hunting for morels

[icehousebob]

My greatest Morel hunting was on a guy's yard in Minnetonka. I stopped at his garage sale and noticed them as I walked to the house. I told him how lucky he was to have them. He said he didn't eat them and handed me a grocery bag. I had it filled to the top in less than ten minutes. We had so many that the kids even let me have a few.

[Trouthunter]

anybody ever go hunting around the metro area? I found a few good spots last year just on a hunch. Was around memorial weekend and most were rotten.

BD

[MikeYager - Suzuki]

I have some nice pics from last year but this site doesn't allow attaching pics. My main spots are in Wi. Prime shroom time coincides with first few weeks of fishing opener on Croix so I don't go as much as I would like but I usually get enough to eat a meal or two. Look up not down so true.

[koWALLEYEski]

can someone post a pic of what they look like. I would like to go out and look for some, but Im afraid Ill pick something that isnt edible.

[Guest]

koWALLEYEski-- google morel mushrooms and you will find many pages of info and pictures of them.It will explain the differences of types,pictures and give some info on time to pick.The ones you find aroumd here will be the big yellows,which can get the size of beer cans,and the smaller grays,which are usually about 2 inches high. The grays will appear first and then the yellows.If you look above I have another post with more info,and after checking the web,if any more questions,just ask.

[koWALLEYEski]

thanks a lot. I will look into it and try to go hunting for these. What do they taste like? Can someone give me a good recipe for them?

[Gissert]

I just wash mine off, soak them in salt water for a short while, slice, and then saute in butter. Yum!

[koWALLEYEski]

the site i was looking at said they are most commonly found where there had been a fire and the rebirth of new plants would be morels...? and also mentioned something to do with egg whites or eggs with morels and not trying to falsify the taste of the morels

[Anthony]

By the way, doesn't matter if it is the black morels or the golden morels, they are all great to eat.

I have found morels in the thickest spruce you could imagine. I have no idea why they'd be in such acidic soil, but there they were. My family found em while we were out looking for sheds a couple years back.

Just when you think you,ve found all the spots, you have a year where they aren't growing well in your normal haunts and then you find the mother-lode in the most unexpected spots.

Pike are running in the ditches up here like crazy right now. Will have the suckers in about a week. Don't normally find too many morels up here until about the 2nd week of May.

Good luck to all!

[woodyjdh]

I have found the greys,blacks, & yellows, eaten them all (not at once). The way we do it is; after picking them, clean them (rinsing them under water), then slice them lengthwise. We then either run a string through the stem (like making a morel necklace) and hang a bunch from the rafters in the attic to dry. Sometimes, we have used old screen windows, laid on sawhorses and spread the cleaned/cut morels out to dry. Once they are all shriveled up and dried, just put them in a large zip lock bag, or a large pickle jar. The most common way we cook them is with a beef roast in the oven. Do up the roast like normal, carrots, potatoes, onion etc....then toss some morels on top. Cook as normal, and voila...dern good eatin'. The flavor of the morels go through the meat, and the juices make the best gravy ever!

Just a side note; picking anything flowers/morels etc. from a state or county park is unlawful. Some have told me it is only unlawful if you get caught. I don't think the risk is worth it!

[Guest]

koWalleyeski--for a tasty little tidbit,take a half morel,dip in egg,roll in soda cracker crumbs and fry in butter until golden brown.Very tasty,also dont drink to much beer while eating morels,as it can make you sick.Another great way is to saute them,halved,in butter and eat with your steak. I think the morels are better than the steak.

[Anthony]

Found this pic at morel.org

web page

[Heidi]

I found my first Morel last year near Longville. One patch was right under my friends deer stand!!I looked last weekend up there and the woods didn't look the same. I always heard to get out there when you have 60 degree days. The woods didn't look the same....too brown.I rememember seeing little white and purple flowers. It was also more green out. I'd say 10 days to 2 weeks up there if the weather is normal. REMEMBER to put them in a MESS BAG so the spores can get out and do the voo doo that they doo!

[koWALLEYEski]

thanks guys/girls, i will be out and about looking for them. Cant wait to try them!!!

[mr wizard]

Still too early. Look up not down.

[Wayne Sieber]

Alright, my curiosity (or stupidity?) got the best of me so........What the heck do you mean by "Look up not down"??

[mr wizard]

You will find alot more morels if you are "looking up" for dead elms. You can go thru the woods scaning everywhere or you can take a minute too look for patches of dead or dying elms on a hillside and then just head for those trees. Morels will be scattered around the woods in small groups but if you move directly to areas with the dead elms you will have much better success. I am always looking down on my way to the trees!

[mr wizard]

The grays are just showing up in kansas city / des moines area. Yellows poppin in georgia!

[Wayne Sieber]

Mr. Wizard - Thank you!!! Now we wait.....

[DanS]

Last year I found a lot of black morels around dead aspen trees (like elm trees down south) using the "look up" method. It seemed like every dead aspen I found had at lease a few morels around it.

[koWALLEYEski]

from what i read online, morels grow where forests have burnt? the morels are one of the first to grow in these places?

[mr wizard]

How far do you have to travel to get to a burnt forest? I will be checking the end of the gunflint trail this June as they are burning the blowdowns. The morel hunting after the yellowstone fires was said to be awsome. I know some groups that go to BC and follow last years fires and do excellent. If you have burnt areas around FF I would be intrested in the locations as we spend alot of weekends around Dent.

[koWALLEYEski]

I have not heard of seen any forests that have been burnt. When someone starts finding some goodies post it so then I know when I can start looking harder.Thanks!

[mr wizard]

Kansas and southern Illinois are scoring yellows now.

[koWALLEYEski]

where do you guys here where they are getting them down south?