The Morel Mushroom.....Mother Nature