In some areas, it’s already mushroom time. Favored by heavy summer rains and storms, these early shoots delight amateurs and specialists alike. But caution remains in order: each year, according to ANSES, between one and two thousand poisonings are caused by the ingestion of toxic species, often confused with an edible during harvest. Since July, as a result of this early harvest, 330 poisonings have been recorded, as well as three deaths.
For specialists, it is therefore necessary to keep in mind a few basic safety rules before going into the forest. “Everyone must start from the principle that the mushroom is not just a food, underlines Alain Gardiennet, president of the Issoise Mycological Society, near Dijon. Eating a mushroom is not a trivial act, and it requires knowledge and caution. »
Watch out for apps! They give a false sense of assurance to neophytes, but “none are reliable”, insist the specialists. “You absolutely must not rely on an application to identify a fungus, explains Jean-Paul Ponsin, of the Lorraine Society of Mycology. An image does not allow to take into account the smell, the taste and the environment in which a mushroom grows, whereas these are determining factors to identify them. It should therefore not be used under any circumstances. »
Same limit for books, although these often turn out to be of better quality. The appearance of a mushroom can indeed change over time and with the weather. After heavy rains, for example, the famous and poisonous fly agaric washes out, reports Alain Gardiennet. His distinctive white dots disappear, and the red of his hat approximates the ocher of Caesar’s Amanita, an edible species. So be careful not to eat a mushroom because it looks appetizing.
To get started in collecting serenely, it is better to pick only species that we are sure to recognize. There are indeed more than 30,000 in France, and confusion is not uncommon. Anyone can thus think of easily identifying a boletus or a morel, and be seriously mistaken.
“In my region, there is often confusion between the livid entolomata, for example, and the cloudy clitocybe,” continues Alain Gardiennet. They are similar in size and color, but the first is toxic, and can cause damage up to the removal of organs. The secret to differentiating them is the color of the blades. Those of the entolome turn pink as the fungus ages. »
To protect yourself, you must also take care to separate the species collected, for example by using several baskets: this avoids mixing them. Plastic bags are to be banned: they accelerate the rotting of mushrooms and are, moreover, far from being ecological. When picking with the family, don’t hesitate to provide your children with their own basket, to prevent them from adding anything and everything to your harvest at the risk of contaminating it – and be sure, well course, that they are not tempted to taste.
The Office National des Forêts further recommends that specimens be taken entirely from adults and in good condition to avoid mistakes. Having the mushroom whole when mature makes it easier to identify it, and doesn’t harm the environment.
“What we call ‘mushroom’ is only the sexual part, details Alain Gardiennet. Three quarters of the mushroom is actually in the ground, in the form of filaments. Picking the emerged part does not endanger it, provided you do not dig. It is better, on the contrary, to tear it out entirely to have all the elements which will make it possible to identify it. »
If in doubt, when you return from picking, do not hesitate to ask a specialist. Pharmacists, who have a background in mycology through their studies, can be of good advice. And most departments have a mycology association, which brings together experts and enthusiasts who can help identify more accurately what you’ve picked up.
After eating, you must finally listen to yourself: the symptoms of serious poisoning can indeed be slow to come. “In general, specifies Jean-Paul Poursin, if one has symptoms very quickly after ingestion, it remains benign – even if it is better to consult. On the other hand, you must be very vigilant if you begin to have nausea, diarrhea or vomiting 6 to 48 hours after consuming it. It is even possible to feel bad for several weeks after a meal. There is then a tendency to make the link less, even though it may be the most serious cases. »
Jean-Paul Poursin therefore recommends eating mushrooms in small doses, and spaced out, to avoid the worst in the event of a mistake, and to keep one of the mushrooms that you are going to cook. In case of poisoning, this will help the doctors to treat, because the symptoms and the consequences related to the ingestion of a toxic mushroom can be varied.
Once these precautions are taken, all that remains is to savor: harvesting mushrooms is legal in most French municipalities and forests, although regulations may change. It is generally requested not to pick more than 5 liters at a time, so that everyone can enjoy it.
