The message
from echinosum contains these words:

The stories suggested that they had eaten some rare Cortinarius spp as
a mistake for chanterelles. As an expert said, it is a very odd mistake
to make. So they may have picked fungi often, but apparently without
knowing very much about what they were doing.

I never eat any Cortinarius - there are too many poisonous ones in that
genus, and sometimes it's difficult to tell which is what.

Any even relatively competent mushroom collector can't mistake a
Cortinarius for a Cantharellus whether a Chanterelle - Cantharellus
infundibuliformis (French - which is the correct usage), or a Girolle -
Cantharellus cibarius - which in Britain is wrongly called a
Chanterelle.

Cortinarius specioissimus is roughly 'chanterelle' colour, and is
deadly. It is also very rare, and I know of ony one incidence of it
being found here (FSVO here - in Scotland, actually.) I only know one
edible cortinarius, and know of only two. One I wouldn't be able to
identify positively, and the other I avoid.

Given the known risks in mushroom collecting, it would be an unusual
person who thought to carry it out without the basics of being able to
distinguish what they are collecting from known poisonous species of
some similarity. For example, if we are picking mushrooms, we need to
know how not to pick death caps in error.

It is very difficult to pick a death-cap in error - the gills are dead
white, and the cap from olive green to (washed-out specimen) yellowish.
Spring Amanita and the destroying angel, however, have white caps.

Possibly the worst killer is the old wives' tale that edible mushrooms
peel. The death-cap, destroying angel and spring amanita all peel.

TAAAW, no mushroom blackens silver. (eggs do, though...)

Likewise, with chanterelles,
we need to know enough so as not to pick false chanterelles;

False chanterelles are generally edible, BUT in some people they can
cause hallucinations.

but a
Cortinarius would be even less like a chanterelle than a false
chanterelle. Interestingly, they did discover that hard-to-find piece
of information, that the particular rare Cortinarius, although very
poisonous, is very tasty. Death caps are also very tasty: we know this
because they are fairly common and occasionally masquerade as field
mushrooms, so are the most commonly eaten fatal species.

Well, probably destroying angels, but this is because of the 'peeling'
myth in a lot of cases, and maybe in others, their being eaten in the
'button' stage.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
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The message
from Granity contains these words:

I don't see how one mistakes them for chanterelles

Similar colour. Must be allright innit.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
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The message
from Sacha contains these words:

I don't know more than I've read in the papers but it did say the family had
been mushroom gathering for years. It just throws a light on its dangers,
IMO.

There's mushroom-gathering and mushroom-gathering, though.

In fact, the chances are that you could eat every mushroom you find for
years without coming to grief. Some hit you cumulatively (Paxillus
involutus) and some get to work immediately (Russula emetica, Entomala
lividum) often with no very serious result.

The poisonous Amanitas however, generally wait for up to twelve hours
before pouncing, by which time the active alkaloids are well-absorbed.
It can take up to a week for a death-cap victim to die, and apart from a
short period of remission in the first or second day, that period in
agony.

Given the known risks in mushroom collecting, it would be an unusual
person who thought to carry it out without the basics of being able to
distinguish what they are collecting from known poisonous species of
some similarity. For example, if we are picking mushrooms, we need to
know how not to pick death caps in error. Likewise, with chanterelles,
we need to know enough so as not to pick false chanterelles; but a
Cortinarius would be even less like a chanterelle than a false
chanterelle. Interestingly, they did discover that hard-to-find piece
of information, that the particular rare Cortinarius, although very
poisonous, is very tasty. Death caps are also very tasty: we know this
because they are fairly common and occasionally masquerade as field
mushrooms, so are the most commonly eaten fatal species.


One article I read remarked on the similarity between horse mushrooms and
another very similar one which is dangerous and says that even experienced
people sometimes mistake the two. I have no experience of any of these, so
I really can't comment.

I can eat them. One person in ten (approximately) can't.

They're not dangerous, but can make you quite sick.

Both the poisonous ones (Agaricus xanthoderma -yellow-staining mushroom
- and A. pilatianus) are easily identifiable because they smell strongly
of carbolic, and in the younger specimens, the base of the stipe colours
bright yellow IMMEDIATELY on cutting. Both stain yellow strongly where
bruised.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
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The message
from "Christina Websell" contains
these words:

Maybe it's a little late to eat the ground elder next door then or should I
cut it down to get new shoots? I don't think it's flowered. The
house has
been redeveloped into a bigger one, with only 30 metres of garden -
the rest
of the original half acre is being sat on by the person who bought the lot
when my neighbour died and then sold the delapidated house with just the 30
metres. So I can just hop over the fence and get the ground elder,
redcurrants, apples and pears, all going to waste if I don't. I only have
damsons and plums.

