Furry mushrooms

[mypandasgotcrabs]

Are they safe to eat? Bought some mushrooms from Sainsburys yesterday, just gone to get them chopped for dinner tonight and they have white fur growing over them. Will they be ok to eat after they've been washed or do I just chuck them away? (Very skint so don't really want to have to be spending another quid on more mushrooms)

I'd take them back....

Is it really 'fur' or is more like a 'feathery' effect to the mushroom? Are they firm or slimy? Are the gills underneath a nice pinkish colour or are they black? If it's a furry mould and they're slimy with black gills then take them back. If they are firm with pink gills and it's just that the outer skin is a little fluffy or feathery looking then they're fine.

PS... don't wash mushrooms, just brush off any spare bits of compost fibre and trim the end off the stalk.

Thanks for the replies, I decided to take them back to be on the safe side. On further inspection of them there was a lot of soil and all the fur was at the end of the stalks where the soil was, but it was rather offputting to say the least).

Fluff around the stalks is pretty normal actually. Mushrooms, being a fungus, grow from 'mycelium' which is basically flully white mould. The mycelium travels underneath the compost and the fruiting bodies, the mushrooms, are what pops out of the top. Sometimes when the mushrooms are picked, you get a little of the original fluffy mould that comes with them.

Don't let it put you off in future... just trim off the stalks.