46 morels

[poorhunter78]

we don't have those around here, how long is the season on them?

Here in Wv they start poppin up around the middle of April, Til almost the middle of May. Some places here differ with the climate! They are so Yummy.

 

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[Tuberale]

we don't have those around here, how long is the season on them?

Season here runs from February (earliest I've ever found 'em) to at least early August (and maybe later). Just keep going up in elevation. Usually near the snowbanks, which is why they are sometimes termed "snowbank fungi". I think that's misleading, although morels are nearly the only mushrooms I've seen which can have a small snow cap on top of them without damaging the mushroom much. Probably should dry frozen or freeze-damaged morels.

According to Chilton and Stamets' "The Mushroom Cultivator", morel mycelium can cross a 3.5" Petri dish at 77 degrees in a day. I kind of think that may be a little slow myself.

A little hint on hunting morels: after you find your first morels, stop and look carefully. I rarely find single morels. They are usually well hidden though, and it may take a while to train your eyes to spot them. After that you'll be cruising the sides of roads, and spotting them easily in ditches and banks at 5-10mph.

 

[poorhunter78]

are there look alikes that can get you into trouble?

There are, But knock on wood, I have never come across any. I try and pick from the same areas every spring.

 

[Tuberale]

are there look alikes that can get you into trouble?

Like many choice edible fungi, there are lookalikes. But they really DON'T look like morels in my opinion.

Try searching for Morchella (true morels) and Gyromitra (false morels) at mushroomobserver.com. This site is for anyone interested in fungi, and the members of the site vote whether the naming and nomenclature are correct. In other words, this site is "peer reviewed."

The most common mushroom mistaken for a morel is Gyromitra esculenta.

(Esculenta is Latin for "good to eat", which this is not. At one time it was considered a safe edible. But it contains quantities of monomethylhydrazine. Dimethylhydrazine used to be used by NASA for rocket fuel, until a fuel line broke exposing about 20 workers to the volatile chemical. Many came down with various cancers within 1-2 weeks. NO ONE SHOULD EAT Gyromitra esculenta!!!!!! PLEASE!!!)

Both Gyromitra and Morchella have hollow stems. In my opinion, that's where any similarity between the fungi ends.

Morels are considered one of the least confused fungi in the world. At least one mushroom book calls morels one of the "foolproof four", when searching for edible (and generally incredible) fungi.

 

[Tuberale]

That's just wrong. America has many fungi Italy doesn't. I don't think the copper penny idea is a good one. I have heard another wife's tail about adding silver to cooking mushrooms. That one doesn't work with our Amanita mushrooms either, and probably wouldn't work with the equally deadly Galerina mushrooms either.

Keep in mind: ALL mushrooms are edible ... once. Even the deadly poisonous kind, or the ones that encourage you to get a liver transplant immediately.

Some mushrooms are edible more than once. I prefer those myself.

And one final caveat: some people like Alexander H. Smith are allergic to all mushrooms. It happens. But Smith loved mushrooms so much he devoted his life to their study. He'd bring the good ones home to try on his wife and daughter.<G> Nancy seems fine, the last time I spoke to her. But Alexander also stated in his mushroom field guides that Gyromitra esculenta was edible. Uh, check the second paragraph again. Gyromitrin poisoning is cumulative. You can have a meal or two within a week, and not seem to suffer to ill consequences. But a third meal the same week might kill you. Nancy has stated it's best just not to eat any Gyromitras. She's still alive. Word to the wise.

 

[poorhunter78]

The 2 pictures I have posted in this thread, Are the only morels I have found for the last 3-4 years. I have found the early morel which is all stem and a small black/brown cap. The grey ones in the first picture are what I immediately clean, soak, and fry to eat. The blond morels in the 2nd pic, the bottom one are the ones I usually dry out. As they are normally the much bigger morels that I find here.

 

[worldtalker]

Love those Dry Land Fish,well thats what folks down in the Smokys callem.They sure are tasty with a mess of ramps i'm tellin ya!!!!!!!

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Those are sweet looking. It still to cold around here for them. So this is what I been doing. They bite even in the rain. First pic is yesterday and 2nd pic is today's. Me and a friend went today and was only there 45 mins.....Matt

Nice catch Matt!