Thread: Morel mushrooms - 1 month to go!

Morels in most areas of the country are going to start showing up in about a month. In Ohio, April 15th was the earliest I've ever found spikes and the Morel Esculenta. Large yellows usually show up around 2 weeks after the spikes. In my opinion, next to the French Truffle, the Morel is the most sought after and highly prized mushroom in the world.

What sort of a flavor do they have? How do you prepare them?

They have a very rich and complex flavor and they are used in all sorts of fine cuisine. I enjoy them with eggs, in sauces, sauteed in a stir fry, in soups and they're incomparable with meat dishes. These may be the most versatile of all mushrooms and quite expensive to buy. If you happen to be a good mushroom hunter with some great spots, you can sometimes find them in huge quantities. Good morel spots are more closely guarded secrets than great fishing holes but they tend to grow wherever they want to grow and can be found in surprising places.

As a plus, Morel's are fairly easy to recognize. Many would consider them unmistakable, but I'm not sure I'd go that far-- people can always make mistakes!!

Rule 1 of mushroom hunting is to absolutely never eat a mushroom if you're not 100% sure you know what it is. Having your liver fail is not very pleasant.

Very true, Scott. I consider Morels to be one of the "unmistakables" due to the time of their fruiting and also their unique cap structure. The Helvellas can be mistaken for morels, although I've found them to be rather rare and distinct enough that there should be no confusing the two. A wee bit of research on both will clearly illustrate distinct differences and the Helvellas are the only other mushroom I know that looks similar enough to be carelessly mistaken for a morel.... It's like the first sailors mistaking manatees for mermaids, it requires some imagination but it could be done, I suppose.

Know your 'shrooms before picking them. There are some species that will kill you and some of them look mighty tempting - like the Amanita Virosa. for instance. It's a summer/fall mushroom but it sure is a pretty thing. And is widely distributed and fruits plentifully. They're not hard to find. They are nice and pristine and white and large and possess a fruity, sweet fragrance..... it's even reported to be quite tasty by those that have eaten it and somehow managed to survive long enough to talk about the experience. I suspect most of those died, too, since there's no antitode and causes a very slow and painful death. 30 grams of raw Amanita (about an ounce) is usually enough to kill an adult human being. Of course, it's as easy to tell the difference between an Amanita and a Morel as it is to tell the difference between nightshade berries and cherry tomatoes.... but there's no substitute for KNOWING the difference.

Amanita Virosa - destroying angel.

I remember looking for shrooms in September on Hampstead Heath about 20 years ago (when I was a student at UCL).

They were very small (about 2-3cm in length), a dark cream colour cap (less than 1 cm), and a little purplish/pink nipple on top. About 20 ingested would make you very .

Those were the days...

Originally Posted by majurey

I remember looking for shrooms in September on Hampstead Heath about 20 years ago (when I was a student at UCL).

They were very small (about 2-3cm in length), a dark cream colour cap (less than 1 cm), and a little purplish/pink nipple on top. About 20 ingested would make you very .

Those were the days...

That would be one of the less lethal forms of mushroom poisoning, from the sounds of it.

My family goes mushrooming every year. We have been going to the same place for over 30 years now. Its a great way to relax and enjoy nature. Morels are in my opinion the best of the shrooms, when it comes to taste.




David

They're mighty fine, but here are a few that I think to be in the same class of "incredible edible".

Marasmius Oreades - Fairy ring mushrooms

Lactarius Volemus - Milk Cap

Chantharellus xanthopus - Yellow Chantarelle

Boletus Edulis - King Bolete

On a side note, those are really nice pictures, Robert....did you take them?

-whatever

-Lou