ARCHIVED - Damp mornings mean mushroom season is underway

Cehegín council have issued strict rules for collecting wild mushrooms in their forests

The first rains of autumn have begun and thoughts have turned to mushroom collecting in the North-west of the region of Murcia.
The most common variety found here in the region is Lactarius deliciosus, known commonly as a niscalo or in murcia speak a guiscano, which is a distinctive orangey colour and is a fairly stocky little mushroom, growing freely in the pine forests which cover many hillsides in central and northern areas, and which are traditionally the destination for mushroom loving murcians on misty Sunday mornings.

As the autumn progresses these mushrooms will appear in the markets, but they’re expensive, last year selling between 14 and 16 euros a kilo, but head to the north of the region and its not uncommon to find the odd enterprising bread deliveryman or even a local plumber with a few kilos for sale in the back of the van, the fruits of an enjoyable Sunday out in the campo yielding a bit of welcome extra cash.

In order to minimise the damge caused by large scale mushroom gatherers and protect stocks, Cehegín council have issued a municipal orenanza governing the collection of wild mushrooms, with strict fines for those who breach the established guidelines.
A maximum level of 5 kilos is being permitted per individual and isn order to protect the stocks for the future, mushroom gatherers must cut the mushrooms from their bases and leave the base in the ground, leave any damaged mushrooms on the floor rather than remove them and remove specimens one by one, not using a rake.

Infractions will be punished with fines from 50 euros up to 1000 euros.

There are approximately 1000 different varieties of wild mushrooms to be found throughout Europe, of which around 100 are edible. However, great caution should be exercised when collecting mushrooms as there are many species which look similar to edible varieties but which can kill.

Murcia has a large number and wide variety of mushrooms. At present the species of mushroom catalogued in the Region number over 600, of which only eight are edible. All of them are frequently found in the mountains of the Region. The most common are the popular Lactarius deliciosus, also known as Saffron milk cap, which are the best known and the most widely eaten. However there are also others which are well-known for their taste and even their price, as is the case of the black truffle. The subsoil of the Region is also home to other well known species such as the king trumpet, the wood blewit, the shaggy ink cap, dessert truffles and summer truffles. These species are seasonal, although most of them appear in the autumn.

The most dangerous found in the region are the hepatotoxic mushrooms - especially the amanita phalloides -, which are the cause of 90% of fatalities resulting from the consumption of wild mushrooms. These contain a toxic venom which attacks the cells that form the liver.  These are particularly difficult to treat as the symptoms do not become apparent until a few hours after eating the mushroom, and then bring about death very quickly.

There are also stringent requirements for storing wild mushrooms, as "safe" mushrooms can become "toxic" if poorly stored.
Later in the autumn northern municipalities will offer gastronomic mushroom weekends, mushroom specialities on the menus of the bars and restaurants of the north-west, the best way to sample these autumn treats, but unless you know what you’re doing, it really is advisable to leave mushroom gathering to the experts!