MISSOURI, USA — Mushroom hunters in Missouri are coming down from one of the most historic spring mushroom season this year.
The state's most popular mushroom, the morel, popped out of the ground about a month ahead of schedule. Despite the early start, temperature fluctuations also caused morel season to last more weeks than usual.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Morel mushrooms are being found throughout Missouri much earlier than usual; Here's why
Missourians thankfully don't have to wait until next spring to get their mushroom fix. The state also has a widespread fall mushroom season, even if the famous morels aren't part of it.
The Missouri Department of Conservation's Guide to Missouri's Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms lists numerous mushrooms to search for, and stay away from, during fall, some of which are listed below.
CAUTION: These edible mushrooms often have poisonous counterparts. Each mushroom includes ways of accurately identifying them, including making a spore print to distinguish between mushrooms. While individual spores are too small to see, spore prints show the color of spores, which MDC said is an important identifying characteristic of many mushrooms.
"Before cutting your specimen, create a surface to catch the spores," MDC's guide said. "You’ll need two pieces of paper, one black and one white. Tape the edges together to create one sheet that’s half black and half white. This will ensure visibility, whether the spores are light or dark. To make a spore print, cut the stem off the mushroom and place the cap gill- or pore-side down, straddling the paper’s seam. Cover with a bowl or jar. If the mushroom is not too young, too old, or too deteriorated, the spores will slowly collect on the paper. A spore print will be visible in 1–12 hours."
Missouri's edible fall mushrooms:
Boletes
These mushrooms, which MDC said resemble hamburger buns on top of thick stalks, can be found between May and November on the ground near or under trees. There are over 200 species of boletes in North America, but they generally can grow up to 10 inches tall with caps from 1-10 inches wide.
CAUTION: Any boletes that have orange or red pores, or that bruise blue, are poisonous and shouldn't be eaten. Some other boletes, while not poisonous, can be very bitter or otherwise unpleasant to the point of being distasteful and should be thrown out. An outer layer of slime may also form on the mushroom's cap which can cause diarrhea. This should be removed before cooking.
Those interested in cooking boletes should remove the tough stems and peel off the pore layer before sautéing them in butter and adding them to any cheese dish. MDC also recommends dry boletes in soups.
Chicken of the Woods
These bright orange mushrooms are usually found from May to November on dead or dying hardwood, trees, stumps, buried roots or living trees. They can range in size from 2-12 inches wide but never have stalks. Their spore print is white.
CAUTION: It's hard to mistake this iconic mushroom for anything else; however, some people may have an allergic reaction in the form of swollen lips after eating it. Those trying the mushroom for the first time are advised to try a little portion to determine if they are allergic.
Foragers should only cook the tender outer edges of the mushroom caps because the inner portion is tough and woody. Slice and simmer in a stock for 45 minutes to smear on toast, or use it as a chicken substitute in other dishes.
Puffballs
The white, rounded mushrooms can be found in Missouri from July through October, according to MDC's guide. They are commonly found in lawns, open woods, pastures and barren areas on soil or decaying wood, and are often roughly 1-3 inches wide and 1-3 inches tall.
CAUTION: Foragers should slice any mushrooms they think may be puffballs from top to bottom. If there is a developing cap or stem inside the mushroom, it isn't a puffball and shouldn't be eaten. The interior of a true puffball is completely white and featureless inside and, when mature, releases thick and dusty-brown spores.
Those interested in cooking puffballs should remove the outer skin if it's tough and then slice, batter and fry them.
Bearded Tooth / Lion's Mane
The round, appropriately beard-like mushroom is found from August through November on the trunks of living hardwood trees or fallen trees and logs. The mushrooms don't have a stalk and area instead an unbranched mass of long, hanging, toothlike spines that are half an inch to 2 inches long. The mass can, in some cases, be a foot across.
CAUTION: Only young, white Bearded Tooth specimens should be eaten, as the older, yellowed ones are sour.
