Browse Mushrooms

Edible With Caution

Some mushrooms are edible only on conditions. This tier is the fine print of foraging, where how you prepare a mushroom matters as much as what it is.

Caution Edible with Caution

Requires correct preparation. Toxic raw or undercooked, never eat without following the preparation notes below.

Dense cluster of honey-brown Australian honey fungus with dark cap scales and ringed stems at a eucalyptus base

Australian Honey Fungus

Armillaria luteobubalina

Australian honey fungus forms dense autumn clusters with honey-brown scaled caps, cream-white spores…

Caution
A large bracket of chicken of the woods in overlapping shelves on an oak trunk, sulphur yellow margins grading to bright orange

Chicken of the Woods

Laetiporus sulphureus

Chicken of the woods is one of the easiest wild mushrooms to recognize and one of the easier ones to get…

Caution
White field mushrooms in short grazed pasture grass, one tipped over showing bright pink gills

Field Mushroom

Agaricus campestris

The field mushroom is the wild relative of the mushroom in your shopping, and it is identified by a sequence…

Caution
Yellow morel mushrooms with honeycomb caps on a spring forest floor

Morel

Morchella esculenta

A morel is a spring edible with a strict safety routine. The lengthwise hollow test comes before cleaning…

Caution
Young shaggy mane mushroom standing in mown lawn grass with a tall white cylindrical shaggy cap

Shaggy Mane

Coprinus comatus

The shaggy mane is the only common edible mushroom that destroys itself while you are deciding about it. It…

Caution
Shaggy parasol mushroom in leaf mould with a broad pale cap covered in coarse upturned brown scales

Shaggy Parasol

Chlorophyllum rhacodes

The shaggy parasol is a good edible mushroom with one test standing between it and a serious mistake, and the…

Caution
Slippery jack mushrooms in pine needle litter with glossy chestnut brown slimy caps

Slippery Jack

Suillus luteus

The slippery jack is named for the one part of it you throw away. The glutinous skin on the cap is what…

Caution
Blusher mushroom in beech leaf litter with a dull pinkish brown warty cap and hanging white ring

The Blusher

Amanita rubescens

The blusher is eaten across Europe and sits in the genus that kills people. An edible reputation does not…

Caution
Wood blewit mushroom standing in brown beech leaf litter with a soft lilac violet cap and thick violet stem

Wood Blewit

Lepista nuda

A lilac mushroom in leaf litter stops people walking, and that is the whole problem with the wood blewit. It…

Caution
Black morel mushroom with dark vertical ridges and a hollow pale stem in spring woodland leaf litter

Black Morel

Morchella angusticeps

Morchella angusticeps is the classic eastern North American black morel. Its conical cap has mostly vertical…

Caution
Young gray morel with pale ridges and dark gray pits on a short cream stem in spring leaf litter

Gray Morel

Morchella esculentoides

On this page, gray morel means the young gray form of the eastern yellow morel Morchella esculentoides. Color…

Caution
Half-free morel with a small pitted cap attached halfway down a long pale stem in spring woodland

Half-Free Morel

Morchella punctipes

The eastern half-free morel, Morchella punctipes, has a small pitted cap joined partway down a long hollow…

Caution
Wild velvet shank cluster with amber sticky caps, pale gills, and dark velvety ringless stems on a winter log

Velvet Shank

Flammulina velutipes

Velvet shank is a north-temperate, cold-season wood mushroom with a sticky amber cap, pale gills, and a…

Caution

Safe, but only with conditions

A caution rating means a species carries a catch. It may be toxic raw and safe cooked, or safe for most people but not all.

  • Some must be cooked thoroughly to break down irritants
  • Some cause reactions in certain people or with alcohol
  • Some are fine in small amounts but not in quantity

Read the profile, every time

Preparation requirements differ by species. Check the instructions for the exact mushroom you have identified.

Warning

Never treat a caution species like a plain edible. Skipping the preparation step is how a safe mushroom makes you ill.

Try new ones slowly

With any caution species, eat a small portion first, cooked as directed, and never pair a first try with alcohol.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does edible with caution mean?
That a species is safe only under conditions, such as thorough cooking, or that it disagrees with some people. The specific catch is listed on each profile.
How should I try a caution mushroom for the first time?
Prepare it exactly as the profile directs, usually by cooking it thoroughly, eat only a small portion, and avoid pairing a first try with alcohol.

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