve the question.
Edible Mushrooms...
shaggy-mane-coprinus-comatus.

Cooking Hints: Remove outer skin if it is tough, then slice, dip in batter and fry.

Edible Mushroom:SHAGGY MANE (Coprinus comatus)

SHAGGY MANE (Coprinus comatus)
Edible Mushrooms....

Description: The shaggy mane or lawyer's wig is so large and distinctive that with a little practice you can identify it from a moving car.

The cap of a fresh specimen is a long, white cylinder with shaggy, upturned, brownish scales. The gills are whitish, and the entire edible mushroom is fragile and crumbles easily. Most important, as the shaggy mane matures, the cap and gills gradually dissolve into a black, inky fluid, leaving only the standing stalk. Size 4" to 6" tall, sometimes larger.

When and Where: Spring, summer and fall, growing in grass, soil or wood chips. Often seen scattered in lawns and pastures.

Cautions: Shaggy manes are best when picked before the caps begin to turn black. However, until you become familiar with these edible mushrooms, check for the developing ink to be sure of your identification. (note: The shaggy mane is the largest of a group of edible mushrooms called inky caps. The field guides listed at the end of this article can help you identify other members of this group.)

Cooking Hints: Saute butter and season with nutmeg or garlic. Good in scrambled eggs or chicken dishes. Shaggy manes edible mushroom are delicate and should be picked young and eaten the same day.
agaricus-campestris.