Morel mushroom time in TN

[John K Jordan]

I'm finding more this year, probably due to the wet winter/early spring. My Lovely Bride loves them - she cooks them in several ways, one is the old Southern way: cut into strips, roll in corn meal, fry.

407905

If new to hunting morel mushrooms be careful not to confuse the toxic "false morels" with the real thing. If you eat the wrong type you will know for sure, at least for a short time. The true morels are hollow inside.
This makes it clear: https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/morel-mushroom.html

Perhaps because it's the only place I've seriously searched, but all I've found so far this year have been on our property, near the barn, on the side of the gravel drive, out by the horse pasture. They are often the color of leaves and difficult to spot. The one she is holding in the picture was in a spot within two feet of where I walk every day and had searched several times.

Anyone else finding them?

JKJ

[Ken Fitzgerald]

John, my bride of 50 years was raised with a father who hunted morels each spring in northern Illinois. 3 years after arriving in Idaho I hooked up with some guys to elk hunt and the next spring he invited me to go morel hunting with him and bring my wife. Two days later as she was slicing and partially frying morels to prepare them for the freezer she smiled at me and said "Now, Idaho feels like home!" She likes to pick them, and soak them overnight in a bucket of saltwater in the refrigerator The next day she rinses them in cold water, slices them in half lengthwise and rolls them in flour and fries them in butter. To prepare them for freezing, she fries them about 1/2 done and puts them in sealable containers layered with wax paper between each layer. Later she brings them out and without thawing them finishes frying them in butter.

We find them in the mountains here but it'll be another 4-6 weeks before we typically find them.

[Mike Null]

When I was a kid in Ohio we'd go hunting in the woods for morels. My dad just loved them. We never found enough for what I'd call a mess but they were delicious.

[daryl moses]

Not found the first one yet. My spots where I usually find them are not producing so far. I think the recent Spring floods have washed all the spores away.
Looks like I will have to wait a couple of months for my fungus fix when the Chanterelles start popping up.

[Gary Ragatz]

Used to hunt for morels with my Dad, when I was growing up in southwest Wisconsin. One time, we hit the jackpot - 36 lbs, all in one spot. We didn't have enough bags with us - had to turn coats and sweatshirts into makeshift bags! Mom was less than thrilled with the prospect of processing that much for freezing, so we had a lot of happy neighbors.

One summer, a few years ago, we had some new landscaping installed in our back yard. The next spring, about two dozen morels, some pretty good sized, popped up from the new mulch. Waited, hopefully, the next spring, but no joy :(

[Dick Strauss]

We like to leave 10-20% of what we find to produce spores for next year. We weren't lucky enough to get morels, we got Phallus Rubicundus with our mulch instead.

[Bill Jobe]

I never have any luck finding them, but my one of my daughters finds them in their yard.
I want a chance to try Panko crumbs on them. Maybe it would make them crispier(sp).
I LOVE morels.
There are many other eat able mushrooms including, I've read the so called "elephant ears" you see on the side of trees are edible.
Did you know that mushrooms are very similar to MSG, in that they enhance the flavor of any food they are added to?

[Bradley Gray]

We found about a dozen this morning.

[Jeff Bartley]

We found exactly one today. Better than none but I'll definitely look again!

[John K Jordan]

We found exactly one today. Better than none but I'll definitely look again!

I found exactly zero today. As a consolation prize I did find a couple of ticks.

[Jeff Bartley]

I found exactly zero today. As a consolation prize I did find a couple of ticks.

Ugg. Some consolation prize! I haven't seen any around here yet but a friend reported pulling two off their dog.

[John K Jordan]

Ugg. Some consolation prize! I haven't seen any around here yet but a friend reported pulling two off their dog.

Ticks here are the worst I've ever seen. Perhaps it is a combination of the warm and wet winter, I don't know. The guineas are happy.

[John K Jordan]

...To prepare them for freezing, she fries them about 1/2 done and puts them in sealable containers layered with wax paper between each layer. Later she brings them out and without thawing them finishes frying them in butter.
...


We used the Fitzgerald instructions to put some in the freezer. Thanks!

JKJ