Just after the last feathers have fallen after duck season and just before folks hit the hollers to get their gobblers on, is that other hunting season that brings droves of families to the cool dark woods of Spring for morels.

There aren’t many kinds of foods that people would drive more than a hundred miles, then search for all day to find. The morel mushroom is one of those foods.

Morel mushroom hunting season can start anytime from early to mid-March and run into late June. The thing about morel mushrooms is you can’t count on finding them using that date you marked on your calendar last year when they popped their beautiful tops. Each season is different. There are so many factors that go into where they will pop up from year to year such that you can rarely find morels in the exact spot you found them the season before which is what makes finding them such a treat!

 

You have to pay attention to the weather. When there is a week or so with daytime temperatures in the 60’s and night time temperatures in the upper 40’s it is at this time the ground temperature reaches the low to mid 50’s which is the optimum growing condition for morels. Some rain to moisten the soil is required but it’s a myth that you need the sun to really “pop” them. Some of the most productive seasons have been cloudy, rainy Springs.

Many mushroom hunters leave the first one in place while they search all around it for others because when you find one you are sure to find another. Whether they know it or not, they are training their eyes and brain to block out the background and detect the mushrooms hidden within the brush and leaves. They are imprinting. The problem with this method is you may pass over many mushrooms before finding that first one, we always imprint before starting the hunt by looking at pictures.

Successful morel mushroom hunters seem to fall into three groups. Those who look for certain varieties of trees (tree hunters), those who look for distinctions in the lay of the land and those who already have an established patch they have hunted for a time.

 

 

The dead elm is a favorite among the “tree hunters” but many also swear by hickory, ash, or sycamore trees. Morels are thought to be mycorrhizal, meaning they form mutualistic relationships with the roots of trees. For this reason, you must learn about the trees in your area. This is certainly true of many types of fungi but since morels can sometimes be found growing in a treeless yard, patch of moss, or on a muddy bank, it is hard to prove this theory. However, the continued success of many “tree hunters” cannot be denied so this method should not discounted.

One tree hunting method in which almost all avid mushroom hunters agree is that old apple orchards produce morels. If you are lucky enough to hunt an area with old apple trees, check it often. Don’t give up on it as many times the large yellow morels which grow beneath them will appear about a week after everything else is gone.

The “Lay of the Land” mushroom hunting is also used by many successful morel hunters. A favorite strategy is to hunt the south and southwest sides of the hills early in the season. These areas get more of the early Spring sun warming the ground to the optimum growing temperature and therefore producing the first morels of the season. As the warmer days continue, track the mushrooms deeper into the woods. An exception to this strategy is the black morel mushroom. Typically, this variety of the morel mushroom is found in large groups at the very start of the season.

Another good place to look is in areas of disturbed ground. Mycelia produce mushrooms in response to environmental stress. Check out areas disturbed now or in the past by water. Examples would be old flood plains, near rivers, and near washes. Old burn sites are also a good place to look, any areas that had a fire come through are rich in nutrients morels love.

Many times a week or so before the first sign of grays or yellows. The hill tops in the middle of the woods seem to be the best location for finding the mother lode of these black sponges. Yet another strategy used by “Lay of the Land” mushroom hunters is to hunt the troughs. Hunting the troughs means to hunt the depressions, washouts, run-offs and small ravines within the woods. The theory is that the morel spores carried by the wind and rain are deposited here. Many morel mushrooms are found in these areas so do not discount this method.

Preparing Morels

 

Always cook morels, discarding any with decay. Cut them in half vertically first and wash thoroughly, or better yet, soak in salt water to remove possible insects and springtails.

Morels are delicious breaded and fried, stewed, baked, creamed or stuffed. Add them to pizza or pasta, serve them in puff pastry with cream, or add them to vegetables, gravies, cream sauces, roasts, steaks, fish or chicken. Let your imagination be your guide.

Our tradition is to also look for Polk Salat. This time of year is the perfect time to snatch up the first sprouts of tender Polk Salat and it pairs absolutely wonderfully with Morels. Caution though, Polk Salat has specific cooking instructions in order to eat it because it can be toxic eaten raw. I always boil mine a minimum of 3 times and rinse thoroughly between washes. Then I sautee it with my morels.

Identifying Morels

Morels have honeycomb caps on top of white or cream-colored hollow stems. There are at least three kinds of morels in Arkansas: black, yellow and half-free morels. Black morels have darker ridges than the yellow, and their pits (which give them their honeycomb appearance) are more vertically aligned.

 

 

The yellow’s pits appear more randomly placed, more honeycombed. The half-free morel is similar, except the stalk is attached to the middle of the cap, with part of the cap hanging free. All three varieties are edible and valued for their flavor; however, most of the literature suggests that the yellow morel is the best for eating, and the half-free is the least favorite. Avoid the sometimes poisonous false morel, Gyromitra Carolina, which has a reddish brain-like cap. Never eat any mushroom when in doubt as to its identity.

The “False Morel” has several species which carry scientific names such as Gyromitra esculenta, Verpa, Hellvella, and Disciotis. The Verpa and gyromitrin species are the most often mis-identified variety. The gyroomitrin is often referred to as the “red mushroom”, the “beefsteak mushroom” or the “lorchel”. There are several true species of the false morel, and while some will say they can prepare and eat the false morel with no problem, others have a drastically opposite reaction to them. So our advice is to avoid this mushroom.

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