Should You Pull Or Cut Mushrooms?

Should we pull or cut the mushrooms? What is the correct way to harvest a mushroom?

We tell you everything! Let’s go !

Does Picking A Mushroom Hurt The Mycelium?

No, picking a mushroom does not damage the mycelium!

Picking a mushroom is like picking an apple from a tree. The apple represents the fungus and the tree the mycelium.

Do Mushrooms Grow Back After You Pick Them?

Of course, just as the apples will continue to grow on the tree, the mushrooms will continue to grow on the mycelium.

Should You Pull Or Cut Mushrooms?

Cut

Cutting a mushroom consists in cutting the base of its stem, at ground level, when harvesting the mushroom. This method limits the dirt in the basket.

Pull

Pulling a mushroom means grabbing the mushroom at its base and pulling it gently. You can also insert your knife and make a lever arm with it to lift the whole mushroom. This method involves having to clean the base of the foot, before putting the mushroom in the basket. This way of doing things requires more effort and yet it is the most recommended by mycologists! Why ? Find out in the following!

We Pull Mushrooms To Identify Them

Harvesting a mushroom by pulling it (delicately) and taking care to remove the entire stem will save you! But why is it so important?

95% of pickers collect mushrooms to eat them. Nevertheless, before consuming them, you must be sure to have identified them correctly. And by not picking the fungus correctly, you deprive yourself of important identification criteria such as the base of the stem (Ex: Agaricus campestris) or the presence of a volva. (Ex: Amanita sp.)

However, as you surely know, identifying a mushroom means identifying a series of elements which make the identification converge towards a family of mushrooms and then towards a more precise species.

So ? Do We Cut Or Tear?

• If you want to identify a mushroom, it is better to pull the mushroom.
• If you don’t want to identify a fungus and you’re sure of what you’re doing, then cutting or pulling makes no real difference.
• Picking a mushroom does not hurt the mycelium.

Find Mushrooms With Our Maps!

Explore the forests in your area and discover the best mushroom spots! Get a head start on other pickers and check out our Mushroom Maps, available here!