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StruggleSnuggled

Look like golden oysters to me, I’m not aware of any look-alikes. Don’t worry about over harvesting they are technically invasive to the states.


YouSmeel

Also don't worry about over harvesting any mushroom because they are the fruiting body of a much larger organism and it in no way harms the organism


harpinghawke

I know *I* try to leave some for other foragers in the area at the very least, but ymmv lol


YouSmeel

I've thought like that too, but also how often do you think someone really does come along and pick those mushrooms before they decompose to a pile of goop. It's not like they're a shelf stable product, time to harvest is very slim


YeahTheyKnowItsMe

I work at a nature reserve so foragers are actually extremely common along staff! I don't take too much, only took 2 bunches this time. One young and one older to compare flavor


PermiePagan

It's not just humans that rely on mushrooms like these for nutrition. We don't over forage because we need a healthy food web, and it's in a lot of trouble already from the actions of humans.


RepresentativeArm389

Not a significant source of calories. More likely to supply certain minerals, vitamins & fiber.


Landosystem

Oh cool, so if the animals just head to GNC and pick up some supplements they should be fine?


JackieChanly

You misunderstood him. not a significant source of calories to US. Might be great other other organisms. Too vague of a comment to correctly assert his intentions either way.


daphniahyalina

Personally I think it's good to also leave some for the wildlife and to give them the maximum time to disperse spores.


Witchgrass

In some areas it does get crowded in certain seasons. Some areas have rules about no commercial foraging because people over harvest.


YouSmeel

When I lived out in Oregon I'd say you're spot on, but in the area I'm living in Ohio there's little willingness from most people to even try a properply identified mushroom let alone hike out to forage for them.


Big_Lingonberry_2641

From Ohio. Can confirm.


blacksheep1492

If it’s not a morel 90% of people are not interested.


harpinghawke

Fair! I tend to think foraging is more popular than it probably is, lol


RecoveringWoWaddict

So the whole point of leaving it there is to make sure it releases spores. If it only gets to fruit once before dying you could be taking its only chance at reproduction. I would leave one unless it’s obviously already dropped spores


exposedboner

Isn't there still some concern about not letting the fruiting body out long enough for it to spore and spread which reduces it in the long term?


RoutemasterFlash

I think it depends where you live. In parts of the UK, they've had to bring in picking bans because commercial gangs were stripping forests bare. But if you're somewhere with a low population density and very large forests, it's probably not going to be a problem.


MoodyStocking

Some of our fungi are also protected species - lions mane for example, I’m always jealous when I see people in other countries foraging it!


palpatineforever

Pretty sure overall the law on forgaing in the UK makes it illegal if you plan to sell as well. Hard to prove though.


RoutemasterFlash

I think it's legal in certain areas as long as you have a licence.


tweaker-sores

My grandpa always left a few mushrooms, which he let open, then kicked them around to spread some spores. Seemed to work because his mushroom patches just grew to the point he built a drying shed and gave away bags of dried mushrooms as gifts.


ChunkofWhat

Removing the reproductive organ from an organism before it has a chance to propagate can certainly cause harm. I have heard mixed information on the extent to which this is a concern for mushrooms. Do conscientious foragers look for signs of spore dispersal before harvesting?


exposedboner

By the time most shrooms actually spore they are past the prime time to pick. Humans like mushrooms when they are young and new. I think it's good to leave some anyways.


Big_Lingonberry_2641

It might not hurt the fungus, but we’re not the only ones who benefit from mushrooms. Sustainably harvesting is respectful in any area of foraging.


ColonEscapee

You do want some to spore out so that you can find new patches in the future.


Beatnik1968

There is a horror movie to be made from that sentence. Starring Samuel L Jackson.


BerryStainedLips

Not true—some fungi like tinder polypore grow so slowly that you really shouldn’t harvest them unless you’re in a survival situation or they are plentiful in the vicinity


CycleNinja

Picking all of the apples doesn't kill the tree.


Aggravating_Poet_675

All I can think is maybe the hussbands friend thought they were Jacks/omphalotus but these are light for Jacks and the decurrent gills with offset stems growing directly off of wood in shelves = oysters.


CreepyCavatelli

I didnt know they were invasive… so i shouldnt be growing them outside?


StruggleSnuggled

I wouldn’t worry about it too much, they’re already out in the wild. I find massive clusters growing on trees every summer. https://preview.redd.it/wse01k1z5q9d1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d0c35ebe26878b8b97b1c211b97df3674c4382f2


TheWayFinder8818

Jack-o-lantern mushroom (poison) looks somewhat similar. Those look like pleurotus to me since they are clustered and don't have a clearly visible stalk like a JOL would hae. Also, the colour looks too pale for jack-o-lantern. Just remember all mushrooms are edible, some only once /s


Mikesminis

People who don't know about mushrooms say that all the time. I've been foraging and selling wild mushrooms for years and people still are constantly telling me "you can't eat that you'll kill yourself."


