My friend Cathy was kind enough to give me half a puffball. I thought I’d add some of it to the mushroom soup as fried croutons. It was a whopper.

In the UK, giant puffballs are a really good introduction to foraged food as they’re impossible to mistake for anything unsafe as long as they’re more than 15cm (6 inches) in diameter.

Under that size, if you cut it and it’s smooth white in its entirety, it is safe. If it is the deadly Amanita, you will see the distinct internal silhouette of an unemerged mushroom, including a developing cap, stem, and gills.

The only other thing a small common puffball could be mistaken for is an earthball, but when cut, it is purple, grey, or black.

I’m unsure about the US; Google suggest that the same applies, but please check further before using.

Sliced and fried in a mix of oil and butter with a little garlic, they’re like garlicky marshmallow, superb.

Unfortunately, this one was slimy and discoloured when I went to use it. I don’t think that wrapping it and putting it in the fridge was a good idea.

The picture below is of a slice of puffball given to me by another friend, Maurice.

If you decide to try this yourself, please note that reading this is not sufficient to guarantee safety. You should take appropriate steps to ensure that what you are eating is safe.