I was in southern Indiana over the weekend and found 24 moral mushrooms then I get a call this afternoon and my friend found another 28 in the same spot today. Any one else finding any ?
If the temp around here would ever get above the 60's we might have a chance. A cool, fairly wet and late spring. Gary
In my realm they started up with great promise a few weeks ago then it turned back cold. I've found some since but I fear it will be a poor harvest for me.
Still lots of snow in our mushroom woods ;D
Seems to be a good year for some folks in my area but I searched in vain. Lindy found one quite by accident the day after I left to come back to work. :-[
Any particular type of location or terrain I should focus on? I've heard everything from under sycamores on a creek, under ash, to under cedar.
I'm sure they're out there. Somebody put 3 on the counter at the chainsaw shop near Salem last week. I'm no good at hunting them, nor have I taken the time yet.
I keep forgetting whether the cap on Morels is fastened to the stem, up inside or at the bottom of the cap! :-\
The ones I find are fastened at the stem.
And they haven't killed me, not once.
Jon
I found 1 a few weeks ago, week later found 10 more in the same spot, and over the weekend I found 25 more. I plan to go out today if I get a chance and do a more thorough look. With the rain yesterday and warm temps in the forecast I think there will be a good crop by this weekend ;D
The ones I found last weekend
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/35112/IMG_20180422_184821641.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1524751627)
It looks like I suspected, the stem is attached to the skirt of the cap!
There's no overhanging cap!
Quote from: Chuck White on April 26, 2018, 01:47:55 PM
It looks like I suspected, the stem is attached to the skirt of the cap!
There's no overhanging cap!
Note that the stems (actually entire mushrooms) are hollow. There is a morel called a "half-free morel" that the cap over hangs the stem more. Have to look it up. They also have the completely hollow stem. I've only found one, and I don't recall if they are edible, although I believe they are but double check.
Thanks for the additional info, Woodcutter_Mo!
I was going to look for some this week, we will have our first 60 degree days, then an 80. Last year I found some (about 30-35) in my leased sugarbush.
Once the snow melts and it warms up there are a few places on the farm that grow good morels every spring....
Last year, I had about 12-15 of them sprouted right in the middle of my back yard!
I just mowed around them and then one day, they were big enough! digin_2
I wish they'd come up in my back yard. That'd save me several miles of zig-zagging through the woods getting covered with ticks :o
They're worth it though as long as I find several :)
Quote from: Woodcutter_Mo on April 26, 2018, 04:18:47 PM
Quote from: Chuck White on April 26, 2018, 01:47:55 PM
It looks like I suspected, the stem is attached to the skirt of the cap!
There's no overhanging cap!
Note that the stems (actually entire mushrooms) are hollow. There is a morel called a "half-free morel" that the cap over hangs the stem more. Have to look it up. They also have the completely hollow stem. I've only found one, and I don't recall if they are edible, although I believe they are but double check.
I think that that's what
Bibbyman posted quite some time back and he called them
False Morels!
It could be, I have also heared of the half-free morels called "false morels" as well. Here's the half free morel on the Missouri conservation site:
Half-Free Morel | MDC Discover Nature (https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/half-free-morel)
Here's the ones I refer to as false morels:
False Morels | MDC Discover Nature (https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/false-morels)
In MI we have verpa bohemica which is what my fellow morel hunters call false morel
They actually look similar to the half free. We also have gyromita esculenta or beefstakes is what we call them. To me they look nothing like a morel. I won't eat them but I know guys that have been eating them for 40 years without issue. I guess they are poisonous to some people. We have decent morel production every year on our property and some years we have pulled over 20 pounds. Last couple years were weak though.
Anybody got any favorite recipes that apply to morels?
My favorite way to have them is in angle hair pasta
prepare the pasta al dente. (Slightly under cooked)
in a frying pan saute garlic, onions and the cleaned mushrooms in butter with a little splash of white wine. Just before the onions are done, add in the pasta.
Salt and pepper to taste. Simple and delicious.
I also like them in any stews or soups I make and they are great in an omlet.
I'd like to have some right now.
Jon
I agree, they are great in pasta. Also can be good on pizza. They are good in most dishes that require mushrooms, in place of the store bought mushrooms.
