^yILD MLSllllOOMS AS FOOD 



3-39 



niiglit be desired. On account of its 

 peculiar shape and decided colors, a 

 single specimen rarely fails to attract 

 attention. It is considered one of the 

 very best and most digestil)le of the 

 fungi, and is often eaten raw by for- 

 eigners. At times, this species occurs 

 in enormous quantities in rich, loose 

 earth by roadsides or in weedy places, 

 and it then becomes an important 

 source of food supply. It requires little 



The "egg" of the poisonous stinkhorn mushroom 

 (Dicti/ophora duplicata) in section, sliowing how 

 it differs from a puffball. The stem and a green 

 mass inside are surrounded by a layer of jelly-like 

 substance, while the puffball in section is smooth 

 and solid 



cooking, and is best broiled and sea- 

 soned simply. 



Common Pasture Puffball. — Large, 

 rounded, five to fifteen centimeters in diam- 

 eter, the base short and thick; surface 

 smooth, whitish gray or brown, becoming 

 purplish with age; spores purplish brown. 



This puffball occurs commonly in the 

 eastern United States in meadows and 

 pastures where the common mushroom 

 may be expected to grow, but its excel- 

 lent qualities appear to be unknown to 

 most persons. It is the largest puffball 

 in this region except the giant puffi)all, 

 which is much rarer. It sometimes 

 orows in circles, and it has Ix'en known 



to be so abundant as to injure lawns se- 

 riously. 



The giant ])utfl)all may be readily 

 recognised by its large size, usually 

 al)Out the size of a man's head, and its 

 smooth, white api)earance. It occurs 

 infrequently in iields, pastures, or 

 woods throughout most of the United 

 States. 



Puff'balls arc the safest of all fungi 

 for the beginner, none of them being 

 poisonous; and they are at the same 

 time excellent .and easy to obtain, 

 feeing tender, they cook quickly and are 

 easily digested. They should as a rule 

 l)e cut open before cooking to see that 

 thev are not too old and that they are 

 really puff'balls. If they are white and 

 firm like cream cheese inside, showing 

 no yellow or brownish discoloration, 

 they are of the right age to use. If the 

 interior shows no special structures, but 

 is smooth and homogeneous, then one 

 may be sure he has a puffl)all. The 

 "egg" of the deadly amanita contains 

 the young cap and stem inside, which 

 are readily seen when the "Qgg" is cut ; 

 and the "egg" of the stinkhorn shows 

 the stem and a green mass inside sur- 

 rounded by a layer of jelly-like sub- 

 stance. 



Puffballs may be cooked alone in va- 

 rious ways, or used in stews and ome- 

 lets, and for stuffing roast fowls. When 

 used in omelets, they should be stewed 

 first. All kinds except the very small 

 one should first be peeled and cut into 

 slices or cubes, after which they may be 

 fried quickly in butter, or dipped in 

 beaten egg and fried like egg-plant, or 

 coojced in any of the Avays recommended 

 for the ordinary mushroom. The 

 smaller kinds are much inferior in fla- 

 vor to the larger ones and need a few 

 specimens of some good mushroom to 

 make them attractive. 