MDC said the best way to cook bearded tooth mushroom is to slice it, parboil it until it's tender, drain it and serve it with cheese sauce.
Shaggy Mane
The cylindrical while young and bell-shaped when mature mushroom is found in Missouri between September and October growing in large numbers along roadsides and in lawns. They are usually 4-6 inches tall with upturned scales along their side, which turn an inky black with age.
CAUTION: Shaggy mane can often be confused with other potentially poisonous white mushrooms that grow in the same habitat. Foragers are recommended to verify the mushroom by looking for developing ink or making a spore print to confirm it has black spores.
Those interested in cooking shaggy mane mushrooms are advised to pick only young specimens and to cook and refrigerate them quickly. Shaggy mane will start dissolving into an inky liquid a few hours after they're harvested. They can be sautéed with butter and seasoned with garlic or nutmeg. They pair well with scrambled eggs or chicken dishes.
Hen of the Woods
This mushroom, which MDC said resembles a large ruffled chicken, is often found between September and November at the base of oak trees or hardwood forests with mature and aging trees. The caps are spoon-shaped and brown-gray on top and white beneath. They form large clusters that can often grow to enormous sizes of up to 3 feet wide and weigh up to 100 pounds.
CAUTION: Many mushrooms can grow in large clumps, but many of them have gills. True hen of the woods mushrooms do not have gills. Hen of the woods also does not have any poisonous look-alikes, but some similar ones have leathery or otherwise unpleasant tastes.
Foragers are encouraged to only use the tender portions of the mushroom. They can be added to cream sauce, soups, or salads after being simmered in salt water for a long period until they are tender.
Oyster mushrooms
This gilled mushroom has a pale to dark brown cap throughout the fall but can also be found with different colors year-round. The shell-shaped cap can be 1-8 inches wide on top of a stalk that can grow up to 1.25 inches long. They sometimes appear to be growing out of the ground, but they are attached to tree roots beneath the soil surface.
CAUTION: There are several similar-looking, potentially poisonous mushrooms that grow on wood. MDC said true oyster mushrooms will leave a white to grayish-lilac spore print.
Oyster mushrooms can be battered and fried.
Missouri's poisonous fall mushrooms:
Amanitas - poison
These umbrella-shaped mushrooms contain amanitin, one of the deadliest poisons found in nature. MDC includes memorable names for these in their guide including destroying angel, fly agaric, yellow patches, death cap and fool's mushroom.
"Beginning mushroom hunters should avoid all parasol-shaped mushrooms with white gills and white spore print," MDC said. "A saclike cup surrounding the base of the stem … is often buried just beneath the soil surface, and it may not be obvious."
They're usually found on the ground in woodlands and open places.
False morel - poison
These morel imposters, also called red morels, elephant ears and elfin saddles, have caused serious illnesses and deaths. They contain gyromitrin, which can cause diarrhea, vomiting and severe headaches.
MDC described the mushrooms as having lobes, folds, flaps or wrinkles, but not pits and ridges like true morels. Caps also tend to bulge outward instead of inward, and they also do not have a hollow center that is found in true morels.
Jack-o'-Lantern - poison
These bright orange to yellowish-orange mushrooms pop out between July and October and cause severe upset stomachs when consumed. They are usually found on the base of trees, stumps, or on buried wood.
MDC said they are often confused with chanterelle mushrooms. Jack-o'-lantern mushrooms can be distinguished by their orange inner-tissue and their narrow and sharp gills.
Green-Spored Lepiota - poison
These large and common mushrooms are one of the most commonly eaten poisonous mushrooms, possibly because they look similar to white mushrooms sold in grocery stores. They cause violent gastrointestinal upset including vomiting and diarrhea, which can be violent enough to require hospitalization.
The mushrooms often appear in "fairy rings" on lawns and cattle pastures, MDC said. They can grow up to 12 inches tall with caps up to 12 inches in diameter.
