- Myth 1: Snails and worms don’t eat poisonous mushrooms;
- Myth 2: Poisonous mushrooms have an unpleasant smell;
- Myth 3: Poisonous mushrooms have a bitter taste;
- Myth 4: If you put a poisonous mushroom in milk, it will turn sour;
- Myth 5: when cooked for a long time, poisonous mushrooms become harmless;
- Myth 6: silver turns black in a decoction of poisonous mushrooms;
- Myth 7: Alcohol helps with mushroom poisoning;
“Errare humanum est,” Seneca once said. It is human nature to make mistakes. All this is true, but there are mistakes and misconceptions that are too expensive, so it is better not to make them.
Many myths and misconceptions are associated with mushrooms. Some of them are completely harmless — for example, the legend of the “circles of witches” that exist among different peoples. But when it comes to how to distinguish edible mushrooms from poisonous ones, relying on “folk signs” can be harmful to health.
What dangerous myths do the collectors still believe in?
Myth 1: Snails and worms don’t eat poisonous mushrooms
Not at all! For example, the wonderful and useful mushroom Cantharellus cibarius is toxic to worms and insects, so they do not touch it, and many fungi that are poisonous to humans do not disdain snails or insect larvae. Moreover, it is not safe to use wormy mushrooms in food, even if the mushroom is edible.
Myth 2: Poisonous mushrooms have an unpleasant smell
A very unreliable sign! For example, deadly to humans, Amanita phalloides smell like delicious mushrooms. Many poisonous mushrooms smell quite ordinary mushroom. And the perception of the fragrance is a subjective matter, it can not serve as a reliable criterion of danger.
Myth 3: Poisonous mushrooms have a bitter taste
It’s an extremely dangerous idea to try a potentially toxic product! And completely pointless, too. The flesh of edible mushrooms — for example, some types of raw mushrooms – can also be bitter.
Myth 4: If you put a poisonous mushroom in milk, it will turn sour
The milk will really turn sour. Only with the toxicity of the mushroom, this circumstance is not related in any way: the enzyme that causes the coagulation of milk protein is also present in edible mushrooms.
Myth 5: when cooked for a long time, poisonous mushrooms become harmless
No! Not all the toxins contained in poisonous mushrooms are destroyed by heat treatment and other culinary manipulations. Neither vinegar, nor salt, nor high temperature will make a poisonous mushroom edible, so do not try to “protect” yourself in such a dubious way.
Myth 6: silver turns black in a decoction of poisonous mushrooms
Yes, it will turn black. In the broth, any mushrooms that contain amino acids contain sulfur. Both poisonous and edible.
Myth 7: Alcohol helps with mushroom poisoning
Perhaps this is one of the most dangerous myths about mushrooms. In fact, alcohol can only aggravate the problem: accelerate the absorption of toxins, distort the picture of poisoning, complicate the doctor’s diagnosis.
Only timely and competent actions can really help with mushroom poisoning. Well, the best thing is to take care of prevention, to exclude the very possibility of a problem.
You may also be interested in: Mushroom Picking: Rules of Silent Hunting And Nuances of Toxicity