What is this???

[herby]

This is the third one I have seen now. Looked like a ball of foam but one has been disturbed and starting to rot away??

[robbiep]

Puffball - it's a fungus.

 

When fresh, some varieties can be thinly cut and fried - like a nice strip of steak.

[Dekers]

On the face of it that looks like the Giant, I have a couple of fields they grow every year, excellent eating.

 

But don't take my word for it, take care of the type and age of puffball, some will make you very ill!

[shaun4860]

Hugh fernely whittingstall (Spelling) made a soup with one,

 

Hollowed it out, made a soup with the pulp an poured it back into the shell

 

[The Mighty Prawn]

I've wanted to try one for ages, was in the woods and spotted one in some scrub, fought through brambles etc to get to my prize only to discover it was in fact a deflated children's football!

[four-wheel-drive]

I've wanted to try one for ages, was in the woods and spotted one in some scrub, fought through brambles etc to get to my prize only to discover it was in fact a deflated children's football!

that made me laugh the only thing that you have to be careful about is they do get grubs/worms in them and dogs may have had a pee on it but it would be interesting to see what they taste like.

[mel b3]

I've wanted to try one for ages, was in the woods and spotted one in some scrub, fought through brambles etc to get to my prize only to discover it was in fact a deflated children's football!

What did it taste like ?.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

I've wanted to try one for ages, was in the woods and spotted one in some scrub, fought through brambles etc to get to my prize only to discover it was in fact a deflated children's football!

 

 

What did it taste like ?.

 

How long did you cook it for?

[islandgun]

perhaps interestingly the spores released by a mature fruiting Giant Puffball is approx 7x10 to the power of 12, which is double the estimated number of fish in the worlds oceans

 

now theres not a lot of people know that

[12gauge82]

This brings back memories, I'd forgotten all about puff balls. Me and my friends would spend hours playing with them when we were kids, we had no clue what they were but they were everywhere, giant brown ones about the size of a football that released what looked like smoke if you squeezed them.

[herby]

Surprised the whole field isn't covered in them then haha

Edited August 5, 2016 by herby

[malkiserow]

Take your giant puffball, cut in half to check there is NO yellowing (if yellowing - throw away). You want it pure white.

 

Cut into 1/2 thick slices, peel skin off then dip in beaten egg, fry in butter and a bit of herb like parsley if you like, add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy a very nice mushroom

[herby]

Thanks I will give that a try if it's the right colour

[robbiep]

Take your giant puffball, cut in half to check there is NO yellowing (if yellowing - throw away). You want it pure white.

 

Cut into 1/2 thick slices, peel skin off then dip in beaten egg, fry in butter and a bit of herb like parsley if you like, add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy a very nice mushroom

Never tried cooking it like that. I've always just fried directly in a little bit of oil - again, roughly 1/2 inch thick slices.

[team tractor]

I bet theirs not mush room on the plate after

[12gauge82]

Surprised the whole field isn't covered in them then haha

It was for some years but I haven't seen one there for 15-20 years

[tiny tim]

get it fried ,taste lovely

I know you will do it credit because you are a fun guy

[FalconFN]

This brings back memories, I'd forgotten all about puff balls. Me and my friends would spend hours playing with them when we were kids, we had no clue what they were but they were everywhere, giant brown ones about the size of a football that released what looked like smoke if you squeezed them.

That's not smoke, it's 10x7 to the power of 12 tiny spores. Did they teach you nothing at school?

[islandgun]

That's not smoke, it's 10x7 to the power of 12 tiny spores.

 

OBVIOUSLY ! the 7,000,000,000,000 (7 trillion) spores, if collected would fill a very large bag and cause a partial eclipse for several seconds if released, 7 trillion seconds = 222,000 yrs and thats a very long time but not as long as the giant puff ball has been evolving (if you believe that sort of guff)