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bref · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 136 Location: South Dublin

Found first giant puffballs today. 2 tennis ball sized ones about a quarter pound each, 2 larger ones at about a pound each and 1 about 2 pounds. I was feckin delighted.

dara · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 186 Location: Mayo

I've found a good few under some pines (not sure what they are).
I know you can eat them but can you give me a steer as to when to eat them and how best to go about them? Oh - and can you eat all varieties - if you're not sure I'll try them out on the wife first.
Thanks d.

blowin · Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 1:44 am Post subject:

You lucky man , bref ! One of the tastiest wild fungi IMHO . Still haven't found any around here .
Dara - several species of puffball are edible and good but can be confused with the common Earthball , which isn't ! The giant puffball normally grows in or on the edge of open meadow , not under trees . It has a very smooth white skin . If there are greyish patches and/or cracks on the surface it is probably something which the books describe as poisonous but is unlikely to kill you . ( Might make you spend a day or two on the toilet wishing you were dead tho' ! ) .
If in doubt leave them to grow a bit . If they get bigger than 6" across they are almost certainly the good ones . The bad don't reach that size .

dara · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 186 Location: Mayo

Thanks Blowin, these are under trees and they aren't that big so maybe best left alone...

MrsL · Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 12:39 am Post subject:

OH came back puffball-less this morning, much to my disgust! Nothing yet in our usual hunting ground.
Best before they get too big and start to yellow; fry in pig fat for breakfast.
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bref · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 136 Location: South Dublin

Sorry for not getting back to you Dara, but of course Blowin covered everything. I have checked again around the same spot, as I left 1 marble sized puffball and one golfball sized one to get bigger. I am thinking that we are requiring a shower of rain to get things going again. The 2 small ones are still the same size as when I left them....

blowin · Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 11:55 pm Post subject:

Perhaps the other thing to mention is that even if you have the good ones you need to catch them before the spores start to mature and discolour inside the ball . It needs to be pure white throughout . Unfortunately I am not aware of any way of telling maturity from the outside !

MrsL · Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 8:46 am Post subject:

They'll start to feel a bit spongy on the outside when pressed, rather than good and firm.

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