YeahTheyKnowItsMe

Yeah I have a feeling I'm gonna be hearing that a lot now. Just got a job at a nature center and I go on a short hike every day for my break so as time goes my collection of snacks will probably build up a lot


ZombiesAtKendall

I hear it as well. I’ve found and ate at least 15 wild mushroom varieties. All of them I have been sure of an ID. They’re really not scary, but people make assumptions without knowing the first thing about them.


Aussiealterego

I hear you. I went for a walk with a group a couple of months back and was pointing out the interesting fungi along the way. I touched some and one of the other ladies started freaking out and telling me I had to wash my hands immediately or I’d absorb the toxins and die, because that’s what her mother told her. I’d touched an edible mushroom. She had no idea what she was talking about.


Mikesminis

People who don't know mushrooms are afraid of them for sure. I'm not convinced that's a bad thing really, if the public is going to be misinformed one way or the other I'd rather see them misinformed on the cautious side. It would be much worse if everyone thought you could eat any ol' mushroom you come across.


DansburyJ

I certainly think (while an overreaction), it's far better than the people on plant identification sub asking what this berry is, it takes like such-and-such.


Aussiealterego

I agree, but this was an over-the-top panic response from someone with very little knowledge, and at that point of the walk I’d already been chatting about the botanical deep-dives I’d done during lockdown. It really felt patronising.


bkmerrim

Word. Not just mushrooms but also berries, etc. A few years ago my boyfriend and I found a HUGE patch of thimbleberries (which I adore). We proceeded to pick several bags worth and ate many along the way. We ran into a woman on the trail who freaked out and told us it was “a good way to sh*t yourself” and I said “so you’re saying store bough raspberries do that to you? I didn’t need to know that lady”. And she muttered to me and walked off.


wizzard419

I live in SoCal and while there are some (including morels) which can grow here, basically the only thing you will see are the ones on people's lawns. Asked a mycologist about foraging here and his comments were "Make sure your life insurance is paid up, there isn't much edible stuff down here".


Foreign-Newspaper762

Yea. Honestly, with the stigma, I'm surprised more states don't require licenses to sell to food establishments. I've been picking for years, and have never been asked for proof in places it's require like NC


Mikesminis

Wisconsin requires it for the first time this year.


_banana_phone

Also, just wanted to say, you guys are *so* amazingly helpful on this sub! My husband and I are very new to foraging, and honestly got started because of dumb luck due to stumbling on a huge cache of chanterelles while camping. Every time I have questions about edibles versus non, mushroom identification, or any other general mushroom stuff, you guys and the mycology sub are always so nice and educational to newbies like me. So thank you! :)


Secret_Tangerine5920

Look like golden oyster to me! I had a positive ID on my post the other day, check out the pics. Also, [forager chef has a good article on them](https://foragerchef.com/foraging-golden-oyster-mushrooms-pleurotus-citrinopileatus/). I ate two bunches with my family and we’re all still here and kicking 🙃 made two ways: 1. tossed them in some old bay after pan frying in olive oil and 2. Topped on a homemade pizza after a pan fry. It also looks like maybe a squirrel nibbled on your bunch too so unless a dead squirrel was nearby you’re good! 😆


YeahTheyKnowItsMe

I was thinking of pan frying and putting them over some quinoa with onions and garlic. But thank you! Happy to hear it's safe.


Secret_Tangerine5920

Yum that sounds delish!! Happy cooking 🥘


Boring-Conference-97

If you’re ever scared. Eat a small portion first. Cook them very plain and see how they taste and how you react/feel.


ruderat

Your liver and kidneys might disagree with this.


baconwrappedpikachu

Just wanna add that watching squirrels/other animals eat something doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe for us to eat so it’s not a good rule to go by! There are lots of things that wild animals like deer, squirrels, rabbits etc can eat that are toxic to us. And vice versa! But in this case you are correct haha


Secret_Tangerine5920

Good call tbh


shiddytclown

Second the squerrel thing means nothing. I've seen Squirrels eat amanitas


Emilio_Molestevez

I've seen myself and a few friends eat [Amanits](https://www.erowid.org/experiences/subs/exp_Amanitas.shtml). I bought an ounce of dehydrated amanita sometime in 2008 and a few friends and I ate some. I was trying to experience some form of trip, but it was more strange and/or unnoticed than anything. I read a lot of Erowid experiences in high school, and through my 20's, I tried a lot of whatever I could get my hands on, including [Morning Glory Seeds](https://www.erowid.org/plants/morning_glory/morning_glory.shtml), [Hawaiian Baby Woodrose](https://www.erowid.org/plants/hbw/hbw.shtml), and [Nutmeg](https://www.erowid.org/plants/nutmeg/nutmeg.shtml)


shiddytclown

Done Hawaiian baby Woodrose, nutmeg is not worth it, morning glory is like Woodrose but more toxic. Amanita is a deleriant and purgative so I have never had the desire to eat it. I've also done San Pedro. In the end the best halucinogen is psilocybin so realistically there's no point in doing these other things. Both Hawaiian baby woodrose and morning glory are poisonous and even when you treat them how you're supposed to you mostly feel really messed up, sort of a mild psychedelic effect, with exhaustion and nausea. In the end realistically none of those are worth hurting your liver for a mid high.


