10 tips for finding and cooking morel mushrooms
Posted by Alivia goold on April 4th, 2021
1. Take the temperature
Although the calendar may indicate that spring is here, in reality, it still feels like winter in many parts of the country. No matter how much daylight there is, morels require warm temperatures to burst. Once the days consistently hit the 60-degree mark and the nights don't drop below 40, the fungi will start to show up. a good better indicator is that the temperature of the soil itself. Push a probe thermometer into the ground where you hope to find morels. If it reads 50 degrees, the morels should start to appear regularly.
2. Tree identification
Although morels grow in many diverse environments, you will find the most consistently around certain types of trees. Ash and elm seem to be a favorite companion for mushrooms, especially if the latter is dead or dying. Sycamore and poplar stands are good too, and an overgrown apple orchard can yield a mother branch. Well-drained, moist loamy soil with a good mix of sand, clay, and silt, such as soil found along streams and rivers, is also an ideal habitat for morels.
3. The south will rise (first)
Early in the morel season, the south-facing slopes will receive the most sun, causing them to warm up much faster than the north side of the hills. Hit these spots first, then move up the climb later in the spring as the warm temperatures become more consistent.
4. Feel the burn
Morels don't care what your political leanings are. However, they love a good burn. Recent fires, clean cuts, and other burned or disturbed terrain can be a utopia for morels. Combine that with rotten stumps and dead debris on a warm day after a rain and you're on your way to finding more morels than you can handle.
5. Deep cover
When you discover a mother lode of morels, go underground. The moment someone finds out that you have covered in fresh magic mushroom canada, they will harass you for intelligence. If you decide to share the reward by inviting friends over for dinner, at least keep the location of your hunting ground to yourself. There is no point in giving up a treasure that you worked so hard to discover.
Five tips for cleaning and cooking morels
Now that you've got found some morels, here's the way to prepare them.
1. Wash when you are ready:
Although best eaten fresh, morels will retain a fresh flavor and texture when stored in the refrigerator for a few days. The key is not to wash them until just before cooking, as the added moisture will make them soggy. Instead, put them in a brown paper bag, fold the top, and put them in the refrigerator.
2. Clean carefully:
When you are able to eat your delicious found treasure, clean the morels thoroughly but carefully. If the end of the stem is dry or woody, cut the edge with a sharp knife. Smaller morels can be cleaned as is, but you might consider cutting larger mushrooms in half lengthwise.
3. Rinse cycle:
The morels will need to be washed, but you don't want them to get too soggy. Some people prefer to clean them with a soft, damp brush, but all those nooks and crannies may not be enough. Instead, rinse them well and pat dry with a paper towel before putting them in the pan.
4. Brine time:
A short soak (about 15 minutes) during a lightly salty brine also helps clean fungi and purge morels of any critters which will still be living in them.
5. Keep it simple:
There are many recipes for morels, but unless you have a loot, consider taking a simpler approach to preparing spring's bounty. There is no point in hiding that weird taste that only appears once a year. Salt, pepper, and a little butter is the best way to cook morels, in my opinion.
