Luxembourg, with its vast areas of woodland, is prime picking territory for those who know where to find wild mushrooms Pexels

Luxembourg, with its vast areas of woodland, is prime picking territory for those who know where to find wild mushrooms Pexels

In the latest Lux Hacks, Delano shares 10 tips on mushroom picking for consumption, first published in French on the site mycology.lu:

  1. Only pick mushrooms that you know well. If picking for one’s own consumption, people are allowed to pick up to 1 kilo of fresh mushrooms per day for all species combined. For an educational excursion for a group of three or more pickers, the maximum threshold per group per day rises to 3 kilos. If picking for profit, you will need to get permission from the relevant ministry.
  2. If you are picking mushrooms to learn more about them, limit your selection to six species. Only three specimens per species can be picked per person for study purposes.
  3. If you are looking to learn more about mushrooms, it’s worth participating in a guided tour. Try to read up on mushrooms first and consult a mycology expert during the drop-in session at the Maison de la Nature.
  4. When picking mushrooms, handle them gently and pick them whole, without breaking the stem, to study their characteristics. For mushrooms which can be easily confused, study each specimen carefully.
  5. If you discard a mushroom, leave it where you found it. They play an important role in nature. Furthermore, they are partly protected by law: under Article 5 of the Grand Ducal law, it is forbidden to damage any part of a mushroom that is underground.
  6. Carry your mushrooms in a basket, avoid using a plastic bag in which they could get squashed.
  7. If foraging for human consumption, only pick the freshest mushrooms without parasites or mould.
  8. Avoid picking mushrooms growing on the roadside or in places where toxic substances (for example, heavy metals or chemical products) may be found.
  9. When cleaning your mushrooms, remove the skin of the cap for the varieties Bolets élégants, Amanites rougissantes and Agarics. Also remove the soft tubes of ceps and other boletus.
  10. For your meal to be digestible, be sure to cook enough mushrooms to make excess water and reduce in volume. Mushrooms are considered condiments rather than vegetables and should be avoided in large quantities eaten successively.

Have a doubt about a mushroom you have picked? You can call by at the mushroom drop-in advice service every Saturday from 6pm to 7:30pm at the Maison de la Nature in Kockelscheuer, until 28 October.