# Puffballs?



## ArrowHawk (Apr 1, 2003)

Have a few questions on puffballs. I found a spot behind the house that was full of soccer sized puffballs and grabbed a few of them. 

Are these edible?

How to cook them if they are?


Thanks
Arrow


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## unregistered55 (Mar 12, 2000)

Yes they sure are! If you like mushrooms you'll like puffballs too. Peel off the outer "skin." If the inside is snow white they are good. As they mature they turn yellow and finally brown. That is the maturing of the spores inside. When passing animals step on or kick the brown puffball, "clouds" of brown "smoke"(actually thousands of microscopic spores) PUFF out and disperse to sprout into more puffballs the next year.
If the interior is white, slice it into slices about 1/4-1/2" thick. Then melt some butter/margarine in a skillet and fry them until brown. That's it. You can eat them as is, or as a topper to any cut of beef. The slices can be separated by wax paper and frozen for long term stroage too. Unlike mushrooms, there is no such thing as a poisonous puffball. That said, anyone might have an allergic reaction to them, so try a little before you pig out(grin). Good eating!


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## BarryPatch (Jul 21, 2004)

perca said:


> . Unlike mushrooms, there is no such thing as a poisonous puffball. That said, anyone might have an allergic reaction to them, so try a little before you pig out(grin). Good eating!


Actually there is one. The pigskin poison puffball. It looks kind of like a jewel but its never white inside. More gray-black.


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## Outdoorzman (Jun 5, 2001)

one word..................ick!

I've tried cooking them so many different ways and they still end up tasting like a sponge, no flavor.


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

the other thing ive picked up from books is to never pick a tiny puffball, because it could be a deadly mushroom that hasnt opened up from its universal veil yet, like an egg. if you see inside the puffball, what looks to be a mushroom "embryo", ie cap, etc. thats not for eating. according to what ive read if its bigger than a baseball its pretty much 100% safe. but that is definitely something to look for.

just repeating what ive read.

of course a lot of puffballs like the gem studded never get that big.


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## Michigan Mike (May 21, 2004)

I'm not a big fan of the giants for the table, but they are very cool to see and find.
If you find a few various sized ones they do make a great snowman though.lol
I agree that they are basically flavorless and are more for texture than anything else.
Now the small Gem-Studded ones that are pear shaped I do like and
have a nice flavor to them.

Mike


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## BarryPatch (Jul 21, 2004)

I don't see many of the big ones on my property. We do have a lot of "jewels" aka gem studded and poison pigs. both grow on wood unlike the giants. The ones in this pic were a bit soft and yellow inside - past prime.


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## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

BarryPatch said:


> I don't see many of the big ones on my property. We do have a lot of "jewels" aka gem studded and poison pigs. both grow on wood unlike the giants. The ones in this pic were a bit soft and yellow inside - past prime.


These are what I find, the "gem studded puffballs." Nothing to write home about as far as taste is concerned. Must be taken and ate while all white inside.


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## hardwaterfan (Feb 13, 2004)

i see alot of the gem studded, never actually found any of the giants, i guess i dont look in fields enough.

did find and eat a nice softball-size bears head today. im really liking those.


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Humongous fungus

POWER PUFFBALL: Anisa Wolfe, 5, a kindergarten student at North Holland Elementary, wraps her arms around a 15-pound puffball fungus.

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/stories/100406/local_20061004002.shtml


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## rdfishin (Aug 12, 2006)

im from up north around fremont then moved down to allegan couple years ago me and my wife love puff balls but haven't been able to find any down here any hints where to find a few please pm me with info thks:help:


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## Michigan Mike (May 21, 2004)

rdfishin said:


> im from up north around fremont then moved down to allegan couple years ago me and my wife love puff balls but haven't been able to find any down here any hints where to find a few please pm me with info thks:help:


Although giant puffballs are most often pictured in the grass, I find most of them growing just inside the woodline within 20 yds of the trails or road.
It was a good year for them and I've seen 50 or 60 over the last couple weeks.

Mike


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