Colorado dentist Mark Moynier practices at BrightNow! Dental in Thornton. In this capacity, he performs a wide range of dental procedures, including whitening teeth and fitting dentures. Outside of work, Mark Moynier enjoys mushroom hunting, which has become a popular activity for people who love the outdoors and enjoy exploring.
Here are several things new mushroom hunters should remember:
- Start easy. There are several edible varieties that are easily identified in the field because of their unique appearance or features.
- Be patient. Hunting for mushrooms can take time, so patience is a necessary skill for all mushroom hunters. Cutting corners can lead to the incorrect identification of mushrooms. Once you have mastered the easiest identified species, study a new variety native to your area and carry a note card with all of its defining features before setting off to hunt.
- Check for tree types. Many mushrooms grow on or near specific varieties of trees. For example, morel mushrooms are fond of apple and elm trees. Because of this, you should start by looking for certain tree types. When you find one of the trees mushrooms like, start looking for mushrooms, which may grow up to 100 yards from their preferred trees.
- Triple-check identification. Properly identifying mushrooms is vitally important for safety reasons. Instead of relying on one source, always use multiple sources to identify mushrooms. Do not consume a mushroom with any features that contradict the description of an edible species.
- When in doubt, there is no doubt. So, you've hiked all day and you are rightfully proud of your haul. While you may have identified all of the edible varieties correctly, older mushrooms may have too many worms to be salvageable or become bitter and inedible. So, if you're not sure, just throw them out. It's not worth ruin a carefully prepared dinner to find out the hard way.
