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There are dozens of species of puffballs (Lycoperdaceae spp.) in Ontario alone. The pear shaped puffball (Apioperdon pyriforme syn. Lycoperdon pyriforme) pictured below is the most common. Fairly common is the widely sought after giant puffball (Calvatia gigantea). And pictured in the header image as well as furthur below, common puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum) is the third most likely puffball to be spotted around Ontario.
The ever popular giant puffball tends to grow in meadows, pasture settings and just inside of woodlands. So it’s no wonder I haven’t found one in our mostly treed acres. I see the two smaller aforementioned puffballs often, in mixed woods. These tend to be found near conifers.
Puffballs can thrive after a good rainfall. And sometimes they grow in a “fairy ring”.
There are also lookalikes you mustn’t consume, such as young agarics and deadly amanitas. A good rule of thumb in mushroom foraging is to know the deathly, destroying, lethal mushrooms in your area better than and before dabbling in the safe to forage. The same goes for plants.
Edible Uses of Puffballs
The giant puffball wins the culinary puffball popularity contest. It’s a round, typically up to basketball sized white trophy of mushrooms foragers. (The world record is more than a few feet in diameter – imagine!) Despite the size competition out there, the “giants” on the smaller side are more likely to be good to eat. You only have a small window of edibility as they fruit quickly! You can check a larger one to see if it’s still white inside, without plucking it up, so it’ll continue to mature and spread its spores. The amount of spores it’ll release can be in the trillions.
The puffball is also identifiable by its sparse root like connection to the soil, and having no stipe or gills inside. It’s entirely white inside when edible. Yellow or darker inside means you’ve missed edibility. You want it young, firm, pure white, odorless and crawly free. Look carefully, some worms will blend right in!
Peel the tougher skin and slice it fresh to about a centimeter. Frying is a popular way to prepare it. Salt to taste. You can pack these prepared puffballs into a jar and freeze them.
It may be one to not use so much in wet dishes like soups, but there are lots of popular puffball recipes.. one idea is to use it as a pizza crust.
The common puffball comes next in culinary desirability. And the pear shaped is also edible. Most puffballs are edible! The North American Mushrooms (affiliate link) field guide by Falconguide has puffballs listed by edibility and inedibility, with pictures. It helpfully describes the desirability of each species too.
Some say these mushrooms are overrated. The texture is like a marshmallow. The taste is a somewhat bland mushroom-y.
Most puffballs are safe, but of course be careful to identify fungi correctly.
Alternative Uses of Puffballs
Apparently, the common puffball was used to smoke honey bees in rural America. Is anyone using this method now?
Growing Lycoperdaceae SPP.
Puffballs are hard to grow! But lately I’ve heard rumors of someone managing to grow a similarly difficult popular mushroom: morels. There’s hope!
For the adventurous there are processes you can try to grow puffballs. There are guides online for babying the spores in distilled water with some spore food, as well as direct sowing of the spores. I didn’t find any guides that struck me as super likely to produce puffballs. Maybe you’ll end up successful and write the ultimate puffball growing guide?
WARNINGS
There are deadly lookalikes.
And the Usual Cautions:
1) Most medicinal herbs, if edible, are meant to be eaten in moderation, even sparingly. Some require extra preparation. Tannins are toxic if consumed in excess. Before taking any new supplements, you should consult with a healthcare professional.
2) People can be allergic or sensitive to nearly any plant; try new herbs one at a time at your own risk. For instance, saponins commonly cause stomach upset.
3) For serious medicinal use, I must recommend receiving a diagnosis and working with a reputed health care provider. I generally do not post specific treatments and dosages because I think that is best between you and your health care provider, and ideally monitored.
4) Anyone pregnant, nursing, or taking prescription drugs should talk to a health care professional before adding new food items to their diet.
5) Many plants have look-a-likes, and sometimes they are poisonous.
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REFERENCES
North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi
The Scout’s Guide to Wild Edibles: Learn How To Forage, Prepare & Eat 40 Wild Foods
How Indians Use Wild Plants for Food, Medicine & Crafts (Native American)
The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants
Stalking The Wild Asparagus (Field Guide Edition).
The Forager’s Calendar: A Seasonal Guide to Nature’s Wild Harvests