Puffballs

One of the strangest fungi I've ever seen is the giant puffball. Until last fall I had never seen one before, but now they seem to be growing throughout our wooded neighborhood.

I tried to use Dexter to give the thing some scale, but it didn't really work. This particular puffball was about 12" across, like most in our neighborhood.

I did a little reading on the web, and I guess they are edible. However, I'm just nervous enough about eating wild mushrooms that I think I'll pass.

Comments

[blackswamp_girl (Kim)]

Wow! Seeing the first picture, I thought, "Eh, looks like a regular mushroom." With Dexter posing next to it, you really get the effect of its size! I don't think I could eat it, either. :)

[Talbin]

And even the picture with Dexter doesn't do it justice - it's at least as wide as the dog is from ears to snout. I saw one under a neighbor's porch that is probably 16" wide - or wider! As for eating it . . . any fungus that gets that big just isn't meant for human consumption.

[pascal]

I've had them sauteed in butter before - tasted like warm, moist packing foam with butter. Before they ripen, you can slice them like bread and sautee/fry them if you're daring.

Randomly searching blogs, I found yours via Sand Creek Almanac. Greetings. :)

[Deb]

I have a cat named Puffball. He's white and just about as round as one of those!

[Talbin]

Pascal: Welcome! From your description, it doesn't sound like I'll be cooking any puffballs in the near (or probably far) future).

Deb: Puffball sounds pretty darn cute!

[Jon]

you folks do not know what your missing.

or for that matter what you are talking about.

Cut the giant puffball off at the base and bring it into the local coop, natural food store.

Someone can surely id the bugger, put you at ease and give advise on how to prepare it.

bottom line, if its bigger than a softball, white in the middle, soft like tofu
ITs a giant puffball and tasty

[Lorika]

I got a puffball from my Grandpa's farm a few years ago, and tried to sautee it in olive oil. It was so spongey though, that it just kept soaking up the oil and in the end did have the texture of maybe packing peanuts? And no noticeable flavor. I guess I just didn't know how to prepare it.

[Talbin]

Jon: I'm pretty sure they're puffballs, but I just don't have a huge urge to try them. Now if they were morels . . . .

Lorika: It sounds like your experience is a lot like what I read - they essentially are a lot like tofu, which also sponges (is that a verb?) up whatever it's cooked with. The texture, however, sounds pretty gross.