A couple months now until we start finding morels again. Post your finds here.
Jpuette
They're good in a cream sauce with a bit of medium sherry added. It's good over asparagus and chicken and pork chops. Rehydrate in half and half or milk which holds a lot of the morel flavor. Or use just enough half and half to rehydrate them add butter and use it when making mashed potatoes. They're delicious that way. The morel flavor permeates the potatoes. You don't have to completely cover the dried morels when rehydrating them. Put in a thin layer one or two morels thick and add water or milk to part way cover the morels and then put a same sized container on top and weight it down with water. As the morels rehydrate they get soft and the parts that were not covered get wet. I just hate to throw out morel flavor. If using water you can soak them and squeeze out the water and freeze it to use over. After 3 or 4 soakings the water is heavily infused with more flavor and makes a great reduction sauce for heavier flavored foods such as steak.
Since you have what I call scalps I use a small spray bottle to wet the morels. It can take a few times spritzing them and you need to turn them over to get both sides completely rehydrated. I then put a little 'Cavenders all purpose Greek Seasoning' on them, use a sifter like used to sift flower. Just a small and held sifter. It covers the morels evenly and doesn't get bunched in the pits like when dredging them. I then saute in a little oil with lots of butter, flipping part way thru until you get the consistency you want. A short cook will make soft morels and if you cook longer they can turn out like crispy morel chips. VERY VERY YUMMY. It's one of my favorite ways to eat dried morels.
I don't like to add them to things like tomato based sauces as morels to me have a delicate flavor which can get overwhelmed by some foods. That's my pesonal feleing, though I know of others who usaed thme in pasta sauces.
To each thier own.
Since you have what I call scalps I use a small spray bottle to wet the morels. It can take a few times spritzing them and you need to turn them over to get both sides completely rehydrated. I then put a little 'Cavenders all purpose Greek Seasoning' on them, use a sifter like used to sift flower. Just a small and held sifter. It covers the morels evenly and doesn't get bunched in the pits like when dredging them. I then saute in a little oil with lots of butter, flipping part way thru until you get the consistency you want. A short cook will make soft morels and if you cook longer they can turn out like crispy morel chips. VERY VERY YUMMY. It's one of my favorite ways to eat dried morels.
I don't like to add them to things like tomato based sauces as morels to me have a delicate flavor which can get overwhelmed by some foods. That's my pesonal feleing, though I know of others who usaed thme in pasta sauces.
To each thier own.
one more tip: When sauteing them add a few drops of liquid smoke just before they're done. It seems to enhance the wild flavor. NOT TOO MUCH. You don't want a smoky flavor but it's like many spices, they are meant to enhance.
Liquid smoke works well on the regular white button or crimini mushrooms as well.
Some times just a little of something just befroe they're finished or ready to eat adds to foods. I add a heaping tablespoon of sugar to my pasta sauce just before serving. If add to soon you don't get the same effect. It seems to me to eliminate some of the acidic taste of the tomatoes, which I don't like,
Whenever cooking don't be afraid to try something, but make any changes to how you usually do it on a gradual basis. Now with the internet one can find many m,any recipes. I look at several to get ideas which I may or may not try. I almost never follow a recipe as it's written. sue them as a guideline.
Good eating!
Liquid smoke works well on the regular white button or crimini mushrooms as well.
Some times just a little of something just befroe they're finished or ready to eat adds to foods. I add a heaping tablespoon of sugar to my pasta sauce just before serving. If add to soon you don't get the same effect. It seems to me to eliminate some of the acidic taste of the tomatoes, which I don't like,
Whenever cooking don't be afraid to try something, but make any changes to how you usually do it on a gradual basis. Now with the internet one can find many m,any recipes. I look at several to get ideas which I may or may not try. I almost never follow a recipe as it's written. sue them as a guideline.
Good eating!
My Mom did the same thing when she would make sauce from scratch. Add just enough sugar to cut the acidity. I live in NE Ohio and there are a bunch of folks around here who like an overtly sweet spaghetti sauce! Growing up as I did on my Mom's sauce, I can't stand it! I sold fine wine to make a living for quite a while, and had an Italian restaurant that made incredible sauce. One day I stopped in for lunch and ordered pasta. The sauce was sweet! The next time I talked to the chef/owner I asked him why. He said far too many customers found his sauce "bitter", and he had to give them what they wanted.
The first time I make a recipe, I will go pretty much by the book. At least as long as the ingredients aren't too exotic. It's when I taste the finished product that I begin to get ideas. Okay, more of this, less of that, maybe I'd add some of this or that. I've made chili for people who have asked me for my "recipe", and I have to tell them that I don't have one! What I have is a general formula that shifts around depending on my mood. But my chili always seems to turn out great!
And if you're wondering why some yankee from the frozen tundra is looking in, i just love reading about the first reports of finds! Georgia and Texas seem to lead the way, and then I get to follow the progression northward toward where I live. It heightens the anticipation and really gets me jazzed for hiking the woods. Here's to good luck to us all this season!
The first time I make a recipe, I will go pretty much by the book. At least as long as the ingredients aren't too exotic. It's when I taste the finished product that I begin to get ideas. Okay, more of this, less of that, maybe I'd add some of this or that. I've made chili for people who have asked me for my "recipe", and I have to tell them that I don't have one! What I have is a general formula that shifts around depending on my mood. But my chili always seems to turn out great!
And if you're wondering why some yankee from the frozen tundra is looking in, i just love reading about the first reports of finds! Georgia and Texas seem to lead the way, and then I get to follow the progression northward toward where I live. It heightens the anticipation and really gets me jazzed for hiking the woods. Here's to good luck to us all this season!
Anyone get out this fall for any fall mushroom hunting? I had some good luck this year with lions mane and chanterelles. Both are very good to eat, but I’m always wishing I had some fresh picked morels. I also inoculated some logs last year with shiitake and had a pretty good flush when the weather changed.
Is that Lion's Mane growing on a sycamore? I don't know if they have a tree preference since I've never found a single one. About the only success hunting Fall mushrooms that I've had is for Hen of the Woods. I had a very good season last Fall. I had an outstanding Chanterelle season last Summer, and only a so-so Morel season. Why? Because I farted around too long waiting for things to be "perfect"! What a dumbbell! If things are perfect, you're just lucky if you run into them and enjoy the success. I won't discount keeping records and planning, but the big wild world is under no obligation to make sense to us! But, sometimes is does, like last Chanterelle season.
Bearcorn, or what some people call squawroot, grows in my Chant woods. Last year it came up like I'd never seen it before! When it came time that I thought the Chants should be showing, it seemed that they were a little late. Then I saw a video from Learn Your Land, IIRC, about bearcorn. It is a parasitic plant, since it has no clorophyll and does not photosynthesize. It seems to like oak, beech, maple woods just like Chants do. It was thought that the bearcorn parasitized tree roots, but further investigation found out that they parasitized mushroom mycelium that was in a mycorrhizal relationship with the trees. This made me wonder if my Chants were in trouble. Veteran foragers will know that bearcorn starts to die back around the time the Chants should show up. It was the same here. The more the bearcorn died back, the better the Chants flushed!
I don't know if there's a cause and effect relationship here, but it sure seems like it.
Bearcorn, or what some people call squawroot, grows in my Chant woods. Last year it came up like I'd never seen it before! When it came time that I thought the Chants should be showing, it seemed that they were a little late. Then I saw a video from Learn Your Land, IIRC, about bearcorn. It is a parasitic plant, since it has no clorophyll and does not photosynthesize. It seems to like oak, beech, maple woods just like Chants do. It was thought that the bearcorn parasitized tree roots, but further investigation found out that they parasitized mushroom mycelium that was in a mycorrhizal relationship with the trees. This made me wonder if my Chants were in trouble. Veteran foragers will know that bearcorn starts to die back around the time the Chants should show up. It was the same here. The more the bearcorn died back, the better the Chants flushed!
I don't know if there's a cause and effect relationship here, but it sure seems like it.
In MD and VA we called it Squaw root. Squaw root is a name for several similar herbaceous plants that lack chlorophyll.
It began to grow in early spring and usually indicated that morel season was near it's end. Some say that Indian women used it for symptoms of menopause. Some say bears use is as a laxative.
As for lions mane the picture seems to be on an Oak. It can grow on several types of wood. I've found it on Sweet gum. Oak, Poplar, and especially Beech tree wounds. It's a decomposer that only grows on dead wood. The inside of trees is mostly deadwood. The only part of a tree innards alive is the thin layer just under the bark that transmits nuriens up and down. since it acts to decompose wood it is commercially grown and can be found in many food stores as Pom Pom fungi.
It began to grow in early spring and usually indicated that morel season was near it's end. Some say that Indian women used it for symptoms of menopause. Some say bears use is as a laxative.
As for lions mane the picture seems to be on an Oak. It can grow on several types of wood. I've found it on Sweet gum. Oak, Poplar, and especially Beech tree wounds. It's a decomposer that only grows on dead wood. The inside of trees is mostly deadwood. The only part of a tree innards alive is the thin layer just under the bark that transmits nuriens up and down. since it acts to decompose wood it is commercially grown and can be found in many food stores as Pom Pom fungi.
To heck with who's first! Who finds the most carries more weight with me. That indicates time spent and effort expended. As for myself, I've never hit a mother lode, but I'm just happy with whatever I manage to find. I didn't find a single one my first year, and was quite discouraged. I began to wonder if I was looking at them but just not "seeing" them. Over the pre-season I immersed myself in viewing every image of a morel I could find. There was a particular elm tree that I checked repeatedly. The first two times, nothing. Third time, it was covered in LBM's. Fourth time, nothing. Then the fifth time was magic! I found over thirty morels in that one spot, and was reassured that could, indeed, see them!
That's what I tell newbs. Just because you check a spot once and don't find anything, go check it again if you think it has promise. Also, that was the one and only time that tree produced for me. After that all the bark fell off and the top half of it blew down in a storm. There's an apple tree growing about 20 feet away and I keep hoping that the mycelium has migrated over that way and might pop some day. So far no luck, but I'll check again this year.
That's what I tell newbs. Just because you check a spot once and don't find anything, go check it again if you think it has promise. Also, that was the one and only time that tree produced for me. After that all the bark fell off and the top half of it blew down in a storm. There's an apple tree growing about 20 feet away and I keep hoping that the mycelium has migrated over that way and might pop some day. So far no luck, but I'll check again this year.
🤠❤🍄🍄
I am liking this Conversation!!
One Member pointed out to me,
The Hundreds and Hundreds of Views on this Georgia site, compared to the amount of Members posts.
Equaling; Hundreds of people watching and waiting for All Our Members to TELL THEM WHEN TO GO.
Why do that, let them get up and out there for hours and hours and Hundreds of miles and enjoy learning it mostly on their own..
Same as Most of us Have had to 👍🏻🐢🌦
Howdy Everyone
Wade here 🤠
Only one that ever told Me when it was time to go was My Dad....
and I wish it was still this way.. The Love of the Hunt..the Knowledge the Time together..
All Shared and learned Together With my Dad
And We found Huge Bags full..and left some. Said HI and took time talk with Neighbors when we crossed paths in the woods..
There were plenty of 🍄MORELS🍄 for everyone...
Guess those days are GONE FOREVER FOREVER FOREVER 💔
WWW internet is a Blessing in many ways..
But Not for Our Morel Hunting
Still; 💔🍄❤🤠🍄
We Love The Hunt❤
I am liking this Conversation!!
One Member pointed out to me,
The Hundreds and Hundreds of Views on this Georgia site, compared to the amount of Members posts.
Equaling; Hundreds of people watching and waiting for All Our Members to TELL THEM WHEN TO GO.
Why do that, let them get up and out there for hours and hours and Hundreds of miles and enjoy learning it mostly on their own..
Same as Most of us Have had to 👍🏻🐢🌦
Howdy Everyone
Wade here 🤠
Only one that ever told Me when it was time to go was My Dad....
and I wish it was still this way.. The Love of the Hunt..the Knowledge the Time together..
All Shared and learned Together With my Dad
And We found Huge Bags full..and left some. Said HI and took time talk with Neighbors when we crossed paths in the woods..
There were plenty of 🍄MORELS🍄 for everyone...
Guess those days are GONE FOREVER FOREVER FOREVER 💔
WWW internet is a Blessing in many ways..
But Not for Our Morel Hunting
Still; 💔🍄❤🤠🍄
We Love The Hunt❤
Very true... im on year 4 of trying to figure my spot in iowa out and its not great lol found a whole 1 morel last year and it was out for a while and dry when i found it.. gradually trying to go scope perspective new spots to mark on tue gps along with the last few years pinned locations of finds...
its a chore of course but it is all part of the hunt... plus it gets me out and leaves me feeling better after a nice stroll and look-see of the wilderness...
My grandpa always said "when the lilacs start to bloom you may as well be looking for morels"
its a chore of course but it is all part of the hunt... plus it gets me out and leaves me feeling better after a nice stroll and look-see of the wilderness...
My grandpa always said "when the lilacs start to bloom you may as well be looking for morels"
As if another thing to monitor is needed, but here is something that may be helpful to some. Every state has a pollen count monitor (or should). This one is from the ATL and I use it along with my soil temps to give me a little insight into what's the goings on beneath the earth. I'm not here to get into a logical debate with anyone over whether it works or not. What I can say is for me it is always a better indicator than watching the soil. Thermometers belong in turkeys IMO (that is a joke). I've found pollen tells me more than the soil temps. For as nature goes, so do the morels. Everything follows a cycle and pollen release is probably no different. I find annually that the things that are pollenating follow a similar pattern as soil temps. Just something else to watch along with the leaves. This link is for the atlanta site. You may have to do a similar search in ur own perspective areas but I think this is good for north georgia anyway. No tips here, just a little nugget with what I hope is info to aid u in ur search. (Pollen Count History | Atlanta Allergy & Asthma)
Just Moved from WI , First year hunting in Georgia, we have several wooded acres in Jackson County, hoping to find some🤞 I seen its getting into the 70s next week so thinking it's got to be getting close to time around here. Wisconsin peak was always just before or around mothers day, any tips for down here?
With many looking at posts for when the first finds are it may help the regulars or ol' timers.
I was one who most of-the time found the first mores in the Washington DC area (black morel)
I also was one to make early finds in SC. The only thing about that is that the first finds are rare and are usually only one or two of just a few. The Mani season was usually 2 or more weeks away. The first finds were not where most morels grew, but in small environmentally distinct spots
If a rookie sees an early find they may expends their energy prompting thru to woods without success. By the time when the ma fruiting happens they've given up.
Some first find posts are in false locations, intended to keep others from knowing where the author of the post normally hunts.
One thing I earned many, many years ago is to not post until after the season. If you feel the need to post or brag about a find just say what state, never a county. NEVER show a picture of where you hunt or a find still growing in place. Some pictures have embedded GPS info an where it was taken.
I was one who most of-the time found the first mores in the Washington DC area (black morel)
I also was one to make early finds in SC. The only thing about that is that the first finds are rare and are usually only one or two of just a few. The Mani season was usually 2 or more weeks away. The first finds were not where most morels grew, but in small environmentally distinct spots
If a rookie sees an early find they may expends their energy prompting thru to woods without success. By the time when the ma fruiting happens they've given up.
Some first find posts are in false locations, intended to keep others from knowing where the author of the post normally hunts.
One thing I earned many, many years ago is to not post until after the season. If you feel the need to post or brag about a find just say what state, never a county. NEVER show a picture of where you hunt or a find still growing in place. Some pictures have embedded GPS info an where it was taken.
For me I watch the
For me I like to watch the chickweed and trillium. Privet is always mothers milk down here (a good starting place).
You're welcome. You know, when you get to be 71 years old you just seem to wind up with a collection of stories, whether you intended to or not. I'm just glad that my mind is still sharp enough that I can remember them! I think that learning about new things, like mushrooms, helps with that. You didn't really think I'd stop at morels, right?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
