RE: Foraging in Early Spring
Yes, absolutely @bucksforaging15 ...
"Though if you are not totally 100% confident in the ID of a mushroom, you should never pick it!"
... that is why we have limited our "adventures" to the King Boletes. Prior to even doing that, I did a little research on the consequences. As I told my wife, "The good news is you seldom die, if you chose a 'bad' one. The bad news is, you can permanently damage your liver ..."
Even with the King Boletes, we have found "cousins" which, when cut open, turn a darkish purple color and are definitely to be avoided. They are remarkably similar, which is a little sobering about the chances of picking a bad one. From what I have read, even of these, they do not harm you. They just really don't taste good at all ...
Somewhere around, I have pictures of those times. Perhaps I'll write a post about it. Just need the time, which is always a challenge ... 😊
I do the exact same! just this last fall, I came across two perfect young specimens of King Boletes which I took home. After they were home, I spent at least another hour or so looking through all the potential look-a-likes, even the ones which didn't really look like the King Boletes at all! Just to be sure. It never hurts to be extra safe! I look forward to reading your post!