[Attention Surplus Disorder]

Supposedly, the toxic varieties turn purple in a short time when the caps are freshly broken.

[varyouga]

Psychoactive (magic) mushrooms have that property too but some are only damaging if you eat more than a kilo.

If you are crazy enough to go picking, I recommend trying no more than 1 gram of any unknown mushrooms the first time. Maybe 5 grams the next day if you didn’t feel sick. Otherwise you might be in for death. Or a free trip to the moon.

Notice the wife in one of the stories ate some she picked and died. While the husband survived after only eating a small amount.

[TigersEye]

Supposedly, the toxic varieties turn purple in a short time when the caps are freshly broken.

So do many highly prized edible mushrooms like the boletes. But I don't think the Destroying Angel (closely related to the death cap and just as deadly) bruises purple at all.

Destroying Angel (Amanita virosa)

Death Cap (Amanita phalliodes)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

There are a number of poisonous Boletus stems that will stain blue if damaged. Use your fingernail to scratch them, the blue should show in a very short time. Be aware that there are also Boletus that do not stain that are also poisonous.

Anyone picking white puff balls to cook should always cut them open and look to see if they are actually young amanitas that have yet to develop. You will be able to see the stem and gil cap if it is. Don't eat them!

Chantarells are choice and easy to identify. Used to grow in my backyard under a shingle oak tree. They had a smell that was slightly spicy, at the same time like apricot. Also, if you find a chantarell with gills, its not a chantarell!

Anyone who experiments with mushrooms should be aware that Milk Thistle contains silmarain, which helps protect against amanita poisoning. Keep some on hand. Best protection though, is to avoid eating them in the first place.