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In the News...

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
Weather Report

Not exactly in the news but I had to laugh when I read the current long range weather forecast from the MetOffice:

Early indications for Winter 2008/9: Met Office
The Oracle of Delphi has spoken!
 
Re: In the News...Tuna under threat

Dolphin-friendly tuna may not be environmentally friendly - Telegraph
Noticed an organic-looking pot of peanut butter in Tesco yesterday, "Whole foods", which on close inspection included an unhealthy dose of heart-clogging palm oil (as does British chocolate & Co-op peanut butter).

EU bluefin tuna fishing ban for Mediterranean - Telegraph
"...the European Commission said that the end of the fishing season was being brought forward because of EU vessels' repeated failure to comply with the rules."

Tuna fishing ban for South Pacific zones - Telegraph
'"Cash-strapped South Pacific nations' "navies" rarely amount to more than a handful of coastal patrol boats, often donated second hand by Australia or New Zealand.

"How on earth are they going to get compliance?" said Anissa Lawrence, head of Oceanwatch Australia, a marine sustainability NGO. "It's a brilliant idea but enforcement will be a real challenge for these small countries."'

-- Torpedo boats?!

We like to blame the French & Spanish fishermen but what do our fleet get upto off Iceland & Norway?
UK fishing boat filmed dumping 5 tons of fish - Telegraph
 
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Interesting Mr x but I only collect a very few types of edible mushroom all of which are unmistakable. Some people I speak to, feel confident because they only collect what they believe to be, safe field mushrooms! Probably the most likely way to receive a dose of mushroom toxin is through the yellow stainer & guess what, they look just like the "safe" field mushroom!!
Anyway we are having a bumper season so far & I am collecting a daily supply of "penny buns" & or "Parasols"
These mushrooms really open up my seasonal cooking options & many of my friends look forward to being served Porcini pasta or cheese & basil stuffed parasol.
 

Shaggy Parasols and 'Penny Bun' Boletes - two great and very easily identifiable wild mushrooms. These are the only two I look for as I don't want to risk getting too ill. The beauty of the boletes is that although there are many different types not of them are deadly and due to the spongy spore carrier (instead of gills on regular mushrooms) are impossible to mistake - Foxy correct me if I am wrong but even the 'devils' bolete will not kill you if you ate it by accident! The others of this same family which are classed as inedible will not kill you but will generally not taste good or will give you a bad stomach upset. A good mushroom field guide should allow you to determine the edible boletes from the others.

The rule with all mushroom collecting is 'be sure' if in doubt don't stick it in your mouth. I have friends in France whose local pharmacist will do a detailed anlysis on any suspect fungi before they eat it. I am not that adventurous...
Now is the right time of year for foraging - I need a gap in the rain to get out...
 
Interesting James especially as I dont collect Shaggy Parasol (macrolepiota rhacodes) in fear of digestive upset, also know to cause skin rashes. I stick to the Parasol mushroom (macrolepiota procera).
There are several boletes that can give you a rough ride for a day or two, all have red pores but some people believe them to be edible after certain laborious cooking methods!
Here are some very safe mushrooms to collect
Giant puffball
Beefsteak
Parasol
Penny bun
That is four very easy to identify mushrooms for a beginner to collect.
 
Reactions: Mr. X
Hmm - I didn't get on with the Beefsteak - really does look like raw meat and tasted quite strongly of iron if I remember well. We took one off the base of an oak a few years ago to try it out.

The other one which we have and I think is easy to identify is the shaggy inkcap - quite nice with garlic and butter. I'll look up the parasol mushroom.
 
I think it is good to get a few books - the photos and diagrams can vary a bit, just as the fungi itself can vary a little depending on maturity and location.

There are alot of books but the two I use are: The River Cottage handbook to fungi and The Easy Edible Mushroom Guide.

I read the intro by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstool and he seems to have a shelf full of them...
 
I agree, the more cross references the better, I own more books than you could shake a stick at.
The one I recommend though is a Collins publication "How to identify edible mushrooms"
Mrx I can recommend guided mushroom foray as a great experience, I normally offer one or two each year in the new forest area but I couldn't find any customers this year witch is ironic really considering this is the best season for years!
 
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