Introduction to Mushrooms Revised April 2000
by By Michael W. Beug Email: beugm@evergreen.edu
The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA
Slide 4.
My own conversion from puffball stomper to mycophile came with a meal of morels. These are black morels which fruit most abundantly in areas that were logged the previous year or where there had been a forest fire in a previous year. Black morels also can fruit in abundance where ground bark has been spread as mulch in new flowerbeds. Morels are among the choicest and prized of all edible mushrooms with flavor and texture much like a fine steak. However, they must never be sampled raw, not even a nibble should be swallowed. Nor should one eat dried mushrooms without reconstitution and cooking. The consequences of consuming uncooked or only lightly cooked morels can be a bout of vomiting and cramps often accompanied with dizziness, headache, and a tired feeling. Morels are not candidates for slicing raw into salads as one chef at a banquet discovered. Indeed, I recommend cooking all mushrooms, even the Agaricus you buy in the store.
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