Mushroom Identification: How to Make a Spore Print

Picking mushrooms can be an intimidating business - I have been reading up about it for a couple of years, but as I noted in my post about picking mushrooms safely, I have a self-imposed moratorium on eating anything I pick until I am 100% sure I know what I am doing. In the meantime though, I've been growing my own shiitake on oak logs.

Having reaped an excellent harvest last week, my sister-in-law suggested we try taking a spore print. It's surprisingly easy, and the results are beautiful (pictured). This isn't just a fun thing to do either - it can be a vital identification tool for many types of wild mushrooms. (Sometimes one of the only things that differentiates an edible mushroom from an inedible one is the color of its spores.)

How to Take a Spore Print

- Start by picking a mushroom that is approaching maturity, but not beginning to decay. (With many mushrooms this means it's still convex in shape - not flat.)

- If the gills (the pattern of lined flaps underneath the cap) of the mushroom are white, use colored paper - otherwise use white.

- Sever the cap from the stem, and place the cap gill-side down on the paper.

- Cover the cap with a bowl.

- You can also place a droplet of water on the cap - this sometimes helps spore release.

Instructions were learned from the incredible text Mycelium Running by mushroom guru Paul Stamets.

Now all you have to do is wait. After about 12 hours, lift up the bowl and move your mushroom - you should see a pattern of spores that mirrors the gills of the mushroom. You can then either spray the paper with the kind of aerosol that is used for preserving chalk drawings, or you can let it air dry - and store it in a plastic bag - the spores can later be used for cultivation. (Though cultivation from spores is a tricky business that is way too complicated to be covered here.) If you are using the print for identification, compare the color of the spores with the notes in your field guide. (And if in any doubt don't, whatever you do, eat the mushroom!)

Another fun idea is to try making spore prints on hats or clothing used for mushroom hunting - a method which should have you trailing spores wherever you go, spreading the mycelial love and ensuring an abundant harvest next time around.

Salivating over sustainable eats? Learn how to make your own with help from Emeril Lagasse in Planet Green TV's organic cooking show, Emeril Green.