Treasure Hunting for Morel Mushrooms

Hunting for morel mushrooms typically runs from early April and runs through June depending on your geographical location. The Great Lakes region in the United States is the most popular hunting grounds for morel mushrooms but they have also been found in almost all of the lower 48 states.

Most hunters will agree that the weather has the most effect on the availability and quality of these elusive mushrooms. Typically the day time temperature around 60 to 70 degrees, night time temperatures not less than 40 degrees and the soil temperatures of about 50 to 60 degrees with good ground moisture levels are ideal for moral growing.

Moral mushrooms are found in small patches under dead or dying elms, ash, apple and even pine trees. The seem to like to hide under or near thickets or other plant small plants growing in the area but since the ground cover varies a lot each patch of mushrooms you come upon may be growing in totally different conditions. Once you find a good spot you will need to check it year after year.

After a forest fire the moral mushroom seems to grow abundantly for the next two or three years and a lot of commercial pickers will follow the forest fire reports and first hunt in these recently burned areas.

Morel mushrooms can last for about two weeks before it starts to decay if the weather is good. Morels have been known to grow as much as one half of an inch in 24 hours. Since the shrooms do not have a use-by-date on them it is necessary that you examine each one collected for any decay. Look under the caps for any signs of decay. Many collectors will use the 50 percent rule when dealing with these mushrooms; if 50 percent is still good then bag it. It is also recommended that you do not keep them for more than three or four days before eating.

To harvest simply pinch or twist of the mushroom at ground level. It is recommended that your collection bag be a large open weave design. Some hunters believe that the open bag will facilitate the spoors falling to the ground, during your travels, allowing for a crop next year. Others think this is an old wives tell but at the very least the open weave design will allow tiny nasty forest critters to fall off the mushroom.

After harvesting, take them to a sink and rinse them in cold water to remove any foreign particles which include bugs. Then cut then lengthwise and rinse them again. Sore the clean mushrooms in a bowl with a cloth draped over them.

If this is your first time hunting, you should always go with someone who has several years shroom hunting experience. They can show you how and where to hunt successfully and in addition they can show you what a good moral looks like. Never eat a mushroom before you check to see if it is poisonous or not. Many good web sites exist that have very good pictures and description of the edible and poisonous verities of mushrooms.

Attending a Moral Mushroom Festival are excellent sources of information for the newbie and seasoned hunter alike. Muscoda, Wisconsin is the self-styled Morel Mushroom Capital of Wisconsin and this may be a good place to start.

Some of the other festivals are:
Mansfield, Indiana
April 28-29, 2007
Irvine, Kentucky
April 28-29, 2007
May 4, 5, 6, 2007
Richmond, Missouri
May 4-5, 2007
Magnolia, Illinois
Mesick, Michigan
May 11 thru May 13, 2007
Lewiston, Michigan
May 12th, 2007
Boyne City, Michigan
May 17 - 20 2007

Happy Treasure Hunting.

David Cowley has created numerous articles on Treasure Hunting. He has also created a Web Site dedicated to Treasure Hunting. Visit Treasure Hunting

Distinguishing Morel Mushrooms From the Deadly False Morels

While morels are considered to be one of the most distinguishable fungi in North America, and are thought to be almost universally non-toxic, each year there are reported incidents of allergic, toxic and fatal incidents involving these mushroom-like delicacies. However, in most cases, reactions are not from morels, but from the morel's evil cousins.

Many members of the mushroom family have relations that look like safe, edible mushrooms, but are deadly or disagreeable. Morel look-alikes are almost non-existent. However, there are a few fungi with which you should exercise caution. Unfortunately, these second cousins, known as "false morels," tend to grow near, and in the same conditions as morels.

Perhaps the most frequently encountered morel imitator is the "brain mushroom." The brain mushroom has a wrinkled, rather than pitted or honeycombed surface. Its dark brown stout body and bulbous, brain shape make it relatively easy to distinguish from true morels. It tends to "slime" quicker than morels due to its interior spore makeup, and does not have the same nutty taste as the morel. But if it is toxic, how will you know what it tastes like? In past centuries, many brain mushrooms were sold in marketplaces, cooked and consumed with little ill effect. However, for many people, there is no toxic or allergic reaction. Unfortunately, what was edible yesterday has been known to kill people the next day. For many, the symptoms are no worse than mild diarrhea or upset stomach.

Harder to distinguish are look-alikes for the half-cap morel, whose tapered cap is held to the stem only by a band at the top of the stem, half-way up the cap. Again, though, this false morel has a wrinkled surface, rather than honeycombed.

The "Big Red" false morel is generally found in south eastern USA, and is distinguished by its bright colors. Most morels tend to be colored similarly to the leafy carpets in which they are found, which will help to distinguish "Big Red" from true morels.

Generally, even the imitators do not produce a severe reaction in most consumers of morels. Unlike many mushrooms with their extreme and deadly toxicity, false morels are more likely to cause upset, rather than intense reaction. Many people are spooked by the possibility of poisoning, and will shy away from any wild fungi. Some avoid any variation in size or coloration. But morels in poor conditions, or varying soil types, or even climatic conditions, will produce varying results. Some yellow morels, found growing in gravelly trailside soils in Manitoba, are of a gray color, while some growing in the willowy drainage ditch sites in Minnesota are tall and spindly, with an elfin morel (false morel) look. Classic black morels growing in the rich red soils of the Dakotas have taken on a reddish tinge like the "Big Red." Yet, all are true, edible morels.

The key is to exercise both caution in picking, and moderation in consumption. Aside from a very few imitators, there is no need to fear morels.

Morel mushrooms have a rich, creamy flavor that is deliciously earthy, nutty, steak-like- and it's this awesome taste that makes the morel mushroom No.1 with wild mushroom hunters worldwide. Visit http://www.morelmushroom.info for tips on hunting, finding, and enjoying morels.