Fungi Friday - Puffballs Everywhere
Here are a few summer puffballs I found for #fungifriday by @ewkaw
Tons of these common puffballs were growing everywhere on a mulch path. You can even see some little orange looking ones growing next to the larger ones.
Their Latin name is Lycoperdon perlatum and they are commonly called gem-studded puffballs because of the tiny little spikes on them.
These are edible and quite good tasting but only if the interior is still white. I took a pinch test and saw that they were already turning green and ready to start sporing out. When they spore out a tiny little hole appears at the top and spores spill out in clouds of dust everywhere.
An even better puffball to eat is the giant puffball. This little guy was about the size of a large jawbreaker candy so I left it to grow a bit more.
By the next day it was as big as a baseball. Perfect time for harvesting.
If you let them sit too long they can get soggy inside especially if it keeps raining a lot. Fortunately I got it just in time and dehydrated it. I like to use these guys in soups as they add an interesting mushroom flavor and thicken up the broth a bit.
Here's one from last year that was about the size of a soccer ball. Their Latin name is Calvatia gigantea aka giant puffball. Sadly someone had stomped this one instead of harvesting it and it never even got to spore out. I love harvesting the huge ones as you can cut them into slices and use them for pizza crust or in between lasagne noodles.
Most puffballs are edible but this particular one is one of the few that is poisonous.
The Latin name is Scleroderma citrinum and they are commonly called pigskin puffballs or common earthballs. They are easy to identify because of the dotted sort of skin on the outside and the black interior. The rest of the puffball species that are edible have to be fully white on the inside.
Now for a random polypore that was growing out of some dead roots. I have no idea on the identification but it had a nice orange look to it. Eventually when it dries out it will probably form a nice smooth red exterior similar to a reishi mushroom.
That's all for now and happy #fungifriday
Your description of a puffball puffing is perfect. Was there ever a more perfectly named mushroom? That’s a puffball they puff 😆
Puff the portly magic dragon lived by the tree... I can't wait until the pear shaped puffballs start growing everywhere this fall, they taste the best in my opinion. I usually try and harvest bags full of them then cook them in olive oil and spices then freeze them for later. They pair well with potatoes, eggs and all sorts of stir fries.
we havedifferent kinds of puffballs here but they are common only occasional years and i have never found a giant puffball. t would be fun to see a soccer ball sized one
We find big ones each year the trick is finding them before someone steps on them. Seems to be a tradition to kick or step on them.
that is awesome. i bet it goes well with
!PIZZA
That one we did end up slicing in sections and making pizza bread out of it. The trick is to stort of toast the slices first by itself in a bit of olive oil on both sides in a pan then let it bake in the oven a bit before putting the toppings on and cooking it some more. If I find one this big this year I'll try and do a post about it.
you need a big knife to slice that one
!LOLZ
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@eolianpariah2(2/5) tipped @sketch.and.jam