Giant mushroom found in Buckinghamshire feeds family for a week tophyper

A woman who found a giant 5-kilogram (11-pound) mushroom on a country walk said the vegetable fed her family for an entire week.

Alisimon Minette, 27, was walking with her father in a field in North Marston, near Winslow in Buckinghamshire, when they discovered the massive fungus in the grass.

“It fed my family for a week…and I’ve been eating it ever since. I still have three slices left in the fridge. I’ll be honest – I’m a little tired of it,” she said.

The musician is an avid forager and has an “interest in mushrooms,” and said she knows how to identify them and not mistake them for something poisonous.

Ms Minett, from Chesham, found the fungus near where she had previously found another giant mushroom, but a slightly smaller one, in 2017.

“A Giant puffball “It’s one of the most easily recognizable mushrooms. It looks like something from another planet, it’s very strange,” she said.

The amateur mycologist explained that she knows what shapes and colors to avoid. Experts say people who do not have such knowledge should not take any risks.

Fungi have been used to cook meatloaf, mushroom steaks, and mushroom-based pizza.

“My mum found a recipe on TikTok,” Ms Minette added. “We used actual mushrooms as a base for the pizza. That was nice.”

The rest was sliced, placed in boxes, and frozen for later use.

In September, three people in Jersey They were poisoned after mistaking the death cap mushroom for an edible mushroom.

Mycologist Charlotte Scheinkin has warned people against eating wild mushrooms because they cannot confidently identify themselves.

“It is essential that we be aware of the real and potentially deadly risks of eating wild mushrooms without knowledge and caution,” she said.

Ms Shenkin also advised foragers to get a second opinion and keep an uncooked sample in case they become ill.