Do you eat worm-eaten mushrooms? The ones from June are like that

The peak mushroom season is just beginning. We saw this for ourselves recently when we went into the woods. We came across various russulas, chanterelles, and, last but not least, a couple of oak boletes ended up in our basket. Yes, the first ones, which aren’t exactly in ideal condition. Most of them were riddled with worms. They didn’t look very appetizing. We usually trimmed the mushrooms lightly and then brought them home. There, I cut them open and found that most parts of the mushrooms were riddled with worms.

The larvae of various insects were hard at work

And quite extensively, at that. Various species of flies are most often to blame for the worms in mushrooms. A classic example is the bolete fly. It can easily lay 100 or more eggs in the upper part of the mushroom’s stem. Gradually, the small larvae—which we all know very well—hatch. They then gradually eat through the entire stem and often make their way into the cap as well.

Photo: Radek Stepan

Why are mushrooms so worm-infested right now?

The reason is quite simple: it’s relatively hot. Warm weather often encourages flies to lay eggs in mushrooms, and the larvae multiply more quickly. Simply put, they have much better conditions than they do in the fall. Fall mushrooms, in particular, aren’t usually this worm-infested. Now, of course, we’re finding that only parts of the caps of true boletes are edible—which happened to us as well. Some mushrooms are resistant to worms. For example, the chanterelles we found were completely worm-free. The russulas, on the other hand, had been destroyed by slugs.

Tip: Oak boletes growing in the grass tend to be worm-infested. Almost always.

The worms are edible, but not everyone eats them

Many people routinely eat worm-infested mushrooms. If the stem is white and contains only worm trails, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. We eat cherries this way, too. In fact, we’re getting some extra protein. Such mushrooms aren’t suitable for canning or soups, as the worms will float to the surface. These mushrooms aren’t dried either. This is because, in most cases, the worms will eat even the remains of the sliced fruiting bodies. Logically, then, there’s nothing left to dry.

Sources: Author, Meta

Photo and gallery: Radek Stepan