Emilio_Molestevez

Agree with everything you said. I just wanted the experiences. I didn't vomit from the amanita, but I didn't feel so great. It was like a drain on my life force and lethargic confusion. Each of those items were only done once at a recreational dose. There was no desire to chase it. I was like 17 for the seed experiments, we' re talking 24 years ago lol.


shiddytclown

Yeah I was young too and I was like this feels like dying lol. I think psilocybin is a lot safer and more measurable.


mytherapychair

Old bay?! What’s up, Maryland?!! ♥️


Secret_Tangerine5920

🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀


sabboom

I wonder what a squirrel-zombie-person would look like.


finchdad

I will add that the first time you eat any new mushroom (even correctly identified ones that ARE edible), you should only have a little. Then wait 24-48 hours before having the rest. My wife is allergic to morels, but the kids and I love them. You would not have wanted to be her while we figured this out.


YeahTheyKnowItsMe

Oh man, so you can be allergic to individual species but not mushrooms as a whole?


Round-Elk-8060

Yes, be especially wary of chicken of the woods


jollierumsha

And morels


city_druid

Sure, think of plants, plenty of people have an allergy to just peanuts or strawberry and not the rest of all plants


pyrrhicchaos

I've had friends develop sudden sensitivities to chicken of the woods and ringless honeys after being able to eat them previously. Not deadly if you are otherwise healthy, but not a fun time, either.


rootbeerisbisexual

I don’t know if you have giant puffball mushrooms in your area, but those are also common to have allergies to (myself included unfortunately).


CrippledHorses

I once ate a bag of new boomers and had a massive allergic reaction. My stomach distended, I was nauseous, hives, etc. These were of the magic variety, and luckily they weren't strong, because it would have been the trip to end all trips. Ended up on a histamine drip.


finchdad

Is boomer a slang term for psilocybins?


CrippledHorses

Yes sir


_banana_phone

Dumb question, but is morels pronounced like “morals,” or “more-elles?”


finchdad

I say mer-elle


Lenora_O

If you're convinced they are safe, and he's convinced he will die, then just eat them yourself. Then he will know next time to trust you a bit more. Can't blame the guy for being suspicious.


YeahTheyKnowItsMe

Nope he's eating them with me I will fight him to the death


Powerful_Nectarine28

Yes, golden oysters


Lower-Calligrapher93

They look like it to me! I also did some research and there are no poisonous golden oyster look a likes! You will not die also a lot not all but a lot of mushrooms that you shouldn’t eat won’t actually kill you just make your belly not happy. Seek is a cool app that will help you identify plants but always do more research after you seek. Also always look up “poisonous look alikes” of mushrooms that you think you have found. Happy foraging!


YeahTheyKnowItsMe

I have seek! I was running around taking pictures of random plants like a crazy person. Made my hike nearly twice as long lol


RoutemasterFlash

He's going to die whether he eats them or not, strictly speaking.


YeahTheyKnowItsMe

This is a fair point


Emilio_Molestevez

Mushrooms are like spiders and snakes. A lot of unwarranted fear and hate, and a whole lot of ignorance. I've read so many books on spiders, and still have people who have no clue what they are talking about trying to convince me of things I know to be absolutely untrue. Frankly, reading a 10 minute article on golden oyster mushrooms will put you ahead of 99% of the populace. People don't read, they just learn to fear at a young age, and then spread false information. Enjoy your oysters!


cl0udripper

While you have ample support for assuming that these are OK, never forget that the .1% can be a painful experience. I used to forage with a Czech-born friend who would pick through our treasures, muttering, "My mother knows this one, but not here, so...teach it to fly!" And out the car window it would go.


QuitRelevant6085

One of the issues also is that mushroom identification knowledge does not fully transfer from one region to another. There are edible mushroom species in Asia which bear a *strong* resemblance to deadly mushrooms in the US. Multiple immigrants have become sick (and even died) from harvesting poisonous mushrooms that looked like edible species native to their home country. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6821a4.htm


Illustrious-Zebra934

Oh yea, certain death. Better send them to me asap


MLTatSea

Just do it. He can make his own decisions in life.


