# Good to eat or poison



## wrongwayrick (Nov 26, 2006)

Growing on a dead walnut tree
Located in NY State


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## Fennick (Apr 16, 2013)

Oyster mushrooms. Delectably, deliciously edible.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

If it smells like anise when you break it, then it's Oyster mushroom. However, the ones in the photo appear to be past their prime. The Oyster mushrooms we collect are pure white, soft, and very flexible.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

They look like oyster mushrooms to me, and oyster mushrooms come in different shades of color. 

I raised a block on my kitchen table one year from a kit. They are tasty, but the older ones got hard and were not as good as the tender young ones. They got hard starting from the base up.

They were pretty good though I decided I liked the ordinary mushrooms from the grocery stores better. 

I found their appearance to be very different from any the mushroom I have ever seen or heard of: why don't you google a couple of pictures to be certain, and then eat them? Or, test them by trying them out on a chicken or something else that might eat a mushroom.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

I agree that they are oysters. There is nothing else that looks like them. Some similar mushrooms that resemble oysters don't have the gills. They are the polypores.


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## Fennick (Apr 16, 2013)

Terri said:


> They look like oyster mushrooms to me, and *oyster mushrooms come in different shades of color.*
> 
> I raised a block on my kitchen table one year from a kit. They are tasty, but the older ones got hard and were not as good as the tender young ones. They got hard starting from the base up.
> 
> ...


Yes oyster mushrooms may be found in several pale pastel colours and the colour and firmness depends on what kind of medium they're growing on and how much light or shade they get. The ones that grow wild here in the rain forests can be found almost pure white growing in very shady locations, and in less shady, dappled sunny locations they are firmer texture and a light brown or true oyster grey colour. 

Some of the big commercial mushroom farms here grow oyster mushrooms of all usual shades but they also grow some that are a pale lilac or lavender colour on top with palest lilac-pink gills.  

They are all good but I've found that the darker ones that have a very firm, solid flesh are most palatable if they are first lightly sauteed in butter to brown them and bring out their flavour and then be simmered for awhile in a soup or stew to make them more tender. Delicious!


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