Morel mushrooms are wild mushrooms that are safe to eat and taste delicious. They have a distinctive shape and are easy to recognize. Harvesting morels is a great way to increase your food sustainability.
As I write this much of the country is experiencing self-quarantines due to the Corvid 19 virus. You may be concerned with the recent plummeting of the DOW or just wanting to get in touch with the land and prowl the woods. Hunting down morels is definitely a good activity during social distancing!
Foraging for mushrooms is a safe and fun activity as long as you learn to recognize edible varieties. It gets you out enjoying the woods and increasing your self-reliance skills.
You can look for mushrooms on your property or public parks that allow foraging. If you are new to mushroom hunting take a class at a local park or go with an experienced guide.
A great guide book is imperative. Ths is one of my favs.
This article will introduce you to foraging for morel mushrooms, identification tips, and ways to enjoy the harvest.
Yellow or common morel
Note the honey comb ridges and pits and thick stem. Photo by H. Krisp
What Are Morels?
Morchella mushrooms, which we call morels, are a type of fungi that have a distinctive honeycomb appearance. They are found in temperate climates around the world including much of North America.
You may have heard them called by their fun local names including Hickory Chicks, Molly Moocher, Miracle, or even Dryland Fish. Hunting morels is a great way to increase your self reliance. You can read more about self suffciency on our blog.
Where Do Morels Grow?
Morels grow in temperate forests such as we have in Kentucky, Wisconsin, and throughout many parts of North America. They are abundant East of the Mississippi River and along the west coast. Some species prefer deciduous trees and others grow around conifers.
Black Morels come up first in spring. They prefer hardwood forests and alkaline soils. Black morels are often abundant in disturbed soil areas such as after a burn, along roadsides, logged areas, or where there has been spring flooding.
Yellow morels wait for the weather to get a bit warmer. They have a broader habitat and are often found near ash, poplar, elm, and apple trees.
Black Morel found in Oregon
What To Look For?
Soil temperatures in spring between 45 – 55 Degrees Fahrenheit
Typically that’s daytime temperatures in the 60’s with nightly lows in the 40’s.
Edges and inside forested areas.
They often grow around ash, aspen, butternut, elm, and oak trees
Hunt for morels around stumps and dead and dying trees – especially all the ash trees we have lost to emerald ash borer
Often around wildflowers such as Trillium
They prefer south-facing slopes in fairly open areas.
They also seem to like well-drained, sandy soils along creek bottoms
Later in the spring look for the larger yellow morels
Remember morels are very good at camouflage – pay close attention!
A great video for learning how to scout for optimal mushroom places.
How to Identify a Morel
Notice the ridges and deep pits that give a honeycomb shape. Morels are a conical shape that is tall, not flat. Typically they are longer than they are wide.
The bottom of the cap (which is the pitted part) is completely attached near the bottom of the thick round stem.
Cooking morel. Notice how the cap is hollow.
Photo by Thor
Morels have a hollow core and are always hollow from the bottom of the stem all the way to the tip of the cap. Carry a knife with you and slice any mushroom lengthwise to double-check.
Colors include yellow, tan, grey, grey-black, olive-ish. They are not reddish – that would be the false morel!
False Morel
So there is a morel look alike and it is mildly toxic. False morels can cause abdominal distress and vomiting.
You know its FASLE when:
Does not have a hollow stem
Is short and squat
The cap is more like wrinkles and not honeycombed
FALSE MOREL - Note the squat shape. Cap is more wrinkled and does not have ridges and pits. Toxic mushroom
Picture by Jason Hollnger taken in Canadian Rockes
Fun Facts:
Morals have a symbiotic relationship with trees.
Morels always have the hollow stem
Morels sell for up to $30 per pound in the grocery stores
Mushrooms reproduce by spores – encourage reproduction by lightly shaking them out before you take them home
Bring a pocket knife when you forage for morels. A key way to identify a morel is the hollow stem and cap. Photo by Thor.
How to Cook Morel Mushrooms
Once you get your morels home, soak them in water for at least ten minutes and then rinse. This will rid them of bugs and debris.
There are several ways to eat morels.
Sauté them in butter.
I love them cut up and put in scrambled eggs with a pinch of tarragon and sea salt.
If you are vegan morels make a great meat substitute. Use them in stews and soups.
You can batter them with a cornmeal-flour and egg mixture and pan-fry them
They pair well with asparagus, wild leeks, and spring herbs such as chives and wild onion
Check out Serious Eats for some good cleaning and cooking tips.
Dehydrate
Morels can easily be dehydrated for later use. Follow the directions on your machine. It takes about one pound of fresh morels to produce one ounce of dried.
Morel in Estill County Kentucky.
Author, Ame Vanorio has 27 years of experience living off-grid, is a certified teacher, and as an organic farmer. She is the director of Fox Run Environmental Education Center and a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Ame recently moved to Wisconsin where she is venturing into growing mushrooms indoors and working on her latest book.
Dandelion may have a bad reputation, but it is not just a pesky garden weed. From chai tea to salad to herbal medicine, dandelion is one of the most versatile plants you can forage.
This post will give a quick overview of the many potential diet and health benefits of adding dandelion to your cooking, followed by a look at the many possible uses of this versatile plant in the kitchen.
I will share some of my favorite uses with you, including dandelion smoothies, pesto, roasted roots, and a coffee alternative!