It's Morel Season!

April and early May in Western Pennsylvania is a special time of year for my family.  It's morel season and it's a challenge!  Most folks have never heard of morels and when "mushroom hunting" enters the conversation, it's met with concern and interest. "Don't pick any poisonous ones!  Magic mushrooms?  Are they safe?  How do you know what you are doing!  I'd be afraid to eat them!"
Are just a few common responses.  Once you see a morel, however, you realize they are easily recognizable.  They have a distinct honeycomb like cap, smooth stem, and are hollow.  They are odd yet beautiful and are a tasty delicacy!  Morels are often used in French and Italian cooking, but we use them in gravy, soup, stuffing, and even on pizza.   We also dry and store them for years using a food dehydrator.

The morels we find in Western PA range in size and color.  The largest are about the size and girth of a 12 oz soda can.  These are usually referred to as "yellows" and pop up later in the season.  Black and gray morels seem to be found at the beginning of the season and do not grow as large as the yellows.  Morels are not easy to find.  They require a keen eye, strong legs and PATIENCE.  There are, however, some clues to their whereabouts.  Morels are usually found around the base of dying or dead elm trees.  They usually grow in clusters, it is rare to find just one (but it happens, and its a bummer).  Sometimes you will find a huge cache of them (50 or more!), we like to call that a mother lode and it is exhilarating.  We have a few videos of some of our finds that can be found at the bottom of the post.

We have been lucky enough to find morels in odd places such as old apple orchards, slate piles, steep hillsides, and ravines.  A certain chemistry must occur in order for these mushrooms to grow.  Temperature, soil acidity, angle of sun, amount of rain, and ground cover have a lot to do with their germination.  Morels tend to reappear in the same spots year after year.  Once a shroomer maps out a territory, they don't share it's location.  If asked, they may give you a false location.  You can't blame them, finding them is hard work!
Moreling is a ton of fun, and an activity the whole family can appreciate.  There is no way to describe the feeling of finding a mother lode until you have found one yourself.  You need a good pair of hiking boots, a walking stick, and a knife......and most importantly patience!  Good luck!

*All Pictures in this post are from 4-5-2012.  2012 was an early season due to the high temperatures in March.  Hopefully we will continue to find morels until mid-May.  Time will tell...

Our 2011 Mother Lode Find

Morel Mushroom Update: Mega Morel found of 4-27-12

I had to post these pictures since this is one of the largest morels I have ever seen.  It was found by my father.  It was 9 inches tall and weighed a half pound!  It dwarfs this 12 oz beer can.  Made several delicious omelets!