Are there poisonous mushrooms with worms and can they be eaten? (+16 photos)

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a unique and healthy food enjoyed not only by humans but also by all forest creatures, including worms. Finding a wormy mushroom is quite unpleasant, and throwing away the harvest is a shame, but is it safe to eat? Professional mushroom pickers believe that wormy mushrooms are safe to eat, as long as you clean them properly to prevent any larvae from contaminating your food.

The danger of wormy mushrooms for humans

The presence of holes, irregularities, and burrows in the flesh indicates that the fruit is infested with parasites. Worms most often attack older specimens, as their flesh is more crumbly, unlike the dense texture of young mushrooms. However, during periods of high humidity and warm weather, parasites can infest even young specimens, and throwing away such "loot" is especially unfortunate. It is during such times that the safety of worm-infested fruits for humans becomes especially pressing.

Many people mistakenly believe that the presence of worms in mushrooms automatically renders the product inedible and therefore throw away any wormy finds. However, the presence of parasites does not make a product inedible, much less poisonous. The wormy "harvest" is not dangerous for digestion and health.

Such a product is merely aesthetically unappealing. Experienced amateur hunters have long since learned to get rid of parasites using accessible and relatively quick methods. However, it's important to understand that if the fruit is deeply infested with worms, it should still be discarded, as it no longer offers any nutritional value and is usually quite overripe.

Do worms eat poisonous and inedible mushrooms?

Fungal parasites are nothing more than mosquito and fly larvae that develop into adults by consuming the fruit's flesh. However, this parasitism poses no threat to the mycelium; in fact, it improves yields by transporting spores from under the cap directly into the soil.

Most mushrooms are infested with worms, even if their appearance does not always indicate their presence.

There's a common misconception that poisonous mushrooms don't carry worms, but this is nothing more than a myth. Even the most poisonous specimens can be infested with parasites. Furthermore, most poisonous species are eaten not only by worms but also by snails and slugs.

The likelihood of encountering a fly agaric or death cap infested with larvae is quite high, as their venom poses no threat to these insects, as their metabolism differs significantly from that of humans. Furthermore, some inedible fruits emit an aroma that attracts only insects.

Testing a fruit's safety based on worm infestation is not only unwise but also extremely dangerous. For example, edible chanterelles are never attacked by worms because their flesh contains chitinmannose, a substance toxic to insects, unlike, say, the fly agaric.

Wormy fruit is not dangerous and generally doesn't need to be discarded. However, when harvesting such a "harvest," it's best to rely on your own instincts and feelings of disgust. After all, not everyone is capable of eating a product contaminated with living organisms.

Can you eat wormy fruits after cooking?

If a product contains parasites, proper handling allows it to be eaten without fear of finding an uninvited guest on your plate. Wormy fruits can be eaten after boiling, frying, stewing, and other cooking methods. However, immediately before cooking, the harvested fruits must be cleaned of not only debris but also living organisms.

If the first treatment fails to remove all the worms, boiling the mushrooms in salted water in two stages will completely rid them of the parasites. However, unlike boiling "healthy" mushrooms, when boiling a product with worms, the first water is not discarded due to the risk of the parasites reentering the mushroom.

Before replacing the water with clean water, remove the product from the container with a slotted spoon, rinse it under running water, and only then re-immerse it in boiling water. This procedure significantly reduces the risk of worms entering the fruit again.

Many experienced home cooks recommend not using larval-infested fruit for soup or noodles, but instead setting it aside for frying or stewing. This allows the "harvest" to be heated twice.

Collection and processing rules

Larvae can be found in any part of the fruiting body, so even if there are no tunnels or holes in the stem, they may be in the cap. The parasites quickly consume the fruit's flesh, so it's best to prune any parts infested with larvae directly from the forest.

A sharp knife is ideal for this. It's also recommended to separate wormy fruit from "clean" specimens, otherwise the number of parasitized fruits will increase significantly compared to the initial harvest.

Answers to frequently asked questions

Can you get poisoned by wormy mushrooms?

You can't get poisoned by edible mushrooms infected with parasites. The presence of worms in the mushroom's fruiting body doesn't make it poisonous or inedible.

Can these mushrooms be salted?

Not only is it possible, but it's also necessary, as worms are very wary of salt, and when exposed to it, their larvae begin to leave the product. Soaking the mushrooms in highly salted water is one of the surest ways to rid mushrooms of their "residents."

If I dry wormy mushrooms, will they become wormy again?

Dried fruit doesn't harbor parasites, as the withered fruiting bodies are not nutritious. Dried fruit can be stored for several years without fear of recurrence.

Parasites often infect mushrooms, regardless of whether they are edible or not. The presence of worms in mushrooms does not make them dangerous to humans and does not affect their digestion.