It is fall and the puffballs are out thus it is time for another #fungifriday
Every fall check the wood chip paths and dead rotted logs for these pear shaped puffballs.
They also randomly grow out of the ground where old stumps or roots are covered by dirt.
Their Latin name is Apioperdon pyriforme. Common name is sometimes called wolf's fart puffball or pear shaped puffball because of their obvious pear shape.
Here's where you can really see the pear shape.
Giant puffballs are still out as well, here's a softball sized one next to the pear shaped ones for reference.
This batch is a bit smaller making it more tedious to clean them for eating. I usually like to harvest the larger ones to save time. Once you harvest them just place them in saltwater for a while to soften up their outer skin. Then just peel off the skin leaving the nice soft interior. I usually cook them with some olive oil, spices and combine with potatoes. They have an almost smoked taste to them so it goes really well with a bit of beef brisket. Or better yet brisket gravy on top of mashed potatoes.
Random orange peel fungi found along the way. Technically edible but tasteless and has a cartilage texture.
I found this set of mushrooms a few years back. A giant puffball with gray oyster eyes and a pear shaped puffball nose.
I haven't prepared the pear shaped puffballs yet but here is the preparation of the giant puffballs. You have to peel off the outer skin as it has a strange gamey taste to it. Once the skin is peeled off just slice them like bread the pan fry in oil.
I like to press them down as much as possible for a more firm and less foamy texture.
This time I made tacos out of them. They taste sort of like tofu so I put some cumin and salt on them for a more spicy taste.
Then you just add some salsa, lettuce, cheese and you have a simple vegetarian taco.
That's all for now, thanks for looking :-)