Morels

[whistlepig]

It's about that time of year to find my favorite thing to eat. Some say the best time to look is the week after the Dogwood blooms. For me it seems the best time to hunt is when the Mayapples come up. They are getting harder and harder to find. Does anyone grow them?

 

[polo1665]

It's about that time of year to find my favorite thing to eat. Some say the best time to look is the week after the Dogwood blooms. For me it seems the best time to hunt is when the Mayapples come up. They are getting harder and harder to find. Does anyone grow them?

There's a couple of threads on here from the last couple of years. I'll start looking in the next week or so. We haven't had any warm days to speak of here, but today is supposed to reach near 80.
I agree about the Mayapples and around my place we always find them on an eastward facing hillside, and many times around dead or dying elm trees. Seem to be the best chance when the bark just starts falling off.
Every year I threaten to try to grow them, but so far I have not. I don't think they are easy to grow.

 

[Rob-D]

We're waiting for the wild leeks. I was out yesterday but they're not up here yet.

Rob

 

[polo1665]

There is a site called "The Great Morel" that has a "sightings" map, they keep track of mushroom sightings from all over the states. I was going to post a link, but the map for 2011 has not been posted yet.
On the forum attached to the sight, there have been reports of finding the black Morels in Vinton County (south central) Ohio.

I may have to go take a peek in the woods after work today

 

[Kays Supply]

I had a real heart break last week. My shop had dozens of " Morels" pop up. My #2 guy took one home to his father and he went nuts. He said they were false Morels and said get them out of his house.

 

[RobertBrown]

I had a real heart break last week. My shop had dozens of " Morels" pop up. My #2 guy took one home to his father and he went nuts. He said they were false Morels and said get them out of his house.

That's why I don't bother with any wild mushrooms. I've heard of people getting poisoned because they assumed someone else perfromed the proper ID techniques. I heard an example just a few months back where a group of Mycologists where poisoned, 1 died and 2 will never fully recover.
I have a friend in the northwest who will pick and eat many different varieties. I refuse to eat them. To me, it's just not worth it.
I know morels are fairly easy to correctly identify, but this is the first I've heard of "false morels". I don't doubt that they were correctly identified as such either.

 

[polo1665]

That's why I don't bother with any wild mushrooms. I've heard of people getting poisoned because they assumed someone else perfromed the proper ID techniques. I heard an example just a few months back where a group of Mycologists where poisoned, 1 died and 2 will never fully recover.
I have a friend in the northwest who will pick and eat many different varieties. I refuse to eat them. To me, it's just not worth it.
I know morels are fairly easy to correctly identify, but this is the first I've heard of "false morels". I don't doubt that they were correctly identified as such either.

Morels are extremely easy to identify and I have found false morels, the only thing they have in common with the real thing is the rough texture of the "skin". The shape is nothing like the edible variety.

I am with you though, Morels are the one of the only mushrooms I will hunt. Too easy to make a mistake.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

That's why I don't bother with any wild mushrooms. I've heard of people getting poisoned because they assumed someone else perfromed the proper ID techniques. I heard an example just a few months back where a group of Mycologists where poisoned, 1 died and 2 will never fully recover.
I have a friend in the northwest who will pick and eat many different varieties. I refuse to eat them. To me, it's just not worth it.
I know morels are fairly easy to correctly identify, but this is the first I've heard of "false morels". I don't doubt that they were correctly identified as such either.

Some people mistake helvella sp. for morels. They are similar, but the cap is saddle shaped to irregular. They can be rendered safe to eat by parboiling and throwing out the water. Other species that are often mistaken for morels include verpa bohemica and gyromitra esculenta. V. Bohemica can sicken susceptible individuals, with what is known as verpa poisoning. Two people can eat the same mushroom, one will get sick and the other will be fine. Gyromitra esculenta is more serious. The toxin metabolizes to hydrazine rocket fuel, which really messes up the nervous system, liver and kidneys.

I just keep my distance from all of them.

 

[whistlepig]

Morels are pretty easy to identify. Morels and Puffballs are the only wild mushrooms that I hunt.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

Oh man, I love morels. Clean those little suckers good, soak them in salt water, rinse well. Heat up a pan with butter, dip them in flour, salt and fry till crispy. A food worthy of the gods. I haven't had any in years and years, wish I were back hope, I have a woods on my small farm and used to find them there.