Shroom hunting

[sarge87]

The morel mushroom hunting is pretty good up here this week. One little area we hunted produced around 15lbs. of those tasty little gems. I think with all the wet weather we had last fall and winter, the mushroom population should be better than years past. Happy hunting!

[huskerfan500]

I have always wanted to go and have some family but I never know what to look for

[sarge87]

Morels (Morchella) Description: Sponge, pinecone and honeycomb mushroom-the nicknames of the morel-are all appropriate. Morels are easy to recognize and delicious to eat, making them the most popular wild mushroom in America.

 

The surface of a morel is covered with definite pits and ridges, and the bottom edge of the cap is attached directly to the stem. Size: 2" to 12" tall.

There are three common species of morels:

 

1. The common morel- When young, this species has white ridges and dark brown pits and is known as the "white morel." As it ages, both the ridges and the pits turn yellowish brown, and it becomes a "yellow morel." If conditions are right the "yellow morel" can grow into a "giant morel," which may be up to a foot tall. (These are the best.)

2. The black morel or smoky morel- The ridges are gray or tan when young, but darken with age until nearly black. The pits are brown and elongated. These morels are best when picked young; discard any that are shrunken or have completely black heads.

3. The half-free morel. This is the exception to the rule that morels have the bottom of the cap attached directly to the stem. The cap of the half-free morel is attached at about the middle. These morels have small caps and long bulbous stems. (I would avoid these because they can be confused with its poisoness counterpart more often than not.)

 

When and Where: From spring to early summer. Morels are found on the ground in a variety of habitats, including moist woodlands and in river bottoms.

 

Cautions: Morels are quite distinctive, but there is a small chance they could be confused with false morels. Cut the Morel in half. It should be hollow from stem to cap, and the cap should stay attached at the bottom. If it is fibrous inside or the cap is not attached fully, discard immediately.

 

Cooking Hints: Cut morels in half to check for insects. Wash carefully. Morels can be breaded and fried, stewed, baked, creamed or stuffed with dressing. Their delicate flavor is brought out best by saute'ing them in butter for about five minutes on each side.

 

Storage: The mushrooms should be cut in half to check for insects and washed off to remove sand and other soil particles from them. Morels can be dried or fresh frozen. Do not thaw fresh frozen mushrooms before cooking because they will turn into mush (not to appealing culinary-wise.) Just place them carefully frozen in hot butter and saute'. Dried mushrooms can be reconstituted by pouring boiling water or broth over them. DO NOT CONSUME RAW MORELS.

 

 

 

Species in the genus Gyromitra vary widely in appearance. Some species are cup-shaped and have rudimentary stems. Other species are more familiar, especially to morel hunters, and these mushrooms are often collectively referred to as the "false morels." They have well developed stems, and their oddly shaped caps are generally reddish brown to yellowish brown. When sliced open, they are not completely hollow--and this is the best way to distinguish them from the morels, which are hollow. This is an important distinction, since false morels are poisonous, and none of them should be eaten.

 

AVOID THE FOLLOWING

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This is just a brief overview of what to look for, but use your own commonsense and judgement. If you are not sure what it is. THROW IT AWAY. Good luck and good hunting.

[rawhide]

used to get the wascawy cwitters down along the Platte near Linoma Beach. mmmmmmmmgooooood

 

just watch out for mocassins

 

 

GBR

[Wild Bill]

Thanks for the thread, Sarge - very informative.

[k-rash]

Nothing I love to do more than grab a 12-pack and head out into the trees. I could do that year-round if the little sh#ts would grow in the snow...