Advice on Hunting for Morels
Photograph from It'sGreg on Flickr
If you want to hunt for wild mushrooms but don't know where to start, the Wall Street Journal shares some advice on how to hunt for morels. Garrett Todd, a mushroom forager in Michigan, says to take your time by using your fovea, the tiny part of the eye responsible for sharp central vision. "An expert rule of thumb for morel hunting is for every one minute you walk, you should stand and look for the mushroom for six,” says Todd. Other tips include what flowers to look for as indications of morel season, and what trees they tend to grow near.
Related
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7 Comments:
i just finished reading this and my OH, who'd been doing a little outdoor escavating said "i just saw some kind of strange mushroom" .... so i showed him the photo and lo and behold -- morels!!!!
perfect timing.
pooch at 8:56AM on 05/14/09
Where are you pooch? In the Hudson Valley right? That is so cool. I am jealous. I knew we had lots of wild shrooms, my dad found a chanterelle in the back yard, but had no idea we also had morels. I absolutely LOVE morels!!!
simon at 11:57AM on 05/14/09
Morel lover over here! Ilove to just fry'em up in my camping cast iron pan with some butter and allspice over the fire....*sigh* summertime memories
hungrychristel at 12:12PM on 05/14/09
I'm in the Boston area and I don't think I've ever seen a fresh one. How long are these going to be in season? There's a farmer's market that is going to start up again around Memorial Day weekend near me and they might have some. I've only ever had them dried (well, rehydrated).
Amandarama at 2:00PM on 05/14/09
Rehydrated morels are very delicious too, nothing to sneeze at :) Mushrooms in general tend to do really well dried and then rehydrated.
simon at 2:11PM on 05/14/09
@Amandarama- be prepared to shell out $$$ for fresh ones. In my area (northern Indiana) they run $20-$30 a pound.
@pooch- what luck! Something similar happened to friend's sister-in-law, she had no clue what they were and didn't want them even after they were identified as morels. WTH!?
I've never tried the dried version. Luckily my in-laws live on a farm and we can pick fresh every spring. I've yet to spot one of the little buggers on my own, especially when there are old walnuts and bare corn cobs to throw you off. "There's one! Nope, walnut. There's one! Damn! Corn cob!"
AuntJone at 4:25PM on 05/14/09
@simon - I know! They are quite tasty. I guess I'm wondering if there is a major difference between the two (texture, taste, etc.).
@AuntJone - I'm prepared to spend money to try something new. Usually it works out pretty well (sevruga caviar), except when it totally doesn't (truffle oil).
Amandarama at 9:07AM on 05/15/09