Wild mushrooms are consumed throughout the world and good for the overall health. Gathering wild mushrooms is also a hobby. But this hobby is not easy. Some wild mushrooms are toxic, and gathering them may harm your health.

Some mushrooms are nutritious and good for health while some mushrooms are dangerous for health. Even consuming some mushrooms can kill you.

So there are two types of mushrooms which can be even used to make mushroom broth while some mushrooms are injurious to health.

In this article, we will some mushrooms which can be consumed and are good for health and some that are injurious.

Mushrooms to Eat:

Hen-of-the-woods:

Hen-of-the-woods is the common name of Grifola frondosa. It is one of the favorite mushrooms for mushroom lovers.

Hen-of-the-woods have small pores under it that’s why it is type of polypore fungus. They grow on trees and grow in clusters normally which looks like sitting hen. This is why its name is termed is hen-of-the-woods.

This is one of the most common mushrooms and grows in Japan and China. North states of America also grow hen-of-the-woods. The best thing about mushroom broth is that it can be grown on the same spot for many years.

The underside of the hen-of-the-woods is white while its overall color is grayish-brown. Color may vary depending on the environment.

These mushrooms are grown in fall normally but some of the amounts are grown in summer months as well.

Normally the weight of hen-of-the-mushrooms is 3 to 15 pounds but they could be massive. They could weight around 50 pounds when they are massive.

The older specimen may get contaminated with mold or bacteria. It is recommended not to eat older hen-of-the-woods. You can identify older hen-of-the-woods as they are orange or reddish in color.

White Button Mushrooms:

White mushrooms are the most cultivated mushroom throughout the world. In the United States of America, it is consumed more than any other mushrooms. It is even used as an ingredient in grass fed beef bone broth.

One reason for the huge amount of cultivation of white mushroom is they are low in calories but contain compounds which can prevent certain cancers and improve heart health.

White mushrooms belonged to the Fungi kingdom. The white color of the mushrooms are due to their young stage. They are known as crimini mushrooms when they have a slight brown color.

White mushrooms are bigger and darker when they are fully grown and known as portobello mushrooms.

Throughout the world, there are various names of white mushrooms. White mushroom is the most common name. Table mushroom, common mushroom, and champignon mushroom are some other names.

White mushrooms are used in various dishes due to its small stem size and mild flavor.

White mushrooms are grown in the soil that is rich in bacteria and fungi. Both play an important role in the growth of the mushroom.

Oyster Mushroom:

Pleurotus ostreatus is a mushroom that looks like an oyster. It is consumed due to its delicious taste.

A suitable place for oyster mushroom is jungle. It grows in jungle throughout the world.

They normally grow on the fallen branches of the tree, dead stumps, and trees that are dead.

When oyster mushrooms decompose they release a good amount of the nutrients in the soil. The nutrients are used by other plants and trees.

Just like hen-of-the-woods, oyster mushrooms also grow in clusters on dead od dying hardwood trees. Depending on the age their color may be white or brownish-gray.

They also grow in clusters and cover a lot of parts of the tree.

Mushrooms to Avoid:

As discussed before, there are various mushrooms that may be harmful to health. Some can even kill you. If you found a mushroom just don’t eat it blindly.

Here are three mushrooms which are not good for health.

Dead Cap:

The dead cap is a deadly mushroom. A number of people die throughout the world by consuming wrong mushrooms. Most of the deaths are caused due to the death cap. It is very poisonous that it is even touched with very care.

Conocybe Filaris:

It is brownish in color and shaped like a cone. It grows in various parts of the world and contains a huge amount of poison. They are capable of doing serious harm.

Autumn Skullcap:

Deadly Galerina is another name of the autumn cap due to its poison which can easily kill a human. They have brown color caps and can cause severe illness if even touched without precautions.

Conclusion:

Some mushrooms are nutritious and good for health while others can do serious harm. Some mushrooms can even kill you. While touching a deadly mushroom, you should take certain precautions.