A Delicacy From The Woods

[Chase Mueller]

The other day my SO and I were herping at a WMA, no snakes, unfortunately, but I did find a Morel mushroom! I've never hunted them before, and never tried one, but I was confident I knew it was a Morel. BOY OH BOY! I sauteed it in butter and it may be the most delicious thing on earth. I'd like to start actively searching for them, anyone have any tips on where to look? Rather come here for advice as opposed to Google. TIA!

[Chet R Parks]

There's a whole bunch of stuff on youtube about Morel's. Up here we look in the month of May. Best time is after a rain in hardwood wooded areas of Oak's, Maple's, Elm's, especially Elms and on the South/Southwest slopes. Usually grow with several in the same area. Be careful people are vary protective about Morel's on their property.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I love morels. I have hunted them since I was about age 6 or 7. That being said, do yourself a favor and learn to recognize the difference between morels and false morels. The difference can be deadly!

[Chase Mueller]

I just recently heard about false morels so I need to research that for sure. Thankfully I don't trespass so I'm not overly concerned with rubbing someone the wrong way.
I thought I heard something about finding them at the bases of hardwood trees on hills? The one I found was actually right up next to a really old raised concrete platform.
A quick way to determine if it's a morel or false morel?

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Nearly every shroomer I have know has had one or more near death experiences. Two went past even that. I would not begin to tell you. My father is a shroomer and never got sick from them to my knowledge. When he came home with a gathering, we always waited 24 hours to see if he got sick before we tried them. I must say some were extremely tasty. Especially some that looked like orange peels. I have lots of sheeps heads here every late summer and I do not even pick those. although I do let others take them.

[Chase Mueller]

We have something called Mother of Hens here as well, at least I think that's what it's called. Gonna look those up as well!
I think I might have found a new spring hobby!

[Marshall Harrison]

I'm too chicken to even try hunting morels. I'll buy any 'shrooms I need from the grocery store. That way my family will have someone to sue if the 'shrooms do me in.

[Chase Mueller]

Haha fair enough! I like saving when I can, I'm just hoping I can find enough morels to saute and put on top of a really nice steak for my anniversary with my SO!

[Marshall Harrison]

Haha fair enough! I like saving when I can, I'm just hoping I can find enough morels to saute and put on top of a really nice steak for my anniversary with my SO!
Goos luck Chase. And congratulations on the anniversary

[Chase Mueller]

Goos luck Chase. And congratulations on the anniversary

Thanks, Marshall!

[Wade Lippman]

Nearly every shroomer I have know has had one or more near death experiences. Two went past even that. I would not begin to tell you. My father is a shroomer and never got sick from them to my knowledge. When he came home with a gathering, we always waited 24 hours to see if he got sick before we tried them. I must say some were extremely tasty. Especially some that looked like orange peels. I have lots of sheeps heads here every late summer and I do not even pick those. although I do let others take them.

That's ridiculous. If you know what you are doing, you will never have a problem. If you don't know what you are doing, you shouldn't eat wild mushrooms without having them verified by someone more experienced. If you wait 24 hours, they probably aren't worth eating anymore.

That said, some people like to make it more exciting by trying questionable mushrooms. Foolish if you ask me.

[Chase Mueller]

Luckily, I have forestry/wildlife management classes under my belt, and on a friendly basis still with my former professors. A quick pic to two of them got immediate jealousy, so I knew it was gonna be tasty. :p

[Steve Peterson]

I'm too chicken to even try hunting morels. I'll buy any 'shrooms I need from the grocery store. That way my family will have someone to sue if the 'shrooms do me in.

I agree with you. The risk is too high relative to the reward.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Mr. Lippman, maybe in your neck of the woods. One of my college professors was a life long shroomer and natural food gatherer. He wrote books about gleaning nature's bounty before Euel Gibbons became famous and The prof and his wife died from a bad shroom about 1970. My father was told that any fungus/mushroom that grows on a living tree was safe. BUT there is one dangerous exception in this area. I have amanita muscaria growing on one end of the property and every 4 or 5 years the cops nail somebody for picking them. Some folks have been well schooled and go along shrooming just fine. I can think of around ten different mushrooms/fungus here on the farm. It isn't hard to tell a sheeps head from other things and I have a neighbor who will only pick those. I also have caught folks picking aaron's rod. When i asked the one what he did with it, he just replied "smoke it" He even offered to pay me for the picking rights. I have seen him take at least 100 pounds of the stuff at one time. I'll stick to the berries I can recognize.

[Chase Mueller]

So can I come pick some shrooms at your place? :D

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Sure. I warn you the police watch for folks picking the "magic" ones. And apparently smoking Aaron's rod to get high is legal in PA. However Sassafrass oil from thee roots is a controlled substance.

[Chase Mueller]

I'm not interested in the hypnotic mushrooms. If you're gonna trip, do it right.
Never even heard of Aarons Rod, but that doesn't sound like something I would want to try anyway

[Ted Phillips]

I love morels. I have hunted them since I was about age 6 or 7. That being said, do yourself a favor and learn to recognize the difference between morels and false morels. The difference can be deadly!

I agree, Ken. False morels look nothing like real morels - morels are very distinctive. Once you learn the difference, you won't ever make that mistake. I've been hunting them for a few years as well and they are a real joy to find and eat in the Spring. Gotta get out there before the bugs and bramble bushes bloom!

TedP

[Chase Mueller]

Waiting on a decent rainfall and I'll be back out there! I soak em in some cool water for about 15 minutes, no bugs were in it, but still glad I took that extra step!

[Ronald Blue]

Mr. Lippman, maybe in your neck of the woods. One of my college professors was a life long shroomer and natural food gatherer. He wrote books about gleaning nature's bounty before Euel Gibbons became famous and The prof and his wife died from a bad shroom about 1970. My father was told that any fungus/mushroom that grows on a living tree was safe. BUT there is one dangerous exception in this area. I have amanita muscaria growing on one end of the property and every 4 or 5 years the cops nail somebody for picking them. Some folks have been well schooled and go along shrooming just fine. I can think of around ten different mushrooms/fungus here on the farm. It isn't hard to tell a sheeps head from other things and I have a neighbor who will only pick those. I also have caught folks picking aaron's rod. When i asked the one what he did with it, he just replied "smoke it" He even offered to pay me for the picking rights. I have seen him take at least 100 pounds of the stuff at one time. I'll stick to the berries I can recognize.

I second Mr Lippman on the safety of morel's. People around my neck of the woods have hunted them for far longer than I have been around and I don't know of a single fatality. I'm now 60 plus. Yes there are mushrooms that can be very bad for you. But if you stick with morel's you will never go wrong. The characteristics of the real thing are distinct. I did google it out of curiosity and the "false morel" doesn't really look like the real thing. One thing it did say was the level of toxins can vary from one region to another. I will continue to enjoy the real thing without hesitation. Usually by this time they are finding them but it's been far to cold and nothing is growing yet. Hopefully by the end of the month.

[Ed Labadie]

The few Morels I find on our property grow next to pine trees.....for Mi., I'm to far south to be in the prime area.

Ed

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I was speaking of mushrooms and fungus in general. I know sheeps heads, easy to tell from other fungus, But there are lots of other tastier items out there. Of the mushroom/toadstools, I would not know a death angel from a fairy ring. We get some stinkhorns too. I don't know if we get morels here, never saw one that resembles the pictures. I still don't eat them. If I want mushrooms, I stop at the mushroom houses over near reading PA and get them fresh from the "cave" They have 4 or 5 different varieties.