Edible Wood Farm Journal: 2026 (8)
Common but strange. Found on many continents and recognized as a mushroom of interest. Some people see a small pearlike mushroom covered with jewels, others see warts. The names vary as well:
* Devil’s Snuff-box
* Wolf’s fart
* Blindman’s bellows
* Baboon’s drum
From late spring until early winter, different species can be found in grassy areas, forests and along roads. Especially after heavy rainfall. It breaks down dead organic matter and extracts the nutrients that it needs. Spores are produced inside the fruiting body which explode into the air when they are ripe.
Some puffballs are edible when young but they can be confused with deadly look alikes. They are also particularly good at accumulating heavy metals out of the soil. Bad news if you want to eat it, but good news if you want to clean up polluted ground.
And why am I interested in puffballs? Well I am not particularly. But … during the summer break I do have more time to delve into interesting books. And this particular book is all about folk stories and the role of mushrooms in diverse cultures throughout the ages.
Unfortunately of fortunately, depending on how you see it, the shiitake logs have woken up and the Edible Wood season has begun. No more reading time. Just outdoor puffballs.
