Description
Is the common ink cap mushroom poisonous?
Ink cap mushroom cause severe poisoning if consumed with alcohol 48 hours before eating the mushroom. Even applying an alcohol-based aftershave after eating can cause a reaction. It was still listed as edible in some guidebooks if alcohol was avoided.
What is the ink cap mushroom used for?
Inkcap (genus Coprinus), any member of a group of about 350 species of cosmopolitan fungi belonging to the order Agaricales (phylum Basidiomycota, kingdom Fungi) named for the disintegration of the fungus cap into an ink-like liquid after the spore discharge. The ink-like liquid has been used for writing.
Are ink caps tasty?
These edible mushrooms are endemic to Europe and North America, where people can harvest them in environments close to buried wood, rotting stumps, and roadsides. Their taste ranges from mild to bitter, with a metallic odor and an often cheese-like texture.
What Are Inky Cap Mushrooms?
The bell-shaped fungus Coprinopsis atramentaria goes by more common names, including tippler’s bane, inky cap, or common ink cap mushroom. Ink cap mushrooms are a close relative of Coprinopsis comatus, also known as the lawyer’s wig, the shaggy ink cap, or the shaggy mane mushroom.
These edible mushrooms are endemic to Europe and North America, where people can harvest them in environments near buried wood, rotten stumps, and roadsides. Their taste ranges from mild to bitter, with a metallic smell and an often cheese-like texture.
Are Inky Cap Mushrooms Edible?
Inky cap mushrooms are edible and can make a nutrient-dense survival food in a pinch. The average shelf life of these fungi is approximately twenty-four hours, so you might opt for longer-lasting mushroom varieties if you require sustenance. Adult caps break down through autodigestion, meaning foraged caps quickly transform into an ink-like consistency if you do not prepare them within the day.
Avoid combining inky cap mushrooms with alcohol consumption, which causes a chemical reaction that turns these typically safe fungi into poisonous mushrooms.
3 Identifying Features of Inky Cap Mushrooms
Learn these common physical characteristics of edible inky cap mushrooms to confirm you have foraged edible mushrooms and avoid consuming any dangerous look-alikes:
- 1. Dark spore print: Fungi in the Psathyrellaceae wild mushroom family produce a black liquid during autodigestion. A hydrolytic enzyme breaks down the mushroom’s body, and this black goo, or spore print, carries the male reproductive seeds. As the mushroom undergoes this liquefaction process, it feeds new, growing mushrooms.
- 2. Hollow stipe: A long, thin, hollow stipe, or stem, holds each inky mushroom cap vertically.
- 3. Lightly colored toadstools: Like Agaricus bisporus mushrooms, inky cap mushrooms have large, pale, fruiting bodies or caps with a hairy or scaly texture.
How to Prepare Inky Cap Mushrooms for Consumption
Consider these techniques to prepare the Coprinellus micaceus species and other inky cap mushrooms to supplement your nutrition in a survival scenario:
- Brew an inky cap mushroom tea. Soak the mushrooms in hot water to make a drink that can help you regulate your blood glucose levels since inky cap mushrooms contain a natural compound that mimics the effects of insulin. Also, drinking a warm beverage can help you relax and lessen the release of stress hormones. This, in turn, can help you sleep better and avoid fatigue in the wilderness.
- Eat inky cap mushrooms raw. If you are on the move and unable to set up camp, you can eat these edible mushrooms as you travel. Inky cap mushrooms can provide your body with a few grams of protein for sustenance, plus carbohydrates for quick energy while you work.
- Fry inky cap mushrooms in a pan. Frying inky mushroom caps can add substance to a foraged salad or improve the nutritional value of a small-game meat dish in the wild. You might wish to boil or remove any mushroom sections that have started to autodigest, as these broken-down areas can produce a disagreeable smell, flavor, and texture.