My personal favorite is saute them in butter with asparagus until they are carmelized. They make a good side dish like this. Or to add to pasta, also saute in a diced onion, some garlic, a couple diced sweet or mild peppers and a little salt a pepper. I also add some small leaf spinach and a little olive oil when the rest of the stuff is almost all the way cooked. I'd say some fresh basil could be added as well. Then pour it over the cooked pasta.
I like Weekend_sawyer's recipe with the wine added, I will have to give it a try :)
I have been out three time over a few weeks and have a total of zero. Not hearing of a bunch being found either. Around here it is usually at the end of mushrooms around may first. I wonder if that will be extended since it stayed so cold so much longer this spring? I know my blooms on things are from two weeks to a month behind last year. My uncle has found three little ones and mom has found one little ones and they have trees to check each year. So far so bad.
Cheers
gww
We enjoy them several ways. My favorite is to rinse and split them in half, allowing them to soak in salt water for 1-2 days in the refrigerator to get all the dirt and critters out of them. Rinse, then sauté them on the stovetop in a cast iron skillet with salted butter and plenty of fresh crushed garlic. Add some finely chopped onion and season. You'll want to get things caramelized but don't allow all of the moisture to evaporate off as you want to retaining some of the juices. then spoon them over a nice rare - medium rare ribeye or deer steak. Their flavor is unbelievable and that juice will make your steak amazing.
Another common method is to split in half and soak in salt water. Rinse and pat dry. Dip in an egg wash and beer or milk mixture and bread them with finely ground cracker crumbs. (you can experiment with what crackers you want to use) Fry them in salted butter in a cast iron skillet until golden brown.
I haven't been finding as many as usual either, I think here they are probably just about done. I've found probably 60 morels or so where I normally would have found close to 100. Strange year for them, they have been pretty much by them selves instead of finding several grouped together. We had a couple hard overnight freezes here after they started fruiting so that may have set them back some. That's my guess anyway. Still found a pretty good batch overall though.
I AM GETTING HUNGRY
taz-smiley food3 digin_2 digin1 musteat_1 food6 smiley_beertoast
wish some where here in Oregon.
last time i had some was 20 years ago in Montana near Glacier Park, Columbia Falls to be exact.
shaggy manes, puff balls, and morel.
saute in garlic and butter till almost crispy. digin_2
store bought Mushrooms are like store bought tomatoes.
they "look" like the real thing but do not taste like it.
A quick search of CL shows morels for sale in a wide variety of places,Medford,Oregon,Missouri,Indiana...
Quote from: 47sawdust on April 30, 2018, 07:17:55 PM
A quick search of CL shows morels for sale in a wide variety of places,Medford,Oregon,Missouri,Indiana...
THANK YOU
now have to search my 100+ acres to see if i can find any.
my right hip joint got tweaked on Friday so may be a couple of days till i can walk the forests.
Anybody in south Michigan finding any?
I found my first one at home today as I walked up the back walk there it stood . It was a four inch spike I walked around the house always found a number of them but not today. I think we need a shower of rain but the farmers would shot me if they heard me say that :D.
Found one yesterday from the truck while driving lease road. It covered most of my palm. Then walking around one of my station fences today I found two more about the same size. That is it so far this year. All the ash trees we used to find them under are dead and am having to find new spots
I think they're about done for the year in my area (southern Mo). I ended up finding one more prety good batch and I think that'll be all on my place.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/35112/IMG_20180503_184253143.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1525814419)
Nice woodcutter.
I ended up watching the grandkids for the last four days and the closest I got to a mushroom was one afternoon taking the kids fishing and I was close to the woods but too busy to enjoy it. Dad finaly found a grand total of 5 two days ago. I am free tomorrow but have a feeling it is over. I will probly go out but have no expectations. All I can say is thanks for the pictures.
Cheers
gww
It would certainly be worth looking, there may be a few more pop up here and there but I'd say they are about done or will be very soon.
I found another one yesturday that was pretty dried out not looking good, seems every year it dosen't look good :D
I did do a little looking today but did no finding. No pictures from me coming. Ended up working on a backhoe tire and I am done for the year . I did talk to my uncle and he did find another 35 or so. He did not share with me. First year in probly 30 plus years that I did not even get a taste. I knew having a good deer season would come back to haunt me somehow.
Cheers
gww