Good hunt, bagged 'shrooms, now what?

[StupidBird]

After nearly tripping over a large puffball on the way to the coop this morning, I went mushroom hunting and have about a 5 gal bucket or more of large delicious puffballs.
Anybody know what to do with them? We're stuffing ourselves silly with them sliced in garlic and olive oil and browned up nice. But there's like twenty pounds still. I never had that many before.

Slice and dry? Freeze? Any ideas?

 

[SproutGirl]

Dry them and mail them to me!

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

how about marinate and can? I don't know how, but it should be easy to look up . . . I love marinated mushrooms!

 

[Funky Feathers]

Send them to ME!!!! Hurry, while the're still fresh. PM me for my shipping address. I will pay for shipping of course.

 

[Iowa Roo Mom]

I have never heard of such a thing. Puffy mushrooms? We have morrells around here- the season is early spring. What do these "puffy mushrooms" look like? Can you post a picture?

 

[Imp]

Here's a pix, although I've never seen them this big personally. Stupidbird- How big were yours? I've heard they taste like tofu, true?

Imp-I gotta say before anyone runs out and starts picking and eating things that look like this. Puffballs and baby "Deadly Aminita' mushrooms look almost identical. It would likely be your last mistake. Unless you know what you are doing- please no toadstool tasting.

 

[GaNewChick]

That pic makes the imagination run wild ~

 

[Iowa Roo Mom]

Eh- no worries. Where I come from we call those toadstools and the ONLY mushroms we eat are morell. Very distinctive and do not resemble a toadstool. But, for those of you who enjoy them- bon a'petite!

 

[journey11]

Congrats on your find, StupidBird! Should be a good year for them.

Here's a pic of one my kid sis and I found a couple years ago. Doesn't look very appetizing does it? We called it the "buttshroom". Ha.

I quartered this one. Cooked part of it that day in roast venison. Super good. The rest I cubed, lightly sauted, and vacuum sealed to freeze. These are so much firmer fleshed than most other mushrooms, so they can tolerate freezing. But really, dehydrating is the best way to go. They are good to flavor gravy with too!

Puffballs are one of the few mushrooms that are very do-able for a beginner. As long as they are bigger than say, a cantelope, there is no mistaking them. There is a smaller mushroom that looks just like them though that IS poisonous, so don't mess with any small ones. Wait to see if they get bigger. (Disclaimer--if you are new to mushroom hunting, be sure to confirm your find with a professional (try your extension service or a college mycologist).

 

[Iowa Roo Mom]

Wow. There are no words to describe this one. Only...