Chief Longwind Of The North
Certified/Certifiable
True puffballs have no stem, and can range in size from a glass marble size to several feet in diameter. The are one solid mass of mushroom with no gilles or pores. Both the Destroying angel, and the Death-cap when it first sprouts from the ground can resemble a puffball. When picked though, there is a discernible stem starting from the cap There is more information about this family of mushrooms here: Amanitas: From Deadly to Delicious | The Mushroom Forager.
I agree that puffballs have very little flavor, like a yellow-sulpher mushroom (looks like a bright yellow shelf growing from the side of a tree. Both require other flavors make them taste good as they are bland. But both have a good mushroom texture and work well in things like stir-fries, as long as there is meat present.
I have picked puffballs, but don't so much any more. There are better tasting mushrooms to be had. I just picked about 2 pounds worth of field mushrooms (white to cream, to light brown cap, with pink gills that go from pink, to milk chocolate, to dark chocolate in color as they age. They are considered choice and delicious. I agree with that. I'll also start looking for shaggy miens when the weather starts to cool a bit. Theyr' part of the inky-cap mushrooms and are also wonderful tasting, when picked and cooked at the right stage.
Go to the library, and look about online for wild-edible mushrooms for your geographical area. There is a wealth of info out there, with pictures.
Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind fo the North
I agree that puffballs have very little flavor, like a yellow-sulpher mushroom (looks like a bright yellow shelf growing from the side of a tree. Both require other flavors make them taste good as they are bland. But both have a good mushroom texture and work well in things like stir-fries, as long as there is meat present.
I have picked puffballs, but don't so much any more. There are better tasting mushrooms to be had. I just picked about 2 pounds worth of field mushrooms (white to cream, to light brown cap, with pink gills that go from pink, to milk chocolate, to dark chocolate in color as they age. They are considered choice and delicious. I agree with that. I'll also start looking for shaggy miens when the weather starts to cool a bit. Theyr' part of the inky-cap mushrooms and are also wonderful tasting, when picked and cooked at the right stage.
Go to the library, and look about online for wild-edible mushrooms for your geographical area. There is a wealth of info out there, with pictures.
Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind fo the North
