Mushroom hunting this week

If you had asked me in the middle of summer if there would be mushrooms in autumn, I would have said no. Fortunately, I was not right! There are tons of mushrooms growing in the forests and fields, but it's a very important a question of whether they are edible or poisonous, and how well you know them.

Much to my surprise, I saw this huge bunch of fresh oyster mushrooms in town this morning. I have no idea how it ended up at the base of a building overgrown with weeds. Of particular interest is that the ivy has completely overgrown the compost.

Oyster mushrooms are edible, sold in markets and groceries. Maybe someone threw out a bag of excess compost and it grew out of it. However, it also happens that a few pieces of mushrooms mixed in with discarded green waste (e.g. potato peelings) can develop mycelium and then fruiting bodies, if conditions allow. All the rain in September had its effect!

As a general rule, only pick the mushrooms you know 1000% about for food! If you have even a small doubt, show it to a mushroom inspector and you might prevent a family tragedy!
Another strict rule is that we cannot determine the species of mushrooms from a photo on internet or using a mobile app, because they may have other sensory characteristics besides sight, such as smell, touch, texture.

I have not picked the following few mushroom species, although I know they are edible. But I'm not entirely sure!
My father knew mushrooms well, he might have taken home these little mushrooms growing in clusters on the stump.

These beautiful white mushrooms are very similar to the champignon mushrooms on the market. Perhaps they are, because they have all the characteristics: white hat, pretty collar, pinkish-brown gills, no stipe. If there were stipe and the gills were white, it would in all likelihood be the most poisonous mushroom, death cup!

I picked one mushroom and looked at it, but I didn't put it in my basket, I left the rest alone. It has many relatives, but is easily distinguishable from them.

Parasol mushrooms are one of the few species that I can safely recognise.
The cap is usually more than 10 cm wide and has a pleasant mushroom smell. The collar can be moved up and down.
I've managed to pick quite a lot of it in the last week, drying most of it and putting it in boxes, so I get an excellent seasoning..

Older specimens have a spreading cap, which may also be tilted upwards.

The best is when the cap hasn't even opened yet, but is closed in the shape of an egg.

This parasol is too old, I'm leaving it in place. This will ensure a supply for next year.

This is a group of fuzz-ball mushroom, also edible, but only if the inside is still white. When it ripens, dry spores come out through a hole in the top, especially when you step on it!
It also has a giant relative that grows in pastures, often developing into a white ball weighing several kilograms. You're lucky if you find something that's still edible! One ball is enough for a big family.