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How to Identify the Edible Prince Mushroom

Identifying an edible prince mushroom can be tricky, especially because there are imposters out there that appear similar to the prince but can have negative effects on your digestion! The prince mushroom blooms, or fruits, when the weather is warm and there is a small amount of rain. For most parts of the United States, this means spring and early fall. The edible prince is a large mushroom, with caps that can measure up to 12 inches, and can be eaten raw in salads or fried in a bit of oil.

Instructions

- 1
  Notice the caps of the mushrooms. The edible prince has a cap that is reddish brown and scaly.
- 2
  Flip the mushroom over and locate the gills. The gills of the prince are pinkish and will turn a dark brown color as they mature. An imposter mushroom that looks similar to the prince, called the Agaricus moelleri, has a grayish tone to its gills. These two mushrooms often bloom side by side.
- 3
  Inspect the mushroom stem. The stem will appear scaly on the edible prince mushroom.
- 4
  Scratch the top of the mushroom cap with your fingernail. If the mushroom you are holding is an edible prince, you will smell a sweet almond scent. If your mushroom is the Agaricus moelleri, it will smell a bit more like a chemical and be less pleasant smelling.

Nature