Giant Puffball?
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If it has a stem of any kind , it is not a puffball.
Now we got that out the way lets look at the pic.
I think it is a little on the small side for a giant puffball given the scale of the grass, but even puffballs the size of sheep must start small.
Confused by what you call "mushroomy" inside, if it is a giant puffball and you are going to eat it it should be white and uniform all the way through with only the skin being a bit tougher and leathery.
Janiepopps' comment about it being brown and powdery inside - sorry that just isn't right, they start white when fresh and edible, turn beige inside then on to green, then dry out and become very dark brown and powdery.
The puff in puffball is the brown powder spores that puff out when they are dry and mature and you happen to step on them.
I dont like ID ing fungi on the web because someone might take my advice and it could turn out to be wrong :yikes:
To put it bluntly there are way too many scare stories and conflicting opinions for it to be a good idea. Have a search for the great sorrel debate here if you like lol.
Having said that I love picking and eating wild mushrooms including puffballs.
My advice, get a book and a local expert to confirm,
If it is indeed a puffball , they dont taste much so go for something tasty to fry it in, bacon fat is good though vegetarians may prefer to add some seasoning to plain sunflower oil.
Hope that helps
Tant
Now we got that out the way lets look at the pic.
I think it is a little on the small side for a giant puffball given the scale of the grass, but even puffballs the size of sheep must start small.
Confused by what you call "mushroomy" inside, if it is a giant puffball and you are going to eat it it should be white and uniform all the way through with only the skin being a bit tougher and leathery.
Janiepopps' comment about it being brown and powdery inside - sorry that just isn't right, they start white when fresh and edible, turn beige inside then on to green, then dry out and become very dark brown and powdery.
The puff in puffball is the brown powder spores that puff out when they are dry and mature and you happen to step on them.
I dont like ID ing fungi on the web because someone might take my advice and it could turn out to be wrong :yikes:
To put it bluntly there are way too many scare stories and conflicting opinions for it to be a good idea. Have a search for the great sorrel debate here if you like lol.
Having said that I love picking and eating wild mushrooms including puffballs.
My advice, get a book and a local expert to confirm,
If it is indeed a puffball , they dont taste much so go for something tasty to fry it in, bacon fat is good though vegetarians may prefer to add some seasoning to plain sunflower oil.
Hope that helps
Tant
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Tantalus your opinion surprises me, as you are obviously an experienced collector and I have the up most respect for your opinions. I like to open up the world of edible plants and fungi to people in the safest way I can. You know as well as I there are safe groups and dangerous ones. Lycoperdeceae are safe to eat if they white where cortinariaceae require some serious study before eating. Before I give advice on edible I check very thoroughly if there has ever been a negative reaction ever to it.
The sorrel thread really put the wind up me, and I spent last weekend giving wood sorrel to people at the spring moot saying it doesnt give you liver fluke. As the thread doesn't make it very clear what plant is responsible. I have seen my dad (who looks not dissimilar to yourself) eat watercress straight out of stream and not get ill, but then he might have some immunity to the parasite. The thread told me what is common knowledge and what isn't, and that some would go the internet to ask questions rather than go to hospital when they are seriously ill. Me and everyone esle that responded to that thread didn't think we talking to someone that should be in A&E and we all did our best to encourage medical attention.
I like been told that I wrong especially with fungi as it stops me been over confidant, if you ever disagree with me Tantalus and want to put me in me place feel free.
The sorrel thread really put the wind up me, and I spent last weekend giving wood sorrel to people at the spring moot saying it doesnt give you liver fluke. As the thread doesn't make it very clear what plant is responsible. I have seen my dad (who looks not dissimilar to yourself) eat watercress straight out of stream and not get ill, but then he might have some immunity to the parasite. The thread told me what is common knowledge and what isn't, and that some would go the internet to ask questions rather than go to hospital when they are seriously ill. Me and everyone esle that responded to that thread didn't think we talking to someone that should be in A&E and we all did our best to encourage medical attention.
I like been told that I wrong especially with fungi as it stops me been over confidant, if you ever disagree with me Tantalus and want to put me in me place feel free.
From what I understood of the sorrel thread they suffered a toxic shock from eating too much rather than suffering from liver fluke?
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
The thread is not very clear at all.
What he said was:
Oxalic acid does not cause these problems, so I presume he got liver fluke (he never really said but thats his business). Too much wood sorrel gives you gripe and the symptoms of urinary infection, in very high doses reduces blood clotting, and vomiting. Fatal overdoses have been noted from consuming rhubarb but i not have found any for wood sorrel. Oxalic acid does not cause liver infections liver fluke does. Fatal overdoses of oxalic acid do cause some change in liver function.
I find it disturbing that like a lot of people on this site I have eaten wild plants for a very long time without ever been seriously ill from it, to be confronted with someone who spent several weeks hospital for trying out a small selection of british plants. It brings up the whole question of when to advise someone, I mean will someone go out eat a plant or a fungi without been sure and asking advice. I have come cross alot of people who ate 'a bad one' because they tried to eat field mushrooms without knowing what to avoid. It is a tricky area. But with most plants and fungi I feel most mistakes can be avoided with enough knowledge, I also feel it is important to get second opionons and I am more than thankful to anyone that chips in even if I disagree.
Hi thanks for your help with the ID one reason I posted was because my skills with fungi are vague, I enjoy looking for them especialy when I am working as I get alot of time. But its with your expert help, xylaria, Tantalus, that I can gain confidence to ID for myself, and in time pass on that knowlege to others. I never went back to the site for a slice ,I thought I would leave it for either someone else or the insects to enjoy.
Thanks:You_Rock_
Thanks:You_Rock_
OK first an apology I did not mean to revive the great sorrel debate in this thread thread
Will gladly discuss it in pm
I didnt mean to put anyone off trying fungi , perhaps I didn't make that clear, I do however think that one pic on an internet forum doesnt really give me personally enough to conclusively ID a fungus. I like to walk the area and see the surroundings and what other fungus I can find, what other plants are growing etc etc etc. Also important for me are undersides and cross sections and even armed with those I still think checking your haul with a local at least to begin with is the best idea.
As you can see from my earlier post , I did try and give a couple of pointers to what the fungus in question should look like.
Tant
Will gladly discuss it in pm
I didnt mean to put anyone off trying fungi , perhaps I didn't make that clear, I do however think that one pic on an internet forum doesnt really give me personally enough to conclusively ID a fungus. I like to walk the area and see the surroundings and what other fungus I can find, what other plants are growing etc etc etc. Also important for me are undersides and cross sections and even armed with those I still think checking your haul with a local at least to begin with is the best idea.
As you can see from my earlier post , I did try and give a couple of pointers to what the fungus in question should look like.
Tant
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