How to collect mushrooms?

To be sure to collect the mushrooms that can be eaten, we have to know these quite well. There are several helping tools:

1. Have a good book. Or better, have several books, as in each book the mushrooms are picted out differently.
2. Have some basic knowledge about mushrooms.
3. Have your mushrooms checked before eating these.
4. Have some ideas for cooking these.

1. The books
Having several books is often the best way for finding out what mushroom you've found. I use about three books (French and German):

• Champignons comestibles et vénéneux, A. Maublanc, Editions Lechevalier, 1995. Probably one of the better books that exist in French. All pictures are drawn. Good descriptions and pictures.
• Le grand livre des champignons, Editions Atlas, 1996. A big A4 format book. Good drawn pictures, bad descriptions.
• Pilze, BLV Dreipunkt-Buch, 1999. Small format, very handy to put into the pocket. Photographies (not as good as drawings) and short texts.

If you know further books, you are welcome to answer this post.


2. Basic knowledge
First of all, you need to know how to collect mushrooms:

• Don't simply pick up the mushroom you've chosen, but cut its stem (or stipe). By cutting, the roots will remain in the soil and other mushrooms will grow again.
• Don't cut the mushrooms you are not sure about.
• Don't cut too old mushrooms, as these won't be good for eating.

In several regions, there are restrictions on how and when mushrooms can be collected:

• Canton of Bern: max 2 kg per person, don't collect from 1st to 7th of each month.
• Canton of Vaud: no restriction (as far as I know).

3. Check your mushrooms
In nearly every bigger city in Switzerland, it is possible to check the collected mushrooms at specific places. Use that opportunity instead of getting intoxicated!


4. Any cooking ideas?
Here also, you can find some good books. Or even some good ideas on the web. So let's try it out and... Enjoy!