He’s Sharing How To Harvest Puffball Mushrooms, Giant Fungi That Are Typically Found During Autumn

Emily Chan |

Oct 7, 2023

rh2010 - stock.adobe.com- illustrative purposes only, not the actual people

At some point during your childhood, you have probably come across mushrooms growing in your yard or in the fields or meadows around your home. Those mushrooms could’ve been the giant puffball!

Puffball mushrooms are commonly found in open areas during late summer and autumn, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if you have seen one before.

TikToker @eatmoredirty lives and works at a summer camp where puffball mushrooms grow in abundance in the woods. In a viral video, he documents his first time harvesting the mushrooms.

Before diving into how to harvest them, here’s a little background information about the fungi. Puffball mushrooms sit directly on the ground, or they might sprout on rotten wood. They are edible, but it’s important that you know how to spot them because they have poisonous look-alikes.

They can be as small as a golf ball or reach sizes comparable to a watermelon. What’s unique about the puffball mushroom is that, unlike most other mushrooms, it doesn’t have any visible spores, caps, or stems.

The puffball produces its spores within its fruiting body and disperses them once the protective layer inside the mushroom is broken. There is a small opening at the top of the mushroom where the spores can be released.

To harvest them, roll them around until they break free from the ground. Brush off any dirt or bugs that may be on the mushrooms. Puffball mushrooms are usually white in color and smooth in texture. When harvesting, make sure they are firm and do not have any mold or color variation.

In the video, the creator can be seen cutting a mushroom in half. The insides were yellow, which he notes is not safe for consuming. He clarifies that the mushroom’s innards and exterior should be solid white.

After slicing open another mushroom and deeming it to be edible, he then peeled off the outer skin of the mushroom. He explains that eating the peels might upset your stomach. If the peel doesn’t come off easily, use a knife to remove it. Discard the peels into the woods.

rh2010 – stock.adobe.com- illustrative purposes only, not the actual people

Then, he ripped the mushroom into bite-sized chunks to use in a soup or stir-fry. If you won’t be cooking with them right away, throw them into plastic baggies and place them in the freezer for later.

@eatmoredirty

First time harvesting giant puffball mushrooms!!! #mushroom #camp #fall #puffballmushroom #summercamp #foraging #minnesota #fyp

? original sound – crosbaby