Whether they want it or not, Valley of the Stars players will inevitably get a ton of 
Red Mushrooms
throughout their playthroughs, but may have no idea what to do with them. They can be found in several places: on certain floors of the mines, in the Secret Woods (and Forest Farms) during the summer and autumn, from 
Rubber tappers
attached to the Mushroom Trees and, if the player chooses the mushroom cave, almost daily on their farm.
Different 
Purple Mushrooms
which are obviously useful as a source of energy, along with 
Chanterelles
Morels and Common Mushrooms, which can be used in certain culinary recipes, there is no apparent use for red mushrooms at first glance. In fact, they are more harmful than helpful; Red Mushrooms are technically poisonous and sap the player’s HP and stamina once consumed. But because they are somewhat rare and don’t sell for a lot of money, players may be led to believe that there is some value in keeping them. And it exists, even if it’s not immediately apparent.
Red mushrooms are important for the elaboration
But only in one recipe
can technically be used in crafting, but are only really good for a single recipe: 
Elixirs of Life
which are some of the most potent healing items in the Valley of the Stars. Life Elixirs are different from regular healing items because they do not restore a fixed amount of HP; they fully restore the player’s health bar. This makes them an excellent item for areas with difficult enemies, like the Skull Caves.
This recipe is unlocked when the player reaches combat level 2, which should be easily achievable after a few days in the mine, but can remain hidden on the crafting page if you don’t know where to look. Specifically, each Life Elixir requires a single Red Mushroom, in addition to a few other ingredients, as seen in the recipe below.
-
1 red mushroom
-
1 purple mushroom
-
1 morel
-
1 chanterelle
does not require any special crafting station; the player can craft one from the old normal crafting menu wherever they areas long as they have the ingredients. Other than that, there are relatively few things to do with red mushrooms. They can be sold, but not at great profit; they are hated by all the villagers except Penny, who simply doesn’t like them; and eating enough of them will literally kill the farmer.
Other uses for red mushrooms
A special scarf and requests
There are, however, some hidden uses for red mushrooms that may not be immediately apparent. Firstly, one can be placed in a 
Sewing machine
next to a piece of cloth to create a 
Stained scarf
. This adorable headpiece resembles a babushka and can be an excellent addition to certain Star clothes. However, it is not at all necessary or useful for the game; players should only seek it out if they want to use it.
Other than that, Red Mushrooms may occasionally appear as quest objects on the Notice Board or in the Fish Pondpromising players a certain reward if they deliver enough of them on time. They can increase the player’s friendship with certain villagers once completed, or allow fish in a lake to continue spawning. Whether the player actually completes these objectives is usually up to him. Just don’t ask what the Wizard is doing with all this poison.
And frankly, that’s all a player can hope to do with Red Mushrooms. They are certainly not the most useful items in the game (not even the most useful mushroom species), but when used well, they can be considered a player’s greatest allies.