nice ... love puffers

Yum!

I have them in the yard,basketball size and bigger, I have a friend that keeps telling me that I have to eat one,he loves them.

I just like the way they look so I just leave them alone.

I've never eaten a puffball, what do they taste like? (only experience is popping mature ones for clouds of foul green smoke/haze)

What is it?

Okay. I Wikipedia'd. Mushroom. Grow fast. Poisonous when mature. Similar look to other poisonous mushrooms.

What do they taste like?

I googled but got different results - not poisonous if they are solid inside, and white. No gills.

Dcarch, I've never had a puffball, let alone a giant one, but they look delicious (and I love mushrooms anyway!). How amazing to find something wild growing like that and harvest it for dinner : )

I must say, you are killing me with your sous vide tenderloin and the giant sauteed mushrooms. I'm literally salivating. Literally. Gorgeous, delicious looking meal.

2Many, it's same answer. The pure white is supposed to be when they're young and safe. When they mature and the spores develop they're poisonous.

Oh, those are beautiful kingd. I've not seen so many at the same time. Lovely in nature.

Hard to describe flavor. Mild with a slight earthiness. Easily takes on any added flavor nicely. We prefer just simple fresh butter and a bit of sea salt. Sometimes lemon, fresh herbs. Fall harvest late tomato salad.

We had them in the same field every year but no longer take that hike/trail. Became too popular. Miss finding them. And planning a meal around them.

dbarron, I also only seem to find them when it's too late, and then they are stepped upon to release that "puff". I do like mushrooms, and I've eaten puffballs and found them acceptable. However, like morels, I'm not crazy for them like others are and so I let those who just love them have my share as they are such a limited "harvest"

The beef, on the other hand, well, I'd have to force dcarch to share that.

Annie

Sleevendog, That is exactly how the friend of mine describes it,he loves them.

Hmmm, I suspect I'd like them, but I've pretty much never seen any much bigger than a baseball here, and either I just miss them (likely) or they are a rare spawn which I only get every two years or so.

I'll just have to settle for the oyster mushrooms I am going to have tonight (possibly inspired by this thread).

Thank you all for commenting!

Science knows a lot about food and health, but still today we don't know a lot about food. Some studies say wine is good, many say it is not that good. Some say butter is good other say butter will kill you.

One thing I know, over the millions of years, our body has evolved to be healthy if you eat a huge varieties of food.

I like to try many different foods, for good taste and for good health.

I am happy that my garden has so many edibles to offer.

Those of you from other forums, come visit here the Cooking Forum. Eating, cooking, are something you do everyday, every month, and every year. Enjoy and be healthy.

dcarch

@Dcarch: Gorgeous meal presentation!

I would love to try one but I've never seen any larger than 1" in diameter. You're killing me, Kingd! .... Just leaving those shrooms sitting there! Almost as bad as a gent I was talking to on a forum who has morels growing in his yard -- he runs them over with the lawn mower.

As far as puffball being poisonous when "ripe", don't see that as a big deal. Who would want to eat them at the "puff" stage to begin with?

Next year, I am going to try one and see what it’s like, Speaking of morels, I had some growing in my front yard. Problem was we have a bike path near it and when I went back out to get them,they were gone.:(

Plllog - I am a wimpy wild mushroom eater. I trust a few cautious harvesters in my life. As far as puffballs though there is really no danger of mixing up a mature one from a young one. A bit like eating the contents of my vacuum bag - spore dust. They are fun to break open though.

D’arch - that meal looks absolutely fabulous all the way around.

Thank you Paul and Agmss15. You are very kind.

There are many mushrooms that appear in my garden, but I only eat those which don't have poisonous lookalikes,and shiitakes that I grow on logs.

dcarch