Mushrooms in my backyard – are they safe to eat?

[Paul Bacino]

Now that we've gone through the requisite dire warnings and prophecies of doom, would anyone care to speculate on an ID?

We don't know where she lives. That would be needed to even start guessing.

And a reference to size.

[Mallet]

Based on the size of the dirt specks on the picture, and the numbers visible through the paper, I'd guess the mushroom caps in the pictures are approximately 2-4 inches in diameter.

[Nomina]

Hi everyone,

I live in Long Island, New York. The mushrooms sprouted in my garden and there are so many that it is kind of scary. My mom picked those. It wasn't until after I posted that I actually went to go look at them. They grow in clumps and in all sizes. I can't tell you diameter since I threw those out. Would a picture of the growing clumps help?

[JBailey]

What's the worst thing that could happen? We either get another post from Nomina a week after the mushrooms are eaten or one from the doctor or family members confirming it was not a good decision...

[nibor]

I would encourage Nomina to take a course from a local expert. It is possible to pick mushrooms without dying, and it is a ton of fun. When I was a kid in Michigan we had ate several species of mushrooms that we gathered from the woods behind our house. The trick is to only eat species that you know are OK, and most importantly, that don't have near-idential poisonous counterparts in your area. I learned what to pick from my dad, who learned from his dad. Grandpa came from Lithuania, where people commonly gather mushrooms. I would be curious to know how my Lithuanian grandfather learned which Michigan mushrooms were OK, but he has been dead (not of mushroom poisoning!) for over 40 years. Waah.

[Anna N]

What's the worst thing that could happen? We either get another post from Nomina a week after the mushrooms are eaten or one from the doctor or family members confirming it was not a good decision...

All mushrooms are edible - ONCE!

[IndyRob]

All this makes me wonder if toxic mushrooms share certain chemical markers that could be detected by a device. Are toxic mushrooms all toxic in the same way? Something that could be tested by something like the various consumer blood testing devices we now have?

As tragic as mushroom poisoning may be, a close second may be unknowingly walking past a patch of free Morels .

[nibor]

All this makes me wonder if toxic mushrooms share certain chemical markers that could be detected by a device. Are toxic mushrooms all toxic in the same way? Something that could be tested by something like the various consumer blood testing devices we now have?

As tragic as mushroom poisoning may be, a close second may be unknowingly walking past a patch of free Morels .

Morels are easily identifiable. It is generic-looking mushrooms like those found by the OP that are problematic.

[gfweb]

There are multiple toxins. I can think of about 6 different ones...so there's probably several times that. Some are hallucinogens. Others kill the liver or kidney. One could probably design a rapid test that detects them all but it would be very pricey. Easier to buy the fungi.

[rlibkind]

There are a number of False Morels, some of which cause no harm, some of which are carcinogenic, some of which bear liver toxins. 'Nuff said.

[nibor]

There are a number of False Morels, some of which cause no harm, some of which are carcinogenic, some of which bear liver toxins. 'Nuff said.

I know, but "False Morels" don't really look like morels at all once you understand how they differ. Which is why taking a class is a good idea.