This is what you should pay attention to

Basic rules for collecting

Correct collection is very important, because mistakes can be very damaging for the forest and the mushroom population. For this reason, the following basic rules apply to mushroom migration:

• Small, old and unknown mushrooms remain.
• Even clear poisonous mushrooms should not be destroyed.
• They are an important part of the forest's metabolism.
• In general, it should only be collected for personal use.
• Whole copies are required for an exact determination.
• Therefore, do not cut the mushrooms off at the foot, but carefully unscrew them.
• Close the resulting opening with your hands.
• This prevents the mycelium from drying out.
• Take only one or two of unknown or doubtful specimens with you.
• Keep these separately from the other copies.

Also, you should keep in mind that fungi are themselves don't last long and therefore have to be processed on the same day if possible.

equipment

The best way to collect mushrooms is to use a basket that is not too high. A woven wicker basket, for example, is ideal, but the chip baskets, which you often get for free when you buy strawberries, are also very suitable. Plastic bags, bags or nets, on the other hand, are unsuitable as the mushrooms are squeezed too much and therefore become mushy. You should also take a knife with you (preferably a mushroom knife with a small brush at the end of the handle). You need this for cutting and for pre-cleaning of forest residues and maggots.

Determine mushrooms with certainty

Many species of mushrooms look very similar, and their characteristics listed in mushroom books are confusing to inexperienced collectors. The checklist will make the determination easier for you, and you should also remember the typical identifiers of the ten most common edible mushrooms as well as those of their doppelgangers. If you are unsure about how to identify a mushroom, don't eat it either. If in doubt, always show your find to a certified mushroom advisor.

Checklist

• Where does the fungus grow, which trees are in its immediate vicinity?
• Does the fungus grow individually, in groups or in clusters?
• Does the mushroom have a stem and hat or a completely different shape?
• Does the fungus have tubes, lamellas or strips on the underside of the hat?
• What color are they?
• Does the stem have a ring?
• Does the stem have a net and if so, what color is it?
• Does the meat discolor when touched or when cut?
• How does the mushroom smell?

Since many mushrooms are poisonous raw, you should never try them for determination. Exception: you want that edible boletus differ from inedible gall bolus.

Recognize poison mushrooms

There are many deadly poisonous mushrooms that are quite inconspicuous. This includes, for example, the poison dewlap, which looks like the stick sponge so easily. Rockheads as well as the green leaf agaric mushroom have it all: Symptoms often only appear days or even weeks later after a meal. Saving treatment is then no longer possible. Other species, such as Satan's boletus, usually immediately cause severe digestive problems with abdominal pain and diarrhea.