Trumpets of death: are they toxic?

Death's Trumpet, black trumpet, cornucopia, and other dark and sinister names for Craterellus cornucopioides.

Honey mushrooms, one of the most delicious edible mushrooms that can be found in our mountains.

Are they poisonous?

They are a delight for mycology enthusiasts, but their name may raise questions about their safety for consumption. Fortunately, these mushrooms, despite their dark and mysterious appearance, are not poisonous.

Their rare and elastic flesh is a delight in the kitchen, and their intense and versatile flavor makes them a popular ingredient in many recipes. Although their name may evoke a dark aura, black trumpet mushrooms are, in reality, a safe culinary treasure to be savored.

Names of black trumpet mushrooms

The black trumpet mushroom is a very common mushroom and therefore well known and consumed in the areas where it grows, giving it a wide range of popular names. As always, this depends largely on the area where it is harvested.

Although the scientific name for this mushroom is Craterellus cornucopioides, the most common name is perhaps horn of plenty. Although it is also called poor man's truffle for its delicious taste, trumpet mushroom, cornucopia, trumpets, trumpets of death, trumpet of death or rossinyol negre (in Catalonia), saltzaperretxiko beltz (Basque Country)

How to recognize trompettes de la mort

Both the trumpet shape of this delicious mushroom species and its unusual dark gray color, verging on black, make it easy to identify.

From a macroscopic point of view, here are the characteristics of Craterellus cornucopioides

Cap: Craterellus cornucopioides can reach a diameter of 12 cm, and the color depends greatly on the degree of humidity and the condition of the mushroom. With high humidity and advanced development, it tends toward blacker tones. With low humidity and in young specimens, the tones are more grayish.

The smooth cuticle sometimes has fine longitudinal grooves and the edge is clearly lobed with an irregular outline.

The name of this species of death cap mushrooms describes its trumpet shape very well, with an inner hollow that runs through the entire specimen to the stem.

Gills: none

Flesh: due to the shape of this mushroom, the flesh of each specimen is scarce and elastic, although its powerful flavor makes it one of the most consumed and used mushrooms.

Where to find black trumpet mushrooms

If we want to pick black trumpet mushrooms, craterellus cornucopioides, either to eat them immediately or to store and dehydrate them for use during the rest of the season, we must look for them in very specific areas.

These small trumpet mushrooms like very damp ground, mainly in beech and oak forests. They are very fond of moss, lichens, and decaying leaves.

A good place to find them is on the sides of ravines or in peat bogs. They love humidity

When to look for black trumpet mushrooms

Craterellus cornucopioides are mainly an autumn species, although they can start to appear at the end of summer and continue to grow until the middle of winter. Black trumpet mushrooms tolerate cold well.

The wide and varied distribution of forests on the peninsula means that we can find them almost all year round in shops specializing in wild mushrooms. In addition, it is a very easy mushroom to dehydrate, either by traditional drying or using a mushroom dryer.

We are therefore talking about one of the easiest mushrooms to find in specialist mushroom shops.

The black trumpet mushroom keeps very well once harvested and if we store it in the refrigerator, we can eat it several days after bringing it back from the mountains. It is one of the most rewarding mushrooms, along with the chanterelle. Another advantage, without a doubt!

How to harvest black trumpet mushrooms in the forest

If we find black trumpet mushrooms during one of our mushroom hunting trips, we can be sure that we will find more. In fact, black trumpet mushrooms grow in large groups and in large quantities. If we find a good trumpet mushroom patch, we are sure to witness one of nature's most beautiful mycological spectacles. It is not uncommon to find the ground covered with them.

When harvesting them, we must be careful because, depending on the degree of humidity, we may break them if we pull on them. Normally, we can harvest them by pulling them out carefully, but if they resist, simply use a mushroom knife to help extract them from the ground. And if the knife has a brush at the base, we can also clean off any remains that are stuck to it.

Can I confuse the black trumpet mushroom with another poisonous mushroom?

The answer is clear. We cannot confuse Cratherellus cornuccopioides, black trumpet mushrooms, with any other poisonous species. We have already mentioned that both its distinctive trumpet shape and its uniform color are very unusual in the fungal kingdom. The black trumpet mushroom is very easy to recognize, but not so easy to find :-).

In fact, the only variety with which the black trumpet mushrooms could be confused is another variety of craterellus that is also edible, C. cinereus

C. cinereus has a lighter gray color, a hymenium with visible, pronounced folds, and a sweet flavor with a hint of plum. It's delicious too!

Photographs of black trumpet mushrooms

We are talking about one of the most coveted mushrooms by mushroom pickers, so the first thing we do when we find them in the forest is not to pick them. We take out our camera or cell phone and take a few photos of black trumpet mushrooms or C. cornucopioides.

These black trumpets are very photogenic, and getting good pictures of them is also a source of satisfaction for the mycological collector.

Black trumpet mushrooms in the kitchen

Cratherellus or black trumpet mushrooms are edible mushrooms that are very versatile in the kitchen and can be used in a wide variety of recipes. In addition, the ease with which they can be dehydrated at home or purchased fresh or dehydrated in a wild food store makes them one of the most widely used mushrooms. You can even use powdered black trumpet mushrooms that have been dried beforehand.

Don't be afraid to use black trumpet mushrooms in sauces, scrambled eggs, risottos, or as a side dish with meat or in stews. They're delicious no matter how you prepare them.

Its delicious flavor, similar to that of black winter truffles, as well as its similar color, has led to it being popularly known as the poor man's truffle.

Black trumpet mushrooms are widely used to add color to sauces.

If you want to know the best way to cook black trumpet mushrooms, we recommend this article.

Black trumpet mushrooms always cooked

Consumption without prior cooking is not recommended. It is recommended to cook them for at least 20 minutes to avoid indigestion, as some people find them difficult to digest. In addition, if we use

What are the properties of black trumpet mushrooms?

Not only is it a delicious species in the kitchen, but the black trumpet mushroom also strengthens our immune system, and eating it provides an extra supply of minerals such as zinc (in particular) and copper, as well as B vitamins (B2 and B3). It is also rich in protein and has antioxidant properties.

Like the vast majority of mushrooms, they are low in calories, so they are recommended for weight loss diets

Black trumpet mushrooms prevent thyroid disorders and are an excellent source of essential amino acids.

Cheers and trumpet mushrooms!