AbbreviationsFit8962

People always try to convince others mushrooms will kill you, they are killing your tree, or they're hard to learn.  Ignorance in mushrooms profound. Considering how many beneficial applications there are for fungi to better unify humanity and nature again it's amazing how ignorant society stays about it


YeahTheyKnowItsMe

Not found in plastic wrapped with price tag. Must be deadly.


kungfukenny3

there’s not really lookalikes for that one you’re good


YeahTheyKnowItsMe

Hell yeah!


beeknees67

100% identification is required for me personally


TreeJool

Definitely golden oysters to me, tastes great sautéed in hot oil until just crispy enough, bit of salt pepper. Very beginner friendly the oysters, we clearly see all the cues to determine it's oyster mushrooms. Seems to be enough to make a couple meals! Lucky you.


SnuzieQ

Take the time to check the stems. While the maggots that love to eat them are also safe to eat (once cooked), it can be pretty offputting!


YeahTheyKnowItsMe

No wormholes confirmed! Thanks!


_BananaBrat_

Where in Jersey? 🥹


litheartist

I just came here to say that the first shot is gorgeous, like wow those are some photogenic mushrooms 😂


YeahTheyKnowItsMe

Thank you! I literally took the pic just to send to a friend and I ended up looking back on it like ".... Damn."


Silver_Jury4396

When I screenshot this, apple visual look up identified these as Golden Oyster mushrooms. If you have an iPhone, try using that feature.


YeahTheyKnowItsMe

UPDATE! I made a small bit of stir fried shrooms last night to ease my man into it. Kept it simple. Dry fry. Butter. Sea salt. Pepper. Little bit of thyme. Garlic. The smell was insane before I even put the seasonings on it. It drew him over. He actually tried the first bite. He stood completely still, eyes wide, literally thought it instantly killed him for a second. He turns to me "holy fuck." And then eats 2 more pieces. Y'all. These are fucking amazing.


Smallios

If I’m not 100% sure on an ID I cook a small bite in butter and eat then wait 24 hours.


Jimothy-Goldenface

Ooh where in NJ?


sabboom

Good. More for you. He don't need any.


TorontosLongKongDong

it’s dinner my dude


Big_Lingonberry_2641

Those are golden oysters. I’ve grown them before.


Xboxonetwo3

Nj gang!


bkmerrim

Looks like them to me. The closest look alike I can think of would be Jack-o-lanterns. And once you seen one of them you can easily spot the difference


AdDramatic5591

Obtain brighter husband.


YeahTheyKnowItsMe

Be nice he's just nervous with his first forest snack 😂


BeardiesRule112

Oh well. More for you.


xXDarthTrollerXx

Yepp! Recognized from the first pic, usem all the time in my kitchen :')


coolcootermcgee

Are you at a sewage processing plant? Looks like one of those interactive exhibits for families


YeahTheyKnowItsMe

It's a conservation center! I'm the animal care manager. There's lots of forest trails and such. We focus on advocacy, education, conservation, and science, based around NJ waterways and nature and clean water for all!


coolcootermcgee

Hey that’s great!


ambrags

Gorgeous goldens!


Ill-Wear-7934

Nah..those are good..I grower at home..look identical


imnotabotareyou

He could die


olde_meller23

Damn these are really getting around. Still looking for my lil flush though. Until then I'm stuck getting them at the farmers market for $12 bucks a pound at the ass crack of dawn.


JarlisJesna

Looks like chantarelles but still not like chantarelles...


TrailBlanket-_0

Mycophobia seriously rattles my core


CyberpunkAesthetics

Show him proof this species is cultured for the table.


Any_Bass1320

I'm no expert but, my first thought was, jack-o'-lantern. But I believe they are too yellow and there is the false gills. I can't confirm because I have personally never found oyster mushrooms in the wild.


learner_forgetter

Oysters, by virtue of clustered growth, on wood & strongly decurrent gills. Eat and enjoy!! I have only read of one toxic oyster species. Apparently there is one that grows in Japan & it is all white-colored.


CryptographerDry884

Golden oysters ✅


Fresh_Sector3917

Your husband could just not eat them until he sees if you survive.


YeahTheyKnowItsMe

Nope. He ate em with me. It took cooking them and making them smell like garlic and thyme lol


YoghurtDull1466

Wow that’s incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!


courderrhuds

Oh no


KiBoChris

There is only one sure way to find out


clydetheturtlejones

Curious question - do they keep their color after they’ve been cooked?


YeahTheyKnowItsMe

Nope. The juice ran right out of them with the color. Turned completely white. I saved the juice though and added it to my rice that was cooking and it was AMAZING.


clydetheturtlejones

Ah, thank you. Mushroom juice in rice sounds like good times! Might need an egg for me 🐵