Morels Anyone...

[zephyp]

Anyone do the morel mushroom thing this time of year? I've found a few in the woods during the past couple of weeks...they sure are good...getting ready to go back out now then on to Home Depot to support more chores so I can work up a proper appetite to chow down on them...

[totes6]

Nope, I am allergic to the dang things. So I have to make sure when I eat out that I am not eating anything with mushrooms.

[Unkn0wN]

Anyone do the morel mushroom thing this time of year? I've found a few in the woods during the past couple of weeks...they sure are good...getting ready to go back out now then on to Home Depot to support more chores so I can work up a proper appetite to chow down on them...

OMG!! I love them things!!! I haven't had any in about 20 years or more.... It used to be a family thing for us. Me, dad, step-mom and sister would all be out in the woods. Come home and dad would fix em up!! MMMM

[VAGentlemen]

I use to find them and eat them when i lived in the mountains of WV. Haven't had a Morel in many years. That's a pretty good patch!

How do you eat them? I usually sauteed in butter and mixed with eggs.

[gunderwood]

Never had them. Why are these particular mushrooms so popular?

[Vahunter]

All the miles I out in woods Friday and yesterday I didn't see not even one.

[zephyp]

Never had them. Why are these particular mushrooms so popular?

Since you asked the most curious question, I'll quote you but try to also address everyone else.

Answer - there is nothing on the planet that tastes like these mushrooms. They are a delicacy, but you cant buy them in stores unless someone first finds them in the woods. They cant be grown like other mushrooms and very little is known about them. They only grow in certain climates in certain types of woods in certain conditions and for a very short (4-6 weeks) period of time.

Hence the name - the elusive morel.

Btw, for those here in NOVA if I were going to go mushroom hunting without regard to the law I would go to Lake Accotink park south side of the lake. But since you cant pick mushrooms there I wont go there...but it does look like an ideal place...well maybe not for another couple of days...

I found about 40 earlier today and about the same amount this past Tuesday.

I like them sauteed in butter with flour and also scrambled with eggs. I spent my high school years in Indiana and my dad took us out every spring...

Yum yum...hey DK, whats for supper --- MORELS !!!!!!

[KaosDad]

Sorry - I have no morels. I refuse to take the morel high ground. My morel compass is broken and I have NO morel center. I was once asked to compromise my morels, but having none, I could not.

[Unkn0wN]

here is a website with some recipes and some info.

http://thegreatmorel.com/recipes.html - my dad made them like the second recipe down with flour.

[ksanftleben]

I can take them or leave them, but when I was in college in Michigan back in the 70s, Morel hunting was a giant deal each spring.

One year I went with a friend's family way up north to the National Morel Festival up near Charlevoix. Never eaten so many mushrooms fixed in so many different and tasty ways before or since.

The fest is still going strong and is coming up next month. Here's the link: 50th National Morel Mushroom Festival

R/Kurt

[zephyp]

Yes, we used to go to Michigan just before Memorial day to find the mother lode...sometimes we did and sometimes we didnt...good memories...my dad was a great guy...I miss him alot.

[ProShooter]

My wife loves those things! Point me in the right direction, I'll go get them!

[zephyp]

My wife loves those things! Point me in the right direction, I'll go get them!

De woods boss, de woods...I've been finding them near live elm trees of all sizes around rotted tree falls where there is vegetation such as may apples and ferns growing...look for relatively flat ground and go a couple days after a good rain...walk slow and keep a close eye out on the ground...duh...look closely around rotted logs of all types...if you find one stop and get down on one knee and look around for a couple of minutes...you might find more...I got lucky and found where some moron broke a good sized tree over (about 4 inches in diameter) and knew it was a sign...I started looking around and found a nice patch...I hate people like that...many other ways to mark your spot...

The season is quickly running out...I've found lots of grays and a few browns but now the long stems are showing up and they are the last ones you see in the season...

