How can you tell if a mushroom is poisonous?

Answer 1

You can't. Even a fully accredited mycologist should never eat mushrooms picked up in the wild or in any wooded area. There are so many species, so many look exactly alike, and the poison in some is so toxic that it will kill you for sure and there are no known antidotes for some of these so a trip to the hospital may ease the pain but will not save you.

On a side note, mushroom identification can be fun to determine what mushrooms you are pretty darn sure aren't poisonous and which you are pretty sure are. Just don't eat them once you've made your determination.

Also, it would be interesting and perhaps useful to learn how to live off the land what fruits and berries and wild plants you can eat in case you are ever stuck somewhere without a cell phone and your car breaks down, or whatever. I know in certain branches of the military survival skills are taught so they know what to eat and so forth.

Answer 2

My Uncle Art... from the old country... told me to find a large mushroom of the same type and break the steam off. If you find worms in it, or evidence of being eaten, then you know you can eat it. Then you just want to pic the smaller ones (cause they don't have worms). I know its gross, but he's never been ill and he's done it all his life.

Answer 3

Show it to somebody who has studied the bejeezus out of mushrooms. Seriously, it takes an expert. There are super-toxic mushrooms out there that look like harmless adult mushrooms of other species, early in their life cycle. But, you need to wash your hands just 'cause you touched them.

Answer 4

It's a great risk, never eat a mushroom that you are not sure.
only in laboratory one can tell you something about it.

Answer 5

By feeding it to your little brother.

Answer 6

EAT IT. If you die, it's poison.

Answer 7

break off the stem to see if you can see parasitic worms... Well, if there is, it's obviously poisonous!! If there isn't then it's safe.

THX!


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