#field blewits

[mushroomgay]

Finchley, London, UK, January 2019

Field blewits (Lepista saeva)

These gorgeous little field blewits were growing right outside my work. They’re more difficult to spot than wood blewits, as only their stem (rather than the cap) has the purplish tinge. To be sure I had blewits, and not a webcap (Cortinarius genus), some of which can look quite similar, I did a spore print, revealing the pinkish-white (as opposed to brown) spores.

Blewits are delicious, sort of firm and mildly nutty, but need to be cooked thoroughly to prevent gastrointestinal upset. Some people find them indigestible even if thoroughly cooked, however, so it’s recommended that you eat only a small amount the first time you try them, as I have done here when I added one to my pho.

[mushroomgay]

Finchley, London, February 2019

Field blewits (Lepista personata)

Field blewits, considered among the best wild edible fungi, that grow outside my work, under a little snow we had recently. I’ve picked these before, and they’re delicious, though I left these as, covered in snow, they were going soft.