Dive deep into the world of mushrooms, with all the basic and specific knowledge about mushrooms you as a person will need, told in a fun-to-read story.
Everyone seems to have a gut feeling that mushrooms are dangerous. And some are. But not all mushrooms are deadly, and some people can't seem to understand.
Before going on the hunt for mushrooms, it begs the question:
What is a mushroom?
"It's not a plant, it's not an animal. It's somewhere... in between," say experts.
Bear with me here, there's a lot of facts!
A mushroom is somewhat like the fruit of a plant, except that the "seeds" it produces are millions of microscopic spores that form in the gills or pores underneath the mushroom's cap. The spores blow away into the wind or are spread by other means, like animal feeding. If they land on wood or soil, spores will germinate to form a network of rootlike things (mycelium) that penetrate their new food source. Unlike the mushroom, which pops up then passes away quickly, the mycelium persists, often for many years, extracting nutrients and sending up its annual crop of mushrooms.
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Basically, mushrooms are just the fruit of mycelium. Keep this point in mind, as it might explain why most mushrooms are not poisonous to touch but poisonous to eat.
If you do enough tests, enough going out into the wild, and just...looking, you will find that nearly none of the mushrooms in the world are poisonous to touch. If you touch the Amanita phalloides, the Death Cap, the deadliest mushroom in the world, you-
Won't die. Why?
According to wikihow.com (I know, such a trustworthy source), "The death cap is perfectly safe to touch, as its toxin is only dangerous if ingested. If you're uncomfortable touching the poison mushroom, though, try wearing a pair of gloves." These mushrooms had to make a choice- poisonous to touch, or poisonous to eat. And most of the deadly mushrooms out there chose- deadly to eat.
"Amateur foragers and backyard gardeners alike should be on alert for poisonous wild mushrooms, which can grow next to edible varieties and aren't dangerous to touch. But consuming even a bite of them can be harmful," said Clevelandclinic.org.
25% are edible, but not incredible
20% will make you sick
4% will be tasty to excellent
1% can kill you
And only about 3% of known mushroom varieties are poisonous.
Even these percentages are only talking about eating the mushrooms!
So while I can't assure you that you won't die after wolfing down a couple of unidentified mushrooms found in the middle of a forest in Ohio, I can say that when properly identified and cooked, the mushroom will not kill you.