[Unkn0wN]

I can take them or leave them, but when I was in college in Michigan back in the 70s, Morel hunting was a giant deal each spring.

One year I went with a friend's family way up north to the National Morel Festival up near Charlevoix. Never eaten so many mushrooms fixed in so many different and tasty ways before or since.

The fest is still going strong and is coming up next month. Here's the link: 50th National Morel Mushroom Festival

R/Kurt

I am from Michigan and although we loved our Morels, we never went to the festival. My aunt however always raved about going to Charlevoix.

[BluemontGlock]

was out behind the house, up on the hill, looking this past weekend,. went around all the elms, and downed logs... about 2 to 3 hours after a light rain...

got about 15 decent sized ones, after the lawn was mowed, weed eating done, race/golf was on, kids were outside,...made space on the couch, saut~ed them in butter, and put over 2 glazed pork chops with a little pinapple on the side, 2 cold miller high lifes,...

OMG - LIFE IS SO GOOD!!!!

[zephyp]

Hey Eliot --- good deal. Young and I feasted on a mess last night...we had a few just sauteed in butter, a mess battered with egg, milk, and bread crumbs fried in butter, baby brie cheese melted on crackers in the toaster oven.....MMMM....MMMMM....doesnt get any better than that...

Some good rain the last couple days up here...looking forward to the weekend when I can look for more....

I've been finding big grays in ones and twos....probably about 5 inches tall for the big ones and most in the 3 inch range...

[BluemontGlock]

I the ones I found on Mount Weather on Sunday were gray/whitish stems and the crinkly brown tops...most were about 3 to 4" with fairly thick stems...found them in groups of 2 and 3...with the big ones growing right out from under the decaying logs...

A local gent, that has been in Bluemont since he was born, was telling me that the Morel spores come down to the ground with the Elm tree pollen...and that you should look at how the pollen comes down, prevailing winds, etc...and that I should look about 15' to 50' away, in expanding circles around elms, as a good way to seek out the tasty little beasties...

and either way, hiking is MUCH more fun when your focusing on finding something...

I haev only ever grilled them up with butter... once tried the egg thing and had to much of one, not enough of the other, so i stick with twhat i know, but when i read:
Dk- "bread crumbs fried in butter, baby brie cheese melted on crackers in the toaster oven....." OMG, melted Brie cheese and bread crumbs over morels...
add a little bit of wine... I cannot wait to try it, sounds so good...hope fully will get some more before the season slides by me... making me so hungery thinking about it...



As I have gotten older, I am learning to stop and smell the roses,

[DEgunner]

I love those things, but the pickins have been slim here this season.

[zephyp]

I the ones I found on Mount Weather on Sunday were gray/whitish stems and the crinkly brown tops...most were about 3 to 4" with fairly thick stems...found them in groups of 2 and 3...with the big ones growing right out from under the decaying logs...

A local gent, that has been in Bluemont since he was born, was telling me that the Morel spores come down to the ground with the Elm tree pollen...and that you should look at how the pollen comes down, prevailing winds, etc...and that I should look about 15' to 50' away, in expanding circles around elms, as a good way to seek out the tasty little beasties...

and either way, hiking is MUCH more fun when your focusing on finding something...

I haev only ever grilled them up with butter... once tried the egg thing and had to much of one, not enough of the other, so i stick with twhat i know, but when i read:
Dk- "bread crumbs fried in butter, baby brie cheese melted on crackers in the toaster oven....." OMG, melted Brie cheese and bread crumbs over morels...
add a little bit of wine... I cannot wait to try it, sounds so good...hope fully will get some more before the season slides by me... making me so hungery thinking about it...



As I have gotten older, I am learning to stop and smell the roses,

Sounds like the ones you found had been there for a few days...the grays are the best tasting IMO...and they are the first ones to pop...keep looking you should find more...when you see the long stems and small heads those are the last ones to come...