Cut them down and young shoots will appear very quickly.

I am not against wild food. Chickweed is quite good in salads and very
young dandelion leaves. I think we should all try them. There are an
amazing amount of plants that grow in the countryside that we can eat
without buying lettuce from the supermarket.

I found some lamb's lettuce growing locally...

How lucky you are.

Not yet a mouthful, though.

Be careful with dandelion leaves: I wouldn't recommend too many for
dinner - as opposed to lunch.

It's not (also) called '****-a-bed' for nothing...

LOL! I know dandelion has diuretic effects so I only throw a few small
leaves into a salad.

Wise

Back to ground elder. Should I just eat the leaves, i.e. remove the stems,
or not? I'm not going to boil it up and eat it "as it is" I really don't
trust that aroma, as you call it, I call it a smell ;-) I will spice it to
within an inch of its life with garam masala et al and let you know if I
like it.
It's a great idea, hate the ground elder in your garden? Eat it then!

Just pull it and cook it, stem and all, like spinach.

Try some before smothering it with strong flavours - it's really not at
all unpleasant by itself.

Remember, it is an introduced plant - the Romans brought it, and most
monastries and well-off people cultivated it. You can usually reckon
that where it grows there is or has been either a religious
establishment or something like a palace or a manor house.

In our case, probably the manor house that Cromwell levelled.




--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

On 8/9/08 20:53, in article ,
"Rusty Hinge 2" wrote:

The message
from echinosum contains these words:

The stories suggested that they had eaten some rare Cortinarius spp as
a mistake for chanterelles. As an expert said, it is a very odd mistake
to make. So they may have picked fungi often, but apparently without
knowing very much about what they were doing.

I never eat any Cortinarius - there are too many poisonous ones in that
genus, and sometimes it's difficult to tell which is what.

Just found this online in the Times:

"Michael Jordan, from the Association of British Fungus Groups, a mushroom
conservation charity, said it was likely that Mr Evans and his family had
mistakenCortinarius speciosissimus for chanterelles. ³This species grows in
similar locations and can look similar to edible chanterelles,² he said. Mr
Jordan said the mushroom was extremely toxic. ³If people are in a decent
state physically and you get them on to dialysis fast enough it is possible
to survive, but there have been a smattering of cases across Europe where it
was lethal. The liver is broken down into a pulp,² he said."
snip

Another article said that Nicholas Evans frequently picks and eats mushrooms
he finds in the wild. Perhaps our Devon ones (he lives near here) are
slightly 'kinder'. ;-))
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

In article ,
Rusty Hinge 2 writes:
| The message
| from "Christina Websell" contains
| these words:
|
| Back to ground elder. Should I just eat the leaves, i.e. remove the stems,
| or not? I'm not going to boil it up and eat it "as it is" I really don't
| trust that aroma, as you call it, I call it a smell ;-) I will spice it to
| within an inch of its life with garam masala et al and let you know if I
| like it.
| It's a great idea, hate the ground elder in your garden? Eat it then!
|
| Just pull it and cook it, stem and all, like spinach.
|
| Try some before smothering it with strong flavours - it's really not at
| all unpleasant by itself.

And it's certainly got a strong flavour all its own!

| Remember, it is an introduced plant - the Romans brought it, and most
| monastries and well-off people cultivated it. You can usually reckon
| that where it grows there is or has been either a religious
| establishment or something like a palace or a manor house.

Eating it is supposed to help prevent gout.

| In our case, probably the manor house that Cromwell levelled.

Er, THE house that Cromwell levelled?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"mogga" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 4 Sep 2008 05:53:04 +0100, "bm" wrote:

I have a weed which has invaded my garden and I wage a constant battle
against it . It spreads by putting out shoots which then pop up and form
the
next weed. If the slightest piece breaks off it forms a new weed. I don't
know what it is called.
I have tried using roundup and it certainly seems to work but some areas
are
so bad I have had to dig them up as best as I can with limited success.
Is there a procedure for dealing with this pest?
Blair



Photo needed

I started down the route of having a web site but I decided to see if I
could find the weed on the internet and I've found it. It is Sorrel
Blair

On Sep 9, 8:23 am, "bm" wrote:
"mogga" wrote in message

...

On Thu, 4 Sep 2008 05:53:04 +0100, "bm" wrote:

I have a weed which has invaded my garden and I wage a constant battle
against it . It spreads by putting out shoots which then pop up and form
the
next weed. If the slightest piece breaks off it forms a new weed. I don't
know what it is called.
I have tried using roundup and it certainly seems to work but some areas
are
so bad I have had to dig them up as best as I can with limited success.
Is there a procedure for dealing with this pest?
Blair

Photo needed

I started down the route of having a web site but I decided to see if I
could find the weed on the internet and I've found it. It is Sorrel
Blair

Sorrel (Oxalis) is a famous weed. It can be hard to get out once it
gets a hold. Roundup works but you have to persist. You just keep
doing it until it is gone. Wait 2 weeks before applyin it again and
it is only really effective when things are actively growing. It will
not get seeds and you will end up with stragglers for years to come
but with decreasing frequency.
After a while you will be able to stop using the roundup and then just
pull up stragglers as you find them.

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
...
On Sep 9, 8:23 am, "bm" wrote:
"mogga" wrote in message

...

On Thu, 4 Sep 2008 05:53:04 +0100, "bm" wrote:

I have a weed which has invaded my garden and I wage a constant battle
against it . It spreads by putting out shoots which then pop up and
form
the
next weed. If the slightest piece breaks off it forms a new weed. I
don't
know what it is called.
I have tried using roundup and it certainly seems to work but some
areas
are
so bad I have had to dig them up as best as I can with limited success.
Is there a procedure for dealing with this pest?
Blair

Photo needed

I started down the route of having a web site but I decided to see if I
could find the weed on the internet and I've found it. It is Sorrel
Blair

Sorrel (Oxalis) is a famous weed. It can be hard to get out once it
gets a hold. Roundup works but you have to persist. You just keep
doing it until it is gone. Wait 2 weeks before applyin it again and
it is only really effective when things are actively growing. It will
not get seeds and you will end up with stragglers for years to come
but with decreasing frequency.
After a while you will be able to stop using the roundup and then just
pull up stragglers as you find them.

Thanks for your help.It got hold in one area of my garden during a period I
had to give up gardening due to a hernia op.
I will do as you suggest.
Isn't it amazing that my query has started a long conversation about eating
weeds! I wonder how sorrel would suit them!
Blair

On Sep 9, 2:28*pm, "bm" wrote:
"Des Higgins" wrote in message

...





On Sep 9, 8:23 am, "bm" wrote:
"mogga" wrote in message

. ..

On Thu, 4 Sep 2008 05:53:04 +0100, "bm" wrote:

I have a weed which has invaded my garden and I wage a constant battle
against it . It spreads by putting out shoots which then pop up and
form
the
next weed. If the slightest piece breaks off it forms a new weed. I
don't
know what it is called.
I have tried using roundup and it certainly seems to work but some
areas
are
so bad I have had to dig them up as best as I can with limited success.
Is there a procedure for dealing with this pest?
Blair

Photo needed

I started down the route of having a web site but I decided to see if I
could find the weed on the internet and I've found it. It is Sorrel
Blair

Sorrel (Oxalis) is a famous weed. *It can be hard to get out once it
gets a hold. *Roundup works but you have to persist. *You just keep
doing it until it is gone. *Wait 2 weeks before applyin it again and
it is only really effective when things are actively growing. *It will
not get seeds and you will end up with stragglers for years to come
but with decreasing frequency.
After a while you will be able to stop using the roundup and then just
pull up stragglers as you find them.

Thanks for your help.It got hold in one area of my garden during a period I
had to give up gardening due to a hernia op.
I will do as you suggest.
Isn't it amazing that my query has started a long conversation about eating
weeds! I wonder how sorrel would suit them!
Blair- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Sorrel is very much edible, so long as it is not the Oxalis variety -
which appears to be the one you have. If I recall properly, it
contains oxalic acid, which is toxic in high doses.
But I wouldn't put it past one of the URGers to come up with an oxalis
chutney recipe which circumvents the problem...

Cat(h)

On Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:30:43 +0100, bm wrote:


I have tried to attach a photo but it has been refused I then put the
photo onto a word document and this was also refused How do I send a
photo to this group?
Blair

You don't. This (like all of the uk... hierarchy) is strictly a text-only
group. No HTML either. Upload phots to a web-site and post the URL.

On 9/9/08 14:28, in article , "bm"
wrote:


"Des Higgins" wrote in message
...
On Sep 9, 8:23 am, "bm" wrote:
"mogga" wrote in message

...

On Thu, 4 Sep 2008 05:53:04 +0100, "bm" wrote:

I have a weed which has invaded my garden and I wage a constant battle
against it . It spreads by putting out shoots which then pop up and
form
the
next weed. If the slightest piece breaks off it forms a new weed. I
don't
know what it is called.
I have tried using roundup and it certainly seems to work but some
areas
are
so bad I have had to dig them up as best as I can with limited success.
Is there a procedure for dealing with this pest?
Blair

Photo needed

I started down the route of having a web site but I decided to see if I
could find the weed on the internet and I've found it. It is Sorrel
Blair

Sorrel (Oxalis) is a famous weed. It can be hard to get out once it
gets a hold. Roundup works but you have to persist. You just keep
doing it until it is gone. Wait 2 weeks before applyin it again and
it is only really effective when things are actively growing. It will
not get seeds and you will end up with stragglers for years to come
but with decreasing frequency.
After a while you will be able to stop using the roundup and then just
pull up stragglers as you find them.

Thanks for your help.It got hold in one area of my garden during a period I
had to give up gardening due to a hernia op.
I will do as you suggest.
Isn't it amazing that my query has started a long conversation about eating
weeds! I wonder how sorrel would suit them!
Blair


Depends on your sorrel. It's cultivated by many people and makes the most
delicious soup. But sheep's sorrel sounds like your weed and that is a
problem.
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/sorrel.htm
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/freefood.htm
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 9/9/08 14:28, in article , "bm"
wrote:


"Des Higgins" wrote in message
...
On Sep 9, 8:23 am, "bm" wrote:
"mogga" wrote in message

...

On Thu, 4 Sep 2008 05:53:04 +0100, "bm" wrote:

I have a weed which has invaded my garden and I wage a constant
battle
against it . It spreads by putting out shoots which then pop up and
form
the
next weed. If the slightest piece breaks off it forms a new weed. I
don't
know what it is called.
I have tried using roundup and it certainly seems to work but some
areas
are
so bad I have had to dig them up as best as I can with limited
success.
Is there a procedure for dealing with this pest?
Blair

Photo needed

I started down the route of having a web site but I decided to see if I
could find the weed on the internet and I've found it. It is Sorrel
Blair

Sorrel (Oxalis) is a famous weed. It can be hard to get out once it
gets a hold. Roundup works but you have to persist. You just keep
doing it until it is gone. Wait 2 weeks before applyin it again and
it is only really effective when things are actively growing. It will
not get seeds and you will end up with stragglers for years to come
but with decreasing frequency.
After a while you will be able to stop using the roundup and then just
pull up stragglers as you find them.

Thanks for your help.It got hold in one area of my garden during a period
I
had to give up gardening due to a hernia op.
I will do as you suggest.
Isn't it amazing that my query has started a long conversation about
eating
weeds! I wonder how sorrel would suit them!
Blair


Depends on your sorrel. It's cultivated by many people and makes the most
delicious soup. But sheep's sorrel sounds like your weed and that is a
problem.
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/sorrel.htm
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/freefood.htm
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

You are right, looking at the photo I have sheep's sorrel
Blair

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

| Remember, it is an introduced plant - the Romans brought it, and most
| monastries and well-off people cultivated it. You can usually reckon
| that where it grows there is or has been either a religious
| establishment or something like a palace or a manor house.

Eating it is supposed to help prevent gout.

| In our case, probably the manor house that Cromwell levelled.

Er, THE house that Cromwell levelled?

Yes - the manor house that Cromwell levelled. Just down the loke. Much
of the moat is still there.

If I'd said 'a' manor house, it wouldn't have been specific enough, so,
knowing where it was, it's 'the'.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

The message
from "bm" contains these words:

I started down the route of having a web site but I decided to see if I
could find the weed on the internet and I've found it. It is Sorrel

Which one?

There is a plethora of sorrels.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig