Giant Puffballs

[Lynan]

I am envious of you North Americans about now.
It must be close to the time when you can get close to nature, and sometimes just outside your door, and go searching for giant puffballs.
( Calvatia Gigantea)

I used to eat them every year in Italy but now that I am in a city back in New Zealand, I very rarely see them.

I normally did the flour, egg, breadcrumb thing with thick slices, but have any of you other idea's?

 

[ChefScotty]

They make a rockin crispy 'strudel' with heirloom tomatoes, home made mozarella and a balsamic basil sauce. 'Noodley' things, like lasagna with some game - some cervena venison would be perfect for you. And of course a foie and puffball brioche sammich with the mushie cooked in that nasty duck fat stuff

It's been AWESOME to have the time to hit all the local markets this year but since it's winter down there I'll spare you the drool.

 

[letscook]

I haven't thought of them in years. Im from the fingerlakes in New york and we always found them when we were kids. We did the same things, Flour - egg- flour- fry them or we did the breadcrumbs. Ill have to look this year for them. Thanks for the memory.

 

[AllenOK]

My other half, PeppA, and her mother are big into puffballs. I'm not sure how they fried them. I've tried a couple slices, and wasn't impressed.

I actually found about a dozen chantarelles out in the woods last weekend. I picked two, and brought them in to show my sous chef, as I wasn't totally sure of what they were. I should have taken some pictures.

I did go back into the woods a few days ago, looking for some, and didn't find any. I found some other mushrooms, and they all had bite marks on them. Looks like the deer are getting hungry.

 

[Barb L.]

Never heard of puffballs - can you find them in Michigan ? I have a mushroom in my yard now - never know whats edible -it started out round and grew fast into a 4 inch flatesh circle. Hmmm ?

 

[vagriller]

You mean those things that belch a big puff of green smoke when you step on them? I didn't even know you could eat them!

 

[BreezyCooking]

Just be very careful out there guys. There are many many toxic mushrooms that resemble an edible puffball when young.

Unless you're an expert, or have access to an expert, don't ever taste-experiment funghi you've harvested yourself. You could easily be setting yourself up for anything from a stomach upset, to kidney/liver failure, to a painful death. And all because you decided to taste a mushroom you found growing in your yard that someone without proper knowledge or direct access to that mushroom for proper identification told you was safe to eat.

 

[Barb L.]

No, I would never eat anything Iam not sure of -- in fact had portabella's on the grill the other night-my 9yr. old GS asked his Mom if this was the mushroom from Grandma's yard-(I had told him it was poisonus not to touch !! ) lol Sweet boy !

 

[bbaruu]

Mmmmmm Gooood!

I just picked three, one per grocery bag. I left the other 1 1/2 footers there for someone else. I guess fritters tonight and some duxelles for later. I truly am sorry about your luck.

I am envious of you North Americans about now.
It must be close to the time when you can get close to nature, and sometimes just outside your door, and go searching for giant puffballs.
( Calvatia Gigantea)

I used to eat them every year in Italy but now that I am in a city back in New Zealand, I very rarely see them.

I normally did the flour, egg, breadcrumb thing with thick slices, but have any of you other idea's?

 

[bbaruu]

Big ones (Calvatia), smaller ones (Lycoperdon), poisonous ones (Scleroderma), fatal look-alikes (immature Amanitas) -- grab yourself the Audubon Field Guide to Mushrooms if you're curious and read it thoroughly before you act on any of that curiosity. The book covers our shared geography nicely (Ontario -- me and Michigan -- you). What you should really go look for is Morels in the Spring. Huge in Michigan and here. But get the Guide first.

advice from a verrry experienced mushroomer (and living).

Never heard of puffballs - can you find them in Michigan ? I have a mushroom in my yard now - never know whats edible -it started out round and grew fast into a 4 inch flatesh circle. Hmmm ?

 

[bbaruu]

I've found them to be pretty sloppy -- there is no texture once the rind is peeled, just the undifferentiated interior spore mass. I'm going to try sauteeing them with Panko and parsley dip after the flour and egg dip stages -- attempt to crisp/firm them up.

 

[Hoot]

I love me some mushrooms, but I just ain't got the nerve (nor the education) to eat the ones in the yard.

 

[Addie]

So I take it that Puff Balls are mushrooms.

 

[Zhizara]

Who knows? OP was in 2006!

 

[bbaruu]

So I take it that Puff Balls are mushrooms.

Yup. BTW The successive dips of Flour (flavoured with poultry seasoning and salt), then beaten egg thinned with milk, then Panko crumbs makes a fine fritter out of 1/2" sliced Giant Puffball. Very tasty.

 

[CWS4322]

Addie--when a child, those dried mushrooms you would step on and would spray a "dust" of spores, those were puffballs. I am on my way over to a friend's house to snag a Giant Puffball...steak, butter sauteed puffball, green pepper, tomatoes...I'm in heaven!

 

[Kylie1969]

So I take it that Puff Balls are mushrooms.

Addie, I did not know that either

 

[sparrowgrass]

Puffballs remind me of tofu--not much flavor, need lots of help to be tasty. More of a filler than anything else. Giant puffballs are pretty unmistakeable, and a good mushroom for beginners. They are large, round white mushrooms--range in size from a baseball to a Volkswagen (well, maybe a basketball)--and are solid white inside. If they have started to turn dark in the middle, they are past eating, and if you find a small one, be sure that it is homogenous inside--with no sign of stem or gills. The inside of the puffball looks like marshmallow. Round mushrooms with gills or stem inside could be poisonous.

When they mature, they turn dark and dry up, and that is when you can squeeze them and make the spores puff out. Long ago, it was rumored that if you collected enough of those spores, you could become invisible! (The secret there is the 'enough' part.) Seems like I remember that they are quite flammable, and were used in fireworks. Maybe you disappear in a puff of smoke?

 

[CWS4322]

Puffballs remind me of tofu--not much flavor, need lots of help to be tasty. More of a filler than anything else. Giant puffballs are pretty unmistakeable, and a good mushroom for beginners. They are large, round white mushrooms--range in size from a baseball to a Volkswagen (well, maybe a basketball)--and are solid white inside. If they have started to turn dark in the middle, they are past eating, and if you find a small one, be sure that it is homogenous inside--with no sign of stem or gills. The inside of the puffball looks like marshmallow. Round mushrooms with gills or stem inside could be poisonous.

When they mature, they turn dark and dry up, and that is when you can squeeze them and make the spores puff out. Long ago, it was rumored that if you collected enough of those spores, you could become invisible! (The secret there is the 'enough' part.) Seems like I remember that they are quite flammable, and were used in fireworks. Maybe you disappear in a puff of smoke?

When they are past their prime, they are no longer white and creamy inside. Unfortunately, although the size of a basketball and firm on the outside, it was not creamy white on the inside. Left it where it was. Maybe next fall. Sigh.

 

[CharlieD]

I remeber them as a kid, but do not see them here. Maybe have to venture into woods or something.