Jun 2, 2023
Peak District, UK, June 2023
Blusher (Amanita rubescens)
The blushers are out! This is another herald of the soon-to-come summer mushrooms; it is a substantial edible that is commonly available and widely spread long before chicken of the woods and (in the cooler parts of the UK at least) many oyster mushrooms.
These fungi can be recognised by their pinkish tinge which is exacerbated by any damage to the gills or flesh.
If it is to be eaten, care should be taken not to confuse it with other, poisonous Amanitas, and also to cook it thoroughly, as it is itself poisonous in its raw form, containing a hemolytic toxin that causes anemia, but is broken down when the mushroom is properly cooked.
