Whole specimens
Stem and base included- Ease the whole stem out of the ground rather than cutting it with a knife
- The base of the stem (cup, bulb) is often decisive
- Ideally, several specimens at different ages
Mycology · Annecy · Free · No appointment
Not sure about your foraged mushrooms?
Not sure about your foraged mushrooms?
Show them to a pharmacist before you cook them.
Back from the Semnoz, the Bauges or the woods around the lake? Bring your mushrooms to the Pharmacie du Pont Neuf: a pharmacist examines them one by one and tells you which to throw away. The check is free and needs no appointment. If there is the slightest doubt, the mushroom goes in the bin.
- Free check
- No appointment
- Pharmacist trained in mycology
- Open 6 days a week
- Any doubt, it goes
How it works
A second pair of eyes, before it reaches the plate.
In France, mushroom identification is part of every pharmacist's university training. That is why the local pharmacy has long been the first stop for foragers with a doubt.
You put your basket on the counter. The pharmacist examines every specimen (cap, gills or pores, stem, base of the stem, smell), sets aside the ones to throw away and explains why. You leave with what is safe to eat, and only that, plus advice on cooking it safely.
Why have your mushrooms checked?
Every autumn in France, hundreds of poisonings are reported to poison control centres, some of them serious. Most involve foragers who thought they knew their mushrooms well. A check helps you:
- · Spot a toxic species hidden among the good ones
- · Discard specimens that are too old, damaged or maggoty
- · Know how to cook and store what you picked
- · Learn the look-alikes, season after season
A single death cap can be enough to seriously poison everyone at the table.
Before you come
How to bring your mushrooms
A reliable identification depends above all on the state of the mushrooms. A few habits while you pick make all the difference.
In a basket
Never in a plastic bag- A basket or cardboard box lets the mushrooms breathe
- Plastic makes them ferment: even an edible mushroom can then make you ill
- Come in on the day you picked them
One species at a time
Kept apart from the start- One compartment or sheet of newspaper per presumed species
- Fragments of a toxic mushroom can contaminate the others
- If a toxic specimen is mixed in, the whole batch must be thrown away
As you picked them
Not washed, cut or cooked- Do not wash or peel them before the check
- Pieces or a cooked dish cannot be identified
- A photo is not enough: bring the mushrooms themselves
The detail that matters
Why the whole stem?
Look at the base of the stem in this photo: a kind of white sac, the volva. It is the hallmark of the amanitas, the family that includes the most dangerous mushrooms, among them the death cap.
The volva often stays in the ground when the stem is cut with a knife. Without it, a deadly amanita can pass for a harmless mushroom. That is why we ask you to bring specimens eased out whole.
Step by step
What happens at the counter
A few minutes, depending on the size of your haul.
-
1
You show us your basket
No appointment, during opening hours. Tell us where you picked them (woodland, meadow, roadside): the habitat helps with identification.
-
2
The pharmacist examines each specimen
Cap, gills or pores, ring, base of the stem, flesh, smell: every feature is checked, one mushroom after another.
-
3
The sorting
We set aside toxic species, anything that cannot be identified with certainty and specimens in poor condition. They are thrown away.
-
4
Advice for what comes next
Cooking, storage, sensible quantities: you leave with your checked mushrooms and the right habits for eating them.
Even with species you think you know well, a quick look before cooking costs nothing.
Golden rules
Foraging and cooking safely.
A check at the pharmacy does not replace caution when you pick and when you cook. These tips follow the advice of the French health authorities:
-
✓
Only pick what you know perfectly
A mushroom that "looks like" one you know is not an identified mushroom. -
✓
Avoid polluted areas
Roadsides, industrial sites, landfills, sprayed fields: mushrooms concentrate pollutants. -
✓
Never raw, always well cooked
Most wild mushrooms are toxic raw or undercooked. -
✓
In sensible amounts
Do not give them to young children. Eat them within two days, kept in the fridge. -
✓
Photograph your haul before cooking it
If poisoning occurs, the photo helps doctors identify the species. -
✓
Do not rely on identification apps
They regularly get it wrong, including with deadly species.
Folk tests do not work.
A silver coin that turns black, garlic or onion that changes colour, a mushroom nibbled by slugs or squirrels, a pleasant smell: none of these proves a mushroom is edible.
The only reliable method is a precise identification of the species, on a whole specimen.
The death cap, behind most fatal poisonings, has no bad smell and no unpleasant taste.
In an emergency
Feeling unwell after a mushroom meal?
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain, blurred vision, sweating, dizziness or confusion after eating wild mushrooms: call straight away, without waiting for it to pass. Do not try to make yourself sick.
Who to call, and what to have ready- 15 (SAMU) or 112 The French emergency medical numbers, free from any phone, including a foreign mobile. Call if symptoms are significant or several people ate the same dish. → Call 112
- Lyon poison control centre Covers Haute-Savoie, 24 hours a day, for immediate medical advice over the phone. → +33 4 72 11 69 11
- Symptoms starting more than 6 hours after the meal This is the warning sign of the most serious poisonings, especially by the death cap: an apparent improvement should not reassure you. → Emergency department without delay
- What to keep Any leftovers of the mushrooms or the dish, raw or cooked, and your photo if you have one. Note the time of the meal and of the first symptoms. → To hand over to the medical team
Frequently asked questions
Your questions, answered.
Where can I get mushrooms identified in Annecy?
At the Pharmacie du Pont Neuf, 38 avenue de Chambéry, no appointment needed, Monday to Friday 8:30am–12:30pm and 2pm–7pm, Saturday 9:30am–12:30pm and 2pm–6pm. Get directions.
Is the check free?
Yes, checking your mushrooms is free and you are under no obligation to buy anything.
Do I need an appointment?
No, just come in during opening hours. At the height of the season you may have a short wait if a pharmacist is already busy.
Can you identify a mushroom from a photo?
No. A photo does not show the smell, the base of the stem or the texture, and it often distorts colours. For your safety, we never say whether a mushroom is edible without seeing the whole specimen.
What if the pharmacist is not sure of the species?
They will tell you plainly, and the mushroom is set aside. Some species can only be told apart under a microscope or by a specialist mycologist: in that case the rule is simple, you do not eat it.
How should I carry my mushrooms?
In a basket or cardboard box, never in a plastic bag. Bring whole specimens, stem included, unwashed and uncut, with each presumed species kept separate.
What should I do if I feel unwell after eating mushrooms?
Call 15 or 112 straight away, or the Lyon poison control centre on +33 4 72 11 69 11, open 24 hours a day. Note the time of the meal and of the first symptoms, and keep any leftovers and your photo. In the evening or on Sunday, see our page on the out-of-hours pharmacy in Annecy.
Are mushroom identification apps reliable?
No, not for deciding whether a mushroom is safe to eat. They regularly get it wrong, including with deadly species, and serious poisonings have followed their use. Use them out of curiosity, never as a green light to cook.
The pharmacist's opinion applies only to the specimens shown to them. It does not cover mushrooms that were not checked, even if picked in the same place. If you have symptoms after eating mushrooms in France, call 15 or 112, or the Lyon poison control centre on +33 4 72 11 69 11.
Back from foraging
Come and show us your basket.
Our team welcomes you 6 days a week at 38 avenue de Chambéry, Annecy. The check is free, no appointment needed.