Amanita Muscaria Preparation

Can you eat Amanita Muscaria?

Amanita Muscaria is one of the most beautiful mushrooms found anywhere. Although Muscaria is a seriously toxic mushroom, it is rarely deadly and can be eaten after careful preparation. Cooking Amanita mushroom makes it edible, and in some parts of the world, it is considered a delicacy.

Rubel (2011) noted, that Fly Agaric is not poisonous in the sense that it can kill you. It is poisonous in the sense that if not parboiled in plentiful water, then raw or undercooked mushrooms eaten will cause you to become intoxicated and possibly nauseous.

The raw mushrooms contain the chemical ibotenic acid, which is what makes them toxic. However, when they are correctly prepared, ibotenic acid is decarboxylated to another compound of Amanita - muscimol, which is responsible for Fly Agaric’s desirable effects while affecting the central nervous system.

How to prepare Amanita Muscaria?

To consume Amanita Muscaria without experiencing any hallucinations, the toxic compounds must be extracted from the mushrooms. This requires boiling the mushrooms, since the compounds are soluble in water, and discarding the cooking water.

1. First, remove all the caps, clean them, and cut the caps into smaller slices.
2. Fill your boiling pot with plenty of water, add enough salt to make the water taste salty, and add 1 cup of cider vinegar. Adding salt and vinegar will help extract the toxins.
3. Boil the water with salt and vinegar, add the mushroom caps, and let them boil for 15 minutes.
4. For additional safety measures, drain the mushrooms and fill the pot with fresh water once more. Boil the Fly Agaric mushrooms for another 5 minutes. Some people repeat the boiling and discarding process even up to three times.

Most importantly, add enough water to leach out all the toxins of the mushroom. The more A. Muscaria you boil, the more water you’ll need. 15 minutes of boiling the mushrooms during one of the boiling sessions is generally enough.

How to eat Amanita Muscaria?

Previously boiled in plenty of salty water with vinegar, Amanita mushrooms may be eaten. Prepare Fly Agric mushrooms in your usual mushroom cooking ways, by dressing them with oil and vinegar for a salad, or adding to gravy to pour over the steak. What is more, Amanita mushrooms can be pickled and then mixed into stir-fries or rice dishes.

How much Amanita Muscaria to eat?

When deciding how much Amanita Muscaria to eat it is up to your own personal preference, since after careful boiling and detoxification, you can eat as much of Amanita mushroom as you like. However, it is always best to start with smaller portions to ensure, that the mushroom is indeed safe to eat.

Regarding the dosing of Amanita products, such as tinctures, extracts, or gummies, read further about it in the article “Amanita Muscaria dosage”.

Is Amanita Muscaria safe to eat?

When cooked properly Amanita mushrooms are safe to eat. Even though A. Muscaria is a toxic mushroom, it is rarely deadly and may be consumed after a careful preparation while drying or boiling the mushroom. If you are unsure of how to safely prepare Amanita mushrooms, choose pre-made Amanita products that are safe for consumption.

What happens if you eat Amanita Muscaria raw?

Eating Amanita Muscaria mushrooms raw may be poisonous and cause negative side effects. Upon ingestion, compounds of Fly Agaric, muscimol, and ibotenic acid cause nausea and shock, which can be seriously unpleasant, though seldom life-threatening.

Amanita Muscaria side effects

When consuming excessive amounts of Amanita Muscaria, negative effects, such as sweating, nausea, cramps, loss of balance, involuntary bodily movements, or delirium may occur.

It is necessary to prepare Amanita Muscaria properly before use to make them safe. It is always best to choose lab-tested, processed products, like dried Amanitas, extracts, tinctures, or Fly Agaric gummies. Amanita gummies or other products of Fly Agaric will be fully decarboxylated, so they contain plenty of muscimol and only low levels of ibotenic acid.

Continue reading

Before consuming Amanita Muscaria mushroom it is best to understand the compounds and effects of Amanita Muscaria.

If you are keen on finding out more insights regarding Amanita Muscaria's legality, read about it in our blog “Is Amanita Muscaria Legal? Worldwide Legal Status Overview”.

Amanita Muscaria is known for its medical benefits. Discover the blog article “What are Amanita Muscaria's medical uses?” and read more.

The effects of Amanita Muscaria vary from the effects of magic mushrooms. Discover more in the article “Amanita Muscaria vs. Psilocybin Mushrooms”.

Disclaimer 

The statements made regarding Amanita Muscaria products have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a consumable food. Amanita Muscaria products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Amanita Muscaria preparation is the process, during which ibotenic acid - a toxic compound found in Amanita mushroom, is leached from the mushroom flesh through careful and prolonged boiling. It is highly important to cook Amanita Muscaria (also known as Fly Agaric) in a specific manner, so it becomes completely safe to consume.

Resources

“Amanita muscaria, edibile if parboiled” (2011)

“The Deceptive Mushroom: Accidental Amanita muscaria Poisoning” (2021)

Reasons, Form of Ingestion and Side Effects Associated with Consumption of Amanita muscaria (2023)

“Wild edible fungi: a global overview of their use and importance to people.” (2004)