Puff balls

[Walker570]

Anyone tried them?  Cooking instructions.

[Fisheruk]

No good

[dipper]

Yes cut them in slices and cool like mushrooms they’re fine.

[Fisheruk]

Correct Identification

There is one good way to tell puffballs apart from its poisonous look-a-likes, you must cut the mushroom in half from top to bottom.  The inside of edible puffball mushrooms should be pure white, like a marshmallow, or like fresh mozzarella balls, there should be no patterns, or marks or colors or anything other than pure white, and especially no signs of gills.  If you follow this one rule you should be able to enjoy mushroom hunting for puffball mushrooms without worry.  Not all puffballs are edible, and not all are edible at all stages, but if you stick with the rule of pure white inside then you will only be eating edible puffballs. You can buy spores for edible puffballs HERE, These species are synonymous with Calvatia gigantea but are referred to by a different scientific name.

[old'un]

^As Fisheruk says.

Some people slice them and dip them in beaten eggs (seasoned) and fry them.

Not much taste to them really, there’s much better fungus to-be found.

[Walker570]

Had a quick look on youtube and one seemingly good idea was to make a cheese sandwich with two 1/4 inch slices dip in beaten egg...maybe a bit of seasoning and bread crumbs and fry until nicely brown.  I have one here and will give that idea go. Yes mine is perfectly white all the way through.  I will report on what the resulting taste was.  I might just sprinkle some of that Tony C's Cajun mix in the breadcrumbs.

[strimmer_13]

I usually just fry in butter with a drop of olive oil and garlic. Pinch of salt. Great addition to fried potatoes on a breakfast, you can use the same pan after each other. 

They do cook like a microwaved slug, but i think, they taste nice

[Walker570]

Well this morning I picked up a relatively fresh puffball about 6 inches in diameter.  I cut out the root area and sliced two thin slices..1/4 inch ... I then sliced some nice smelly chees thinly and laid this on the puff ball slices. I then broke one egg in a bowl and whicked it up adding a light sprinkle of Tony C's Cajun mix.  Big *** of butter in the skillet and having soaked the puff ball slices and a cheese in the egg, I placed them onto the sizzling butter. Turned them three or four times to check and when they where a real nice crisp brown, I flipped them onto a hot plate.   All I can say is....AWESOME.  I am sure that those amongst you are more than capable of mixing up some additives but Tony C's Cajun mix takes a lot of beating for anyhting and everyhting and my friend in USA says they will likely put it on their ice cream.  

Choose a relatively small..6inch...puffball, which has not been attacked in any way.  Cut out the base and root area and slice 1/4 inch thick, then peel off the skin .... easier done when sliced than befoe hand. Comes off easy.   Fry until the cheese starts to exude from the sides of the puffball and the whole sandwich is a nice deep golden brown. 

Next time I will add some chopped smokey bacon..pre fried..to the cheese. I think that would make a very moresome breakfast.

[bornfree]

Didn't know they were edible. We get massive ones in the duck pens sometimes 12-18" diameter.

[derbyduck]

Iv'e done em same as Strimmer above , but that sounds  sound ! will give it a go if I can find one .

[Scully]

Have had some good ones this season. Gave two large ones to a local restaurant and Oh and me ate the smaller one. We just slice ours and cook them as you would any other fungi, with a little salt and butter, in a frying pan. 

[strimmer_13]

Found these bad boys. Far too late tho 😢

[moondoggy]

Cough!

[figgy]

Strimmer microwaved slug, mmm makes my mouth water 😵🤮

[strimmer_13]

Ok maybe not as chewy. 

That one above had turned, well upset as that would of been a good few days grub