Morel Maddness!!!! Morel hunters check in here!

[AHappychick]

ok maybe I missed something, these are mushrooms that you look for and eat? I hunt for fiddleheads but would love to add another plant to my freebie list.

Or do you feed these to chickens?

Some one fill me in and talk real slow like as I am very slow this morning.

 

[fluffbeak]

These are DEFFINETLY for eating. The taste reminds me of steak. I even have morel dreams where I find huge ones by the tons. Alas, just too dry this year.

 

[sparkles2307]

This year I am going to dry the extras, last year we ate them till we couldnt look at them anymore because I didnt know I could dry them and didnt want to waste them...

 

[fluffbeak]

A tip that I read of years ago for using dried morels - reconstitute them in milk. I do not remember why, but this is what I have done in the past.

 

[millejn3]

Went out today for the first time with my 8 year old son and found 3 pounds of morels!

They were mostly all grays and none real large. Looks like its going to be a good year here in central IL

 

[AHappychick]

ok still slow on the uptake.

so I can just walk around the woods and look for these? is there a place in particular they like? Gonna go look today but we have not had much rain for a while...

 

[chicken stalker]

I think it is a tad to cold for us. I read somewhere that soil temp needs to be in the 50's for them to pop up. I wish I could remember what day/month the one I saw last spring.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

Alright I've got 4 acres of woods to hunt. I've never been morel hunting, I've never eaten a morel mushroom, but today will be a perfect day to get out there and find some!

I note that you are all north of me though....I wonder if it's too late for central Arkansas?

 

[yotetrapper]

I would think it'd be about perfect in ARK now. Just really getting started here in IL, usually lasts about 3 weeks for the yellows. For those that asked, look in the woods. If you live by a larger river, islands tend to be hot spots. Look around dead Elm trees. Morels like raiin, and warm temps. Dry here.... Looked 2 days ago, notta. Will hunt again tomorrow.

 

[NanaKat]

Quote:
The rule in zone 6/7 is to begin looking for morels "when the redbud leaves are the size of mouse's ears".....assuming we have had some rain.
I've been looking and have only found one before this week's rain. Will look today and tomorrow in our woods near the old Elm trees and rock piles. If there is an elm and cedar wooded area near a creek or low area where there is good moisture, drainage and leaf litter, that's where I have the most luck.

For those who have never gathered mushrooms....always do your research and know what you are looking for. Google morels for good pictures of the several varieties. They are usually not hard to spot nor are they easily confused with a non-edible mushroom. Other types of mushrooms can be.