- When is the growing season ?
This will depend on your geographical location. The morel season for most of the state typically runs from early-to-mid April on through mid-June. Depending on your geographical location, your season could be plus or minus a week. - When should I start looking and where?
Great question. Narrow down your region's season for starters. Once you have determined that "yes" they are out there then the adventure begins. Many seasoned hunters have their favorite areas. Dead or dying elms, old apple orchards, old ash, poplar trees and yes even pines. It truly can be a hit and miss adventure at times. Not every elm you cross will have morels around it so don't get discouraged. Depending on your region, you may have to look harder than others. Often times morel hunters have a particular type of wooded growth that attracts them and this comes with experience and lots of trial and error....and luck!
- What effect does the weather have on the morel's growth habits?
We are not aware of any actual scientific study on this subject (if you have one please send it along), however, most hunters will agree that the weather more than any other variable has the most impact on the morel season. This includes air and ground temperatures along with moisture levels in the ground. Typical spring weather are usually ideal. Too much soil moisture is not a good thing nor is too dry of soil. Again, it's tough to determine at what point rain levels are too high, but too much rain can sometime have a negative effect. Not enough rain is definitely not good for the morel either. Soil temperatures will typically range from 50 to 60 degrees. It is not uncommon to find morels after a light frost or even snow, however, it is most likely that the morel had already made its grand appearance prior to the snow. - How come I can't find them?
This is a tough question for any morel hunter to answer and who hasn't or doesn't ask this question? Yes, even the most experienced hunter wonders this at times. If you've read any of the above FAQ's you should have the understanding that there are lots of variables; your region, your season, the weather, timing, and maybe the most mysterious is the spore that produces the morel.
Not every area you venture into will have that patch waiting for you so keep searching. Often times hunters will continually search an area that has produced in the past and for reasons sometimes unknown, they will come up empty. As stated before, this too is the mystery of the morel.
- How can I find help Identifying Trees?
- Aaahhh, the trees. It seems most, if not all morel enthusiast make reference a certain type of "tree". So how do you learn to identify which tree is what? How can I tell which is an elm, an ash, a poplar, an apple, or a sycamore? It is recommended to spend some time here and get to know them. Pay particular attention to the charactaristics of the bark on the trees, since most of the trees in the early spring do not have mature foilage and identification of the leafs may prove difficult.
Much of a morel hunters knowledge of tree identification comes over time. It is a common process for most shroomers to survey the area and analyze the vegitation around their morel patch - most importantly the trees. Overtime, your knowledge will increase and you'll spend less time wondering and more time harvesting.
- Does the source of the spore that produces the morel die out?
Not that we at S.K. Traders professes to be an expert in the study of spores, but after many, many years of hunting, and doing research, rest assured the source of the spores which brings your patch to life every spring will eventually pass along.
First off, if you have any experience at shroom'n you very well know there are no guarantees. Let's first look at what creates the morel in the first place - the spore. As stated, We are not a Mycologist therefore, it is not the intent delve into the scientific realms of the spore. The source of the spore is often the root cause of the mystery that surrounds the morel itself. The source of the spore can come from many places. Often times from some sort of underground root system; or they may have gotten there via airborne transplantation. Very often it is hard to determine the exact source of the spore. Many shoomers will look around after finding a patch and say "its that elm tree" or something to that nature. Whatever the source of the spore, when it ceases to exist - so do the morels.
The spores from the fungus drop from the "holes" in the cap, other mushrooms have gills under the cap. After these microscopic spores have dropped mycelium begins to grow under the ground in the first inch or two of dirt mainly on wood chip/decomposing wood and it needs high humidity and a good temperature. Most mushroooms need a temp of 79-82 degrees F but with morels it is believed it is 50-75 degrees due to them coming out in early spring. After the mycelium has colonized 100% of the substrate it's growing on/in it will begin to create fruit bodys from the mycelium and the mushroom itself actually grow in about 3-10 days depending on size, conditions, weather, moisture, whole list of variables. The mycelium needs a few things to grow the right temp, right decomposing wood, right moisture content, high humidity, and shade.
There is also the theory among some morel hunters that morels will replenish or re-populate within the same year. You may very well hear some seasoned shroomers swear that "where you find grays, you'll find yellows" within the coming weeks. The Great Morel has not uncovered any scientific data to back this particular theory. However, it might not be uncommon for you to stumble across a section where the morels and the spores may be in different stages in their life cycle. This may cause them to seem as though they are re-appearing or re-populating, when in actuality some of those morels may not have made their grand appearance on the day you happened upon them. If such is the case, then this theory is explainable and may be valid, but other than the circumstances mentioned above, there is no data to support the natural succession of a patch of morels from one week to another, or that a patch will produce one variety followed by another variety.
Along the same lines – many of you have had your favorite morel patches, which have just dried up so-to-speak. Those "sweet spots" that are no longer "sweet" anymore and you think they’ve been "picked into extinction". One has to understand that something in the biological and ecological makeup of that patch has changed. Did the spores that spawned that patch get blown there? Has the root system or the ground composition changed? Did something else change? Have they actually been "picked into extinction"? Based on basic research, it is most likely there has been a biological or ecological change, which has caused your morel patch to no longer be bountiful. Simply put – the source of the spore is no longer capable of propagating the great morel.
- How do morels make their grand appearance to the world?
No, just kidding. Rest assured everyone, that is a shroom'n theory as old as dirt. It is believed and proven by most that the morel fungus will sprout (so-to-speak) as any other living organism and proceed in a progressive growth pattern.
Many us have found them curled up as if they didn't quite stand up nice and tall, or got hung up by a root while trying to stand erect. Why so? What actually happened in this morel's short but wonderful life? In a way, maybe we don't really want to know the answer to this question. Maybe knowing will erase some of the mystery that surrounds this spring pasttime. Just rest assured they don't just POP!
- How fast do they grow?
Now we can back this with more than a theory. A few years back, We spotted three small grey morels (the 3" variety) after repeatedly checking on a known patch. Thus placing small sticks beside them, and monitored them over a three-day period. The results at the end of the three-day period were as follows. One of three grew a total of one half inch. A second one grew just under a half inch and the last one showed growth that was almost immeasurable. So with this scientific study in hand - yes they do grow. However, growth rates may vary based on when the morel you've found made its grand entrance into the world. Don't exclude those other variables such as weather and ground conditions. In closing, unless you are certain no one else will pick your crop, pick and bag them!
- What is the most common way of cleaning and preparing prior to cooking?
Why there is not a set procedure for cleansing and storage here are some suggestions that may be most common. Once you've got your morels(Guchi), its bath time. Take them to the sink and rinse them with cold water to remove any loose dirt and foreign particles. For newbies to morel hunting, foreign particles also include bugs, so do not be alarmed or disgusted. This is more easily done by slicing the morel lengthwise into halves.
This next step is optional and may not need to be done. Once you've rinsed them thoroughly, fill the sink with cold water and add some salt to the water. Drop your morels into the sink and soak your morels in a lovely salt bath. Often times they love this. Note though, this is only needed to help bring the critters out of the morels. How much salt you ask? This is debatable and some shroomers will advise to skip the salt all together because your morels will absorb the salt thus damping the true flavor. Needless to say, over salting is not recommended and if you feel your morels are critter free then pass the salt bath. If you've chosen to delight your catch with the salt bath, don't let them sit for more than an hour. Not that they start to wrinkle, they just want to get out of the pool.
The next steps depend an awful lot on how quickly you are going to begin your feast. If you are going to cook them up right away, then go for it. . Assuming your planning on feasting soon, pull out a large bowl or storage container and begin layering the morels in the container. Some people will layer package with a moist cloth or moist paper towel separator between layers. Its been reported using paper towels will often times transmit a paper towel flavor to the morels. So if you are a bit fastidious, use a cotton cloth. It is recommended to keep your morels moist (not soaking) and then cover them with a moist paper towel or cotton cloth. Since morels do not come with "born-on-dates" it is recommended not to store more than three to four days before preparing, although there are those who will say they will stay good for a week. Keep the cloth covering the bowl moist and it is not unheard of to periodically fill the bowl with water and drain and stick back in the fridge.
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