Mushroom pickers are hailing this autumn's harvests as among the best in recent memory. GERRAN GRIMSHAW asks some experts for the secret to unearthing edible varieties.

FUNGI fan Kevin Macfarlane is struggling to make room for this mushroom - a whopping wild puffball he plucked from a secret location.

He is one of dozens of foragers who are filling their fridges with a startling array of mushrooms from fields and forests near their homes.

The mushroom season in York and North Yorkshire is drawing to a close, but dedicated searchers said there is still time to find some hidden tasty treats.

Mr Macfarlane, who works at Clippers hair salon, in Huntington, said his find was the largest in 19 years of foraging. But he added that mushroom picking can be a dangerous pastime.

"There are bulls in the field where I got this mushroom, so I prefer to go at night so they don't see me," he said. "It also means I can get to the crop before other pickers who go in the morning."

"It's been the best year for a long, long time. I've never seen so many mushrooms in a field before. It's a secret thing for secret people. But I would like to thank my friend, gas man Brian, for telling me about this field."

Foragers say this year's mild, wet autumn has been particularly good for wild mushroom crops.

Silvano Scanu, proprietor at Silvano's Restaurant, has been picking wild mushrooms around York for 28 years. He was equally coy about the location of crops.

"I can't tell you the place, but I find them in the valleys of York. The conditions are very good because of the warm, damp ground," he said.

Silvano usually picks cep mushrooms, but has also found rarer oyster mushrooms. Both varieties grow on tree trunks.

He added: "Puffballs are quite rare and very delicious. They grow in the grass. The size of the mushrooms depends upon the cycle of the moon; this picker has been lucky to find such a big one."

Experienced mushroom picker David Breen, 56, of Tadcaster, said: "There's still time to pick mushrooms. You can collect mushrooms at almost any time of year, but it's best during the autumn.

"I find them on the sides of lanes and particularly in mature woodland, whether it's deciduous or evergreen.

"If, after checking in a reference book, I'm only 99 per cent certain about the identity of a mushroom, I'll eat a small piece of one. If I'm fine in the morning I'll eat the rest."

Wild mushrooms have always been highly prized culinary delights, and it is not just French truffles and wild shittake mushrooms chefs can use.

Edible varieties such as penny buns, chanterelles and field mushrooms - along with dozens of others - can be foraged from Britain's forests and fields.

But in continental Europe, more than 200 people die every year after mistakenly eating poisonous varieties.

Seek advice from an expert before picking

The first rule of mushroom picking is to positively identify any fungus as safe before picking or eating it.

Michael Jordan, chairman of the Association of British Fungus Groups (ABFG), said: "I would definitely encourage novices to go out with someone who has good field experience."

Would-be pickers should be wary of traditional rules for separating edible fungi from poisonous varieties.

Such old wives' tales as the caps of edible fungi peeling easily, or brightly coloured fungi being poisonous, cannot be relied upon. Novices should also be careful not to fall foul of trespass laws.

A good place for newcomers to start is to join a foray. These involve groups of enthusiasts going out searching for mushroom crops.

Forays in York, North and East Yorkshire led by reliable guides can be found on the website of the British Mycological Society and the ABFG.

Updated: 10:30 Saturday, October 22, 2005