There is now no doubt that autumn is here and along with pumpkins, grapes and chestnuts comes the pleasure of going mushroom picking. If the thought of picking and cooking your own mushrooms is tempting here are a couple of things you should bear in mind.
First in the canton of Lucerne there is a limit to the number of mushrooms you can collect. The maximum is 2 kg per person and 500 grams morel and chanterelle. It also is illegal to go mushroom picking during the first 7 days of any month.
If you are not sure whether the mushrooms you picked are edible then you should go to the Natural Museum in Lucerne on Monday afternoons from 17:00 to 18:30. This service will be available until the end of October.
Be sure to cut the mushrooms and leave the foot in the ground. Store your collected mushrooms in an open basket or paper bags but never in a plastic bag.
Finally here are two websites containing loads of mushroom information: www.vsvp.com and www.vapko.ch
Good hunting!
