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How do I Identify Wild Edible Mushrooms That Grow in Connecticut?

Many people take mushroom foraging as a great excuse for a beautiful walk in the woods. Many edible species of mushrooms grow in Connecticut and New England, and with the proper education and assistance, even the most amateur shroomer can bring home a fantastic haul of edible fungus. Many of these edibles, however, have highly toxic look-alikes. Identifying some obvious differences could quite possibly save your life.

Things You'll Need

Mushroom or fungus field guide

Instructions

- 1
  Look for the puffball mushroom, whose poisonous twin is the amanita. Before you pick them, they are difficult to distinguish between; however, slicing into the mushroom and revealing the inside is telling. The amanita will have the outline of a developing stalk and gills on the interior, whereas the puffball has no inner features at all. It has been likened to the inside of a loaf of white bread.
- 2
  Identify the Boletes family of mushrooms, most of which are harmless. These, too, have some poisonous members. Avoid Boletes with orange or red pores, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
- 3
  Pick the tasty chanterelle, which are funnel shaped with wavy edges around the caps. They are bright orange or yellow and smell fruity. They are easily confused with the deadly jack o'lantern, which has the typical knife-like gill structure, unlike the chanterelle's blunt, wrinkled gill pattern. The jack o'lantern also grows exclusively on wood, rather than on the ground like the chanterelle.

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