Iowa Morels 2011

[JIvers]

I checked my usually-reliable early spots in Johnson County, SE Iowa, this morning, and sure enough they produced:

I found about fifteen small grays this morning. That is good, as it is about twelve more small grays than I found in these spots all last year, which was a total bust for me in the Coralville, Iowa area.

The cool wet April we have had this year is a big improvement over last year's hot dry April.

[croixeyes]

Thanks for the post eyehunter.The way this spring is going,we may not see anything til the Mn fishing opener.I may have to make a trip down that way,starting to get the morel jitters

[NoWiser]

I'm heading down this weekend to SW Wisconsin to hunt for some morels with a couple good friends that live down there. Its been a tradition for about 5 or 6 years now. The first few years we filled up coolers. Last year we were too late and missed them. So, we moved it up a week this year. Now it looks like we'll be too early. Oh well, it's still a good time to get out and hike around. Maybe if we are really lucky we'll find a few on some south facing hills.

Thanks for posting the picture. It gives me hope that spring will eventually arrive here, and morels will too. I'm predicting a bumper crop this year with all the rain, the cool weather, and the number of dying elms in my MN and WI areas. Can't wait! Good luck everyone!

[JIvers]

Here are some pictures to keep you going--these are from 2009, which was a bumper year for me (pretty much everyone else as I recall, too) in SE Iowa and SE MN:

[nate larson]

Nice job eyehunter! I am tempted to drive about 5 hours south to do some morel hunting this weekend. Too bad I don't know where to start down there...

[1DIRTBALL]

eyehunter, Do you happen to dry any of your 'room's? If so, would you mind telling me what procedure you use? Tusan Tak! 1DIRTBALL

[leech~~]

Nice, we don't seem to get to many Pop-can size ones up here in MN! I'm guessing May 14th or so in my spots!

[JIvers]

I dry some--I just leave them set out on the counter, although I know some people use a food dehydrator or oven.

The dry ones keep just fine in a plastic bag, although I keep them in the freezer to stop mold. I use dried morels in omelettes, on pizza, and that sort of thing.

I also pickle some of those little grays, but my favorite way to keep morels is to batter them and fry them in butter, and then freeze them. When I want to eat them, I just put them on a cookie sheet and heat them in the oven. I'm still eating fried morels from 2009 in this way.

[JIvers]

All the morels I get around Iowa City come off public ground that is heavily picked. The April 27-May 1 and May 9 photos, including the Coke can morel, came off that community property. I can only imagine how many I would find if I had it all to myself...

The middle photo, labelled May 15 with the soup can in the middle, came off private ground in Fillmore County, MN. I wish I'd taken a better picture, because those were some huge morels.

[nate larson]

ROAD TRIP! I might have to make this weekend my first annual IOWA morel hunting trip. My wife thinks I am completely crazy.