Anyone interested in going out into the mountains and picking their own mushrooms will need to know this years rules, published yesterday by the regional Ministry of the Environment.
You can only collect fungi for your own consumption, up to a daily limit of 5kg. No permit or authorisation is needed, and collection is free if you are in public lands (obviously you can’t go onto private property). You are not allowed to use any implement or tool other than scissors to collect the fungi, nor are you permitted to upset the soil or growth area in any way that will prevent future specimens from growing.
Nor are you allowed to collect fungi at night.
Another interesting point is that you are not allowed to collect the fungi in any sealed recipient. Instead, you must use a sack bag or basket to transport the fungi home. The reason for this is that the fungi will disperse spores shortly after being collected, so you have to transport them in a recipient that allows the spores to be dispersed.
There aren’t many fungi spots in the Sierra Cabrera, but if you go into the north or west of the province, mountain ranges such as Los Filabres are full of delicious specimens ready for the collection.
The Ministry of the Environment has several teams policing the main areas, who will also help you identify the poisonous ones.