Attention because the fly agaric is also a poisonous mushroom. In Italy it causes a few deaths a year.
RE: Amanita Muscaria: The Magic Medicinal Mushroom
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Amanita Muscaria: The Magic Medicinal Mushroom
Yes, much research and caution is needed when preparing and eating mushrooms. We had our mushrooms identified by an expert. If the correct mushrooms are prepared right and taken in appropriate doses, it's relatively safe. The golden rule of edibles is start low and go slow. I also like the general rule: Don't stick it in your mouth! And there's probably a lot of good sayings about drinking that could be applied to mushrooms too.
Well, it's only poisonous if you don't dry or cook it properly... and by "poisonous" I mean that you might throw up, or get indigestion the next day, or get sedated. It's not dangerous unless you really screw up, on a regular basis, or for small people to take a massive dose. With a $60 dehydrator and about 12 hours these mushrooms are ready to go! But yes, if you're not sure what you're doing, don't do it.
I can't tell if the gagging is because of toxicity or because of learned aversion after puking after a big dose. Every single bit is gagalicious now. I should try mushroom tea one of these days.
The most important thing is to prepare it properly before use. Amanita must be properly dried and aged for at least 2 months, which means that most of the dangerous substances are removed. used this way, it is more likely to cause the user to see dwarves in the event of an overdose (or to deliberately take more) than to poison him.
I don't think you need to age it if it's properly dehydrated, but you could just to make sure. It's recommended to keep them out of sunlight to make them last longer. If you try to get rid of too much of the "poison"(Ibotenic acid), you can also degrade away the muscimol and muscazone. High doses of pure muscimol can put someone in a coma, though, so there are different types of "poison". Some people eat the mushrooms raw on purpose to get the ibotenic acid. Apparently it's a strong neurotoxin that puts holes in the brain, but so does alcohol.
A lot of fly agaric "poisonings" are when pets or kids eat the mushrooms raw because they're so little and the mushrooms they find are often fresh, potent little caps that can be eaten in one bite. It can be quite an issue during prolific mushroom seasons.
So the issue of proper protection against conditions is also important. sun and oxidation are also problems.
Well, children are always a problem, but there's nothing you can do about it. Parents must supervise their small children and make older children aware that these mushrooms are not safe to eat.
btw. Merry Christmas ! :)