Boletes

Bolete species growing under a pine in October.  Notice the pine needles.

We have recently expanded our mushroom foraging species list to include Bolete species.  Until now we have avoided most ground mushrooms, especially those with the traditional mushroom shape.  Most of the toxic species of mushrooms are the ones that grow directly on the ground.  Through reading and internet research we were able to positively identify the bolete family of mushrooms and realized that the vast majority of boletes are edible, with only a few exceptions.  Boletes are easy to identify, relatively safe, and very tasty.

Smaller boletes.  Notice the yellow pores under the cap.

How to identify a bolete:  The family of bolete mushrooms have pores instead of gills under the cap.  Simply pick the mushroom and flip it upside down.  Gilled mushrooms will have radial gills looking like spokes of a bicycle wheel.  Boletes will have pores that look like a sponge.

The poisonous boletes:  All texts agree that the toxic boletes share one or both of the following characteristics:

#1 The pore surface under the cap will be red or orange.   
#2 The flesh will stain blue or purple when bruised or cut.  

All the toxic species of bolete mushrooms have one or both of these characteristics.  That does not mean that just because a bolete stains blue or has reddish pores it is toxic, but it is a good starting point to exercise a lot of extra caution.  If neither of the above criteria are met, the mushroom is safe.

Just because it is safe to eat, it still may not be palatable.  There are a lot of bitter boletes out there that while technically safe to eat, a person probably would not want to due to flavor.  This is why it is still advisable to figure out exactly what it is that you plan to eat.  This includes identifying the species of bolete you plan on eating.  It is also advisable to try a small sampling of mushrooms prior to eating them just in case.  

Boletes can be sauteed with butter or oil, baked or even grilled.  They can be preserved by freezing, dehydrating, or even pickling. 

Warning: As with all wild foraged food do not eat anything unless you are 100% sure what it is and how to prepare it.  When in doubt throw it out.