NUN - GIANT puffball pics... just for you!

[YamaMama]

I was walking the dogs tonight, and decided to take a lap through my woods trail with them. They ran ahead and were growling at something. As I came around the corner I saw these two white orbs on the ground. What the heck? I got closer and it dawned on me that they were giant puffballs... I have never seen them THIS big before! The pictures are of the small one. John is going to have mushrooms in his eggs in the morning, I believe. LOL Or maybe a little egg w/his mushroom?

The bigger one is half again as large as this. I didn't want to carry it all the way back. LOL It also looked a little bit older/not as fresh.

[mxdirtdiva]

(((WOW!!))) "It's the Great White Mushroom Charlie Brown!" I didn't realize mushrooms grew so large, that is unreal. Who needs pumpkins, just carve your mushroom for Halloween, haha. It's edible too?? Let's us know how your breakfast turns out... mushrooms and eggs, YUM!!

(No wonder your cute little guy was barking, it's bigger than him, haha.)

[Worththewait15]

The mushrooms are cool. What's scary is the yard stick.....Allen's Funeral Home? Measure 'em by the yard there in MI?

[YamaMama]

The mushrooms are cool. What's scary is the yard stick.....Allen's Funeral Home? Measure 'em by the yard there in MI?

Yeah, for some reason, funeral homes around here think yard sticks are great freebie advertising. I perfer the one that gives out the chocolate mints... YUM!

[mxdirtdiva]

The mushrooms are cool. What's scary is the yard stick.....Allen's Funeral Home? Measure 'em by the yard there in MI?

Haahahaa...I did'nt see that! That's a bad sign YM, don't eat the mushrooms, they're poisonous.

[Plushpuppy]

ewwwwww, a funeral home that hands out chocolate mints?

I saw some of those puffballs alongside the road near my house one year. They really are like an alien weirdo thing!

I thought it was funny--the chicken legs on your rug look like they're coming from the puffball

[DRZCatastrophe]

..I thought it was funny--the chicken legs on your rug look like they're coming from the puffball

Oh my gosh I totally thought the same thing!

[YamaMama]

I thought it was funny--the chicken legs on your rug look like they're coming from the puffball

Yeah, look out, it's gonna get up and walk away!!! LOL

[YamaMama]

ewwwwww, a funeral home that hands out chocolate mints?

Don't knock it... they are GOOD! My mom fills her purse and pockets when she's there. LOL Her funeral is pre-planned through there, so you can bet she'll be taking some with her!

[Sun]

I cannot BELIEVE that is a mushroom! Does it have a stem and look the same as a regular mushroom underneath?

All I can say is WOW:jawdrop:

[YamaMama]

I cannot BELIEVE that is a mushroom! Does it have a stem and look the same as a regular mushroom underneath?

All I can say is WOW:jawdrop:

Puffballs do not have a stem or the ribs like a regular mushroom... they grow directly on the ground. They are edible (that's a lotta 'shroom). They can be found ranging from tiny (size of a dime or smaller) to the size of a beach ball. The flesh on this one is almost marshmallow consistency. The outer skin peeled off easily (which should be done since they should not be washed). The smaller ones we have found tended to be firmer. The whole interior dries out, and the skin turns to a papery consistency... a ball filled with trillions of spores. When stomped, they let out a 'puff' of spores. Thus the name 'puffball'.

[Sun]

I just got a mushroom education lol

That is truly amazing, have you cooked it up yet? Will you freeze some or toss what you dont use? Sheesh...that would be a big batch of mush soup for sure.

[YamaMama]

Hubby already sliced and diced. It was already starting to turn in the middle (flesh starting to turn a greenish-yellow), so only the outside edges that were still white were used. He fried the whole mess up (except for one slice he took up to the guy at the pizza place last night... he grew up around the corner) and ate what he could and stuck the rest in the fridge for probably later today (or maybe toss on his leftover pizza). It cooked down a LOT... from a large frying pan full, to a medium sized plate full. I don't quite know what to do with a puffball to keep it... whether drying or freezing work for this type 'shroom. It's said to be really good in eggs, so maybe it will be his breakfast.

[glasseye]

Good find! Sautee a 1/4" thick slab in butter with a bit of garlic.... very yummy. You can also pickle these mushrooms, search the inet for pickled mushroom recipes.

Enjoy!

[glasseye]

Hubby already sliced and diced. It was already starting to turn in the middle (flesh starting to turn a greenish-yellow), so only the outside edges that were still white were used. He fried the whole mess up (except for one slice he took up to the guy at the pizza place last night... he grew up around the corner) and ate what he could and stuck the rest in the fridge for probably later today (or maybe toss on his leftover pizza). It cooked down a LOT... from a large frying pan full, to a medium sized plate full. I don't quite know what to do with a puffball to keep it... whether drying or freezing work for this type 'shroom. It's said to be really good in eggs, so maybe it will be his breakfast.

With otyher types of mushrooms, I sautee them and then freeze them. Be sure to leave an ample amount of juice so that you have some to simmer off when you want to eat the. I'm quite sure this will work for puffballs too.

[Mrs Chickenhauler]

I've found quite a few of those in our yard (like 6 or 7) in different places. I didn't realize they were edible. It's amazing the things you can learn on TT. I'm not much of a mushroom fan though. We have lots of different types of mushrooms around our place. How can you tell if they're edible?

That thing is huge!! The dog doesn't look too happy to be posing with it.

[Plushpuppy]

I'd love to have someone teach me what shrooms are good to eat, we have tons here in the woods, so many kinds. HUb won't "let" me tho:D ooohhh I have stroganoff made with wild local shrooms(restarant, paid an arm and a leg), it was heavenly!!!!

[YamaMama]

I'd love to have someone teach me what shrooms are good to eat, we have tons here in the woods, so many kinds. HUb won't "let" me tho:D ooohhh I have stroganoff made with wild local shrooms(restarant, paid an arm and a leg), it was heavenly!!!!

Hit a bookstore and find a mushroom book (if it concentrates on local mushrooms, all the better). Hit the woods with the book in hand. You'll be a self-taught mushroom pro in no time. If you can find one w/recipe suggestions (great sauteed, best in stews and soups, etc.) all the better!

Mushroom books will warn you when there is a similar mushroom to the edible kind, and have photographs of both along with tips on how to tell them apart. You'll be a backwoods chef in no time!

[charlz]

As kids we used to have a blast with the dried out puffballs, they really put out a puff when stomped on.

Our high school biology teacher was a mushroom expert(*). We did a field trip to an old growth forest area in our valley to learn about mushrooms. There had to be 20-30 different kinds in just a couple of acres. Some were edible, some were poisonous. Some were bland, some were spicy, some were psychedelic. Some you could chew to taste but couldn't swallow It was pretty educational. I retained two things:

1)squirrels will pick mushrooms, take them up a tree and set them on a branch to dry for later eating

2)if you don't know what mushroom you are looking at, don't eat it, even if you are starving.

Puffballs I know to be safe... we used to get them growing in our lawn.

(*) You'd have to see a picture of this guy... wild, shoulder-length red hair, that 'crazy' look in his eyes, spent most of his life running around the woods or up and down the river..... you just knew he had a ganja farm out there somewhere

[iroc8210]

Thats something that crawls around in my nightmares! Mushrooms are that one food I truly can't stomach. The texture, the taste...I've never been able to eat them.