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Start Mushrooming: The Reliable Way to Forage
Begin Identifying and Collecting Seven Edible Mushrooms!
Since 1993, Start Mushrooming has been the trusted guide for beginners. This second edition introduces seven of the most common, edible wild mushrooms in North America. It features more photographs and expert tips from award-winning author and naturalist Stan Tekiela that make mushroom identification even easier. Start Mushrooming includes the information you need to start foraging with confidence.
The focused look at seven wild, edible mushrooms includes a unique checklist-based approach to help you confirm each mushroom's identity. Plus, details on toxic species and advice from an author with extensive foraging skills help you learn what to watch out for and avoid. As an added bonus, the book includes a generous helping of tasty recipes.
Wild mushrooms are beautiful, bountiful, and delicious. This is the easy way to start mushrooming.
Since 1993, Start Mushrooming has been the trusted guide for beginners. This second edition introduces seven of the most common, edible wild mushrooms in North America. It features more photographs and expert tips from award-winning author and naturalist Stan Tekiela that make mushroom identification even easier. Start Mushrooming includes the information you need to start foraging with confidence.
The focused look at seven wild, edible mushrooms includes a unique checklist-based approach to help you confirm each mushroom's identity. Plus, details on toxic species and advice from an author with extensive foraging skills help you learn what to watch out for and avoid. As an added bonus, the book includes a generous helping of tasty recipes.
Wild mushrooms are beautiful, bountiful, and delicious. This is the easy way to start mushrooming.
- GenresNonfictionReference
128 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 1993
5 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Stan Tekiela
353 books53 followersAuthor, naturalist and wildlife photographer Stan Tekiela is the originator of the popular state-specific field guide series and many easy-to-use identification guides for the U.S. Over the last 30 years he has authored around 200 field guides, quick guides, nature books, children's books, wildlife audio CDs, puzzles and playing cards, presenting many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, trees, wildflowers and cacti found across the U.S. and in Canada.
Stan has a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural History from the University of Minnesota, and he has received national and regional awards for his books and photography. Also a well-known columnist and radio personality, his syndicated column appears in more than 25 newspapers and his wildlife programs are broadcast on a number of Midwest radio stations.
Stan leads instructional photo workshops and wildlife tours across the U.S. for both beginner and advanced photographers. He also gives detailed presentations about wildlife, complete with his award-winning photographs, to audiences of all sizes across the country.
Stan has a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural History from the University of Minnesota, and he has received national and regional awards for his books and photography. Also a well-known columnist and radio personality, his syndicated column appears in more than 25 newspapers and his wildlife programs are broadcast on a number of Midwest radio stations.
Stan leads instructional photo workshops and wildlife tours across the U.S. for both beginner and advanced photographers. He also gives detailed presentations about wildlife, complete with his award-winning photographs, to audiences of all sizes across the country.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 19, 2020
This is a delightful beginner's book to mushrooming.
The book is very short, and very simple to use. It's small enough to fit in a pocket, but chock full of a ton of great information for anyone new to mushrooming. The book begins with an introduction to mushrooming that contains a list of everything you need to bring with you out into the field. After that, the book delves into seven very easy to identify and safe mushrooms to get to picking. Each mushroom has a couple of pages dedicated to describing its attributes, where to find it, how to positively ID it, and what seasons it grows in. After the in-depth overview, there is a page that has a quick checklist that can be gone over after picking the mushroom to ensure you got the right fruitbody before you set about cooking it - a pretty important thing. After that, the book has recipes for each and every mushroom it listed, as well as little reviews of the recipes themselves.
This isn't the best introductory book I've read on mushrooming, but it is definitely a rather good one. It should provide everything a beginner needs to get out into the field and begin collecting with confidence. Particularly useful were the indicators as to where/when one is likely to be able to find a particular mushroom. I've yet to see any other guide provide that information quite as obviously as this one did. However, I do think this book would have been well-served by a small bit of tree identification information as well - since trees are so vital a part to successful foraging. Perhaps in an updated edition?
One of my favorite bits of the book were the sentimental asides scattered throughout. The book began with some poetry about mushrooms and it all just continued on from there. Who doesn't feel intense emotion surrounding mushrooms after all, right?
The book is very short, and very simple to use. It's small enough to fit in a pocket, but chock full of a ton of great information for anyone new to mushrooming. The book begins with an introduction to mushrooming that contains a list of everything you need to bring with you out into the field. After that, the book delves into seven very easy to identify and safe mushrooms to get to picking. Each mushroom has a couple of pages dedicated to describing its attributes, where to find it, how to positively ID it, and what seasons it grows in. After the in-depth overview, there is a page that has a quick checklist that can be gone over after picking the mushroom to ensure you got the right fruitbody before you set about cooking it - a pretty important thing. After that, the book has recipes for each and every mushroom it listed, as well as little reviews of the recipes themselves.
This isn't the best introductory book I've read on mushrooming, but it is definitely a rather good one. It should provide everything a beginner needs to get out into the field and begin collecting with confidence. Particularly useful were the indicators as to where/when one is likely to be able to find a particular mushroom. I've yet to see any other guide provide that information quite as obviously as this one did. However, I do think this book would have been well-served by a small bit of tree identification information as well - since trees are so vital a part to successful foraging. Perhaps in an updated edition?
One of my favorite bits of the book were the sentimental asides scattered throughout. The book began with some poetry about mushrooms and it all just continued on from there. Who doesn't feel intense emotion surrounding mushrooms after all, right?
October 11, 2021
A simple, straightforward overview, perfect for a beginner! I read the 2nd edition.
May 19, 2022
I quick, easy to understand primer on mushrooming. Looking forward to starting my search.
November 19, 2023
An easy read that discusses how to safely identify and prepare wild mushrooms!
March 23, 2017
Interesting enough read. A good book to help you to start understanding the mushroom world. I didn't so much like the layout of the books with all the colored pictures in the middle of the book.
December 18, 2020
I have walked hundreds of miles since quarantine began on March 13th. Spending so much time in the woods—as well as becoming acquainted with this area’s indigenous history and spending time in the Pocasset Wampanoag reservation—has really got my gears turning about foraging and natural sustainable means of feeding oneself that exist outside of traditional colonized agriculture and crop growing. This book is the first I’ve finished about this topic and it was wonderful, easy-to-use checklists, pictures included, and some recipes for some mushrooms I’d otherwise have no idea how to cook. I have three other books coming my way which deal specifically with New England foraging so I look forward to learning more and trying out what we have growing around us. Admittedly I am still a bit nervous to try wild mushrooms that I have identified but hopefully soon I’ll get over that. I mean, what’s really the worst that can happen besides tripping my face off and having my liver completely lock up? We all gotta die somehow.
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tl;dr—read if you want to learn about foraging for mushrooms, otherwise it would be painfully uninteresting.
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tl;dr—read if you want to learn about foraging for mushrooms, otherwise it would be painfully uninteresting.
April 24, 2010
Start Mushrooming serves as an excellent guide for the beginner mushroomer. Especially helpful the 'check lists', providing information to assure you the right mushroom was found. Likewise, Stan provides excellent information on when one should search for a specific mushroom and in what habitat. Tekiela also provides clear photographs and tips for drying and cooking one's bounty. Start Mushrooming is a quick, easy and informative read.
June 1, 2009
Quick, short, easy read. Great book that outlines the basics to get started hunting mushrooms.
August 18, 2009
Clear representation of edible and inedible mushrooms, and which time of year to search for each type.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews