How to Forage for Mushrooms without Dying: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Identifying 29 Wild, Edible Mushrooms

by Frank Hyman

Overview

With the surging interest in foraging for mushrooms, those new to the art need a reliable guide to distinguishing the safe fungi from the toxic. But for beginner foragers who just want to answer the question “Can I eat it?”, most of the books on the subject are dry, dense, and written by mycologists for other mycologists.
 
Frank Hyman to the rescue! How to Forage for Mushrooms without Dying is the book for anyone who walks in the woods and would like to learn how to identify just the 29 edible mushrooms they’re likely to come across. In it, Hyman offers his expert mushroom foraging advice, distilling down the most important information for the reader in colorful, folksy language that’s easy to remember when in the field. Want an easy way to determine if a mushroom is a delicious morel or a toxic false morel? Slice it in half – “if it’s hollow, you can swallow,” Hyman says. With Frank Hyman’s expert advice and easy-to-follow guidelines, readers will be confident in identifying which mushrooms they can safely eat and which ones they should definitely avoid.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635863321
Publisher:	Storey Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	10/05/2021
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	54,904
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 6.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Frank Hyman is a professional mushroom hunter, certified to sell wild mushrooms to the public. He teaches workshops across the country on mushroom foraging and identification and has written about mushroom foraging for publications such as Paleo magazine, Hobby Farms, and Modern Farmer. He is a member of the North American Mycological Association, lives in Durham, North Carolina, and forages everywhere he travels.

Table of Contents

What’s Wrong with this Book?!

CHAPTER 1: What the Heck are Mushrooms, Anyway?
CHAPTER 2: Safe & Responsible Foraging
CHAPTER 3: Money Doesn't Grow on Trees, But Gourmet Mushrooms Do

• Mushrooms without Gills that Grow on Trees
• Mushrooms with Gills that Grow on Trees

CHAPTER 4: The Fungal Fleet at Your Feet

• Mushrooms without Gills that Grow on the Ground
• Mushrooms with Gills that Grow on the Ground
• Steer Clear of these Sickeners

CHAPTER 5: Getting All Tooled Up
CHAPTER 6: Cooking & Preserving Mushrooms
CHAPTER 7: Growing as a Mushroom Hunter

Resources
Acknowledgments
Metric Conversions
Index

Editorial Reviews

09/06/2021

“Most of the tens of millions of people who successfully forage wild mushrooms... don’t have a degree in mycology,” writes mushroom hunter Hyman (Hentopia) in this excellent guide to foraging that proves “to safely hunt edible mushrooms, you don’t need one either.” Focusing on the most commonly encountered mushrooms, he dials in on the important details that will help “novice mushroom detective” differentiate between edible fungi and their potentially lethal doppelgängers. Hyman groups mushrooms by growing locations, specifically the tree-borne and “the fungal fleet at your feet.” He subdivides these further by separating out those with gills and those without, while also explaining safe and responsible foraging—offering amusing mnemonics to help remember important guidelines when out in the field: “does it have a tutu? Eating it’s a no-no.” His most valuable advice is to treat mushrooms as if they are meat, being sure to refrigerate them and guard against spoilage, and supplements this with suggestions for freezing, drying, and preserving one’s harvest in oil. Numerous mushrooms—such as Hen of the Woods and oyster mushrooms—will be familiar to readers, while others—including puff balls and the ostentatious Lion’s Mane (which purportedly tastes like crab meat)—may surprise. Arming readers with knowledge and a bit of caution, Hyman does a spectacular job uncovering the joys of this woodland wonder. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Using vivid photos, the book explains how to identify, clean, preserve and cook 29 varieties of edible mushrooms, while celebrating the glorious range of mushroom scents (watermelon rind, fish, lemon) and flavors (hints of crabmeat, chicken, egg noodles, vanilla)." — Peter Saenger, Wall Street Journal 

"While most mushroom books are by mycologists for mycologists, Hyman writes as an experienced mushroom forager who’s excited to bring others into the fold…or field or forest, as the case may be."
—Foreword, starred review

"Arming readers with knowledge and a bit of caution, Hyman does a spectacular job uncovering the joys of this woodland wonder." —Publishers Weekly

" Novice mushroom hunters who may have a taste for fungi but aren’t seeking scientific training will appreciate this work. Likely to see most use in rural libraries and by sharp-eyed city-dwellers and hobbyist mushroom farmers." —Library Journal

"With this beginner's field guide in hand, even the most hesitant mushroom foragers can ramble through the woods, confidently gathering fungi that are assuredly safe to eat." —Booklist

"Photos are clear, descriptions are detailed, and the author has a great sense of humor. It’s small enough to slip into your pocket or pack for on-the-go identification." —Backpacker 

"How to Forage for Mushrooms without Dying is one antidote to mycophobia: Hyman, who is also a designer, laid the pocket-sized book out with impressive visual appeal. After a few healthy introductions to mushroom parts and mushroom basics, Hyman guides readers through 29 different edible mushroom types, sprinkling digestible essays throughout." — Sarah Edwards, Indy Week

""Hyman's book provides an in-depth guide to every step of the foraging process. Foragers of all skill levels can use this guide, even in the field, to bring them success the next time they hunt for mushrooms."  ​— Charlotte Crook, Washington Gardener

"This mushroom guide differs from others I have seen in tremendous ways. The photography is gorgeous. It contains so much good information about each of the species of mushrooms. A great book for beginner and seasoned mushroom hunters." —Olga Katic, Mushroom Mountain

"This is a must-have book for anyone wanting to learn the art of mushrooming safely. Realistic pictures (not too glossy, not too dull), a bit of humor where it is needed and a shared knowledge that can only be given by one that has paid his dues." — Woody Collins, Certified Mushroom Collector

From the Publisher

12/01/2021

Dedicated mushroom hunter Hyman (foraging columnist, Paleo magazine) condenses his 15-plus years of foraging experience into a compact paperback that's light on jargon and strong on photos that will help with identification. There are notes on mushroom anatomy, responsible foraging, and safety mnemonics ("When in doubt, throw it out"), followed by entries for 29 common mushrooms, grouped by growing location (e.g., "treeborne mushrooms with gills"). Each mushroom entry includes culinary and medicinal uses, look-alikes, and what to "know before you eat." Green-bordered pages indicate tasty varieties, while orange-bordered pages (and names like Death Cap and Destroying Angel) denote mushrooms to avoid. Hyman's enthusiastic entries are accompanied by ample safety notes and reminders to check and double-check identifying characteristics. Also useful: Hyman's resources for further study (cookbooks; websites), tips for preserving, and notes on foraging tools. VERDICT Novice mushroom hunters who may have a taste for fungi but aren't seeking scientific training will appreciate this work. Likely to see most use in rural libraries and by sharp-eyed city-dwellers and hobbyist mushroom farmers.—Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley Sch., Fort Worth, TX

Library Journal