foraging mushooms

[mrswadders]

having spent a lovely couple of hours foraging - walnuts, apples,crab apples,rosehips to name but a few, we came across some mushrooms. I picked a couple in the hope that one of you marvellous grapes might be able to help me identify them. Looking in a book when I got back I think that they may be - wood hedgehog, they definately have a very leathery feel tto them and smell disticly mushroomy........................

Is there anybody out there on the vine who could advise?

Have attached pics......

Cheers

Mrs wadders

[solway cropper]

The colour looks too dark for a field mushroom unless they are old in which case they will be a bit leathery. What colour are the gills underneath, what colour was the stalk and where did you find them?

A lot of questions but it helps identify them. Personally with fungi I'd leave them alone unless I was certain. I know field mushrooms, chanterelles, puff balls and shaggy ink caps and have eaten them all but I don't risk any others.

[rana]

Almost impossible to identify from photos and a lot more info but they are not wood hedgehog (which are smaller, irregular shaped and light grey/brown in colour)

[womble]

One bit of advice I was given, was to not touch any fungi which I wasn't sure about with my bare hands, also to not use the same knife to cut the ones I did know and the ones I didn't.

[Alison]

It's very difficult to identify from photos as the colour can be a bit wrong and you can't see everything. It's useful to know exactly where you found them, if anything were growing near by, do they smell at all, what are the gills like and so many other questions. OH is much better than me and can identify loads so we've been drying bag loads of the things. If you want to know more you need to get a couple of good books really and study those. A good one will tell you what to look for but also explain what you might mistake it for etc which saves any worries. Do persevere though as it's a very good hobby - am thinking of buying OH a bigger rucksack as he fills the one he has every time he goes for a bike rid

One other bit of advice, don't believe a lot of what you find on random web searches as there are a heck of a lot of incorrectly labelled photos out there!

[King Carrot]

one of my favorite sayings,

All mushrooms are edible but some you only get to eat the once