People often encounter these pillowy treasures long past their prime, when stepping on one will yield a delightful eruption of spores careening in all directions.
If you want to eat a puffball, you’ll need to find one before this “smoke bomb” stage. Read on to discover how to identify fresh puffball mushrooms in the field and learn about some common look-alikes to avoid on your journey.
Puffballs are adorable, but it’s important to remember that they aren’t shaped like most other mushrooms. They have no cap or pored underside but instead sport a rotund fruiting body without distinct zones.
Puffballs are round, globular, or shaped like an upside-down pear. They can be white, pale gray, or brownish, with some species featuring scales or lines of darker pigmentation.