Please don’t eat any mushrooms based just on what you read here. What if I get it wrong? Or what if you mis-interpret something I said? You’ve just got to check a variety of sources, and do your own research before you even think of eating a wild mushroom. That’s called due diligence.

While we’re at it, it’s wise to do these things before eating any wild mushroom:

Make absolutely certain that you know what you’re eating.
Refer to a few of the mushroom websites that are run by mushroom experts. Check the mushroom you’ve found against the descriptions and photographs in mushroom books, and learn how to take spore prints. Or find a real-life expert to help you out.
Know what the look-alike mushrooms are.
Take Chanterelles, for instance. They’re scrumptious! But lots of people have mis-identified Jack O’Lantern mushrooms as Chanterelles, which is a big problem: Jack O’Lantern mushrooms are poisonous. So know what looks similar to the mushroom you’re thinking of eating — and how to tell the difference between the look-alike and the mushroom you want.
Start with the easy-to-identify mushrooms.
You might begin by trying shaggy manes, say– they seem pretty easy to identify.
Save a sample.
Save a mushroom or two in a little glass jar in your refrigerator. If you find later that you’re ill and you suspect you’ve eaten the wrong mushroom, you have a sample of what you ate to show the emergency room doctor. You might also take a few digital photographs of the mushrooms you plan to eat.
Try only one species at a time.
That way if you do have tummy troubles later, you’ll know which mushroom caused the problem. Some mushrooms, while not poisonous, might not sit well with you, just as strawberries disagree with your Auntie Edith.
Start with a small sample.
Who knows? Even a perfectly edible mushroom might disagree with your system. Best to be cautious.
Cook your mushrooms.
Some mushrooms are likely to cause digestive distress if they’re raw, but not if they’re cooked.
Beware of alcohol + mushrooms.
Some mushrooms limit your body’s ability to process alcohol – for several days, even. If you drink a lot and consume these mushrooms, you could wind up with alcohol poisoning. If you must have alcohol with your mushrooms, do your research first and make sure that the mushroom you’re planning to eat won’t cause alcohol absorption problems.

Of course, now I’ve probably put you off eating wild mushrooms altogether, which wasn’t my intent, but oh well. Let the record show that I tried to keep you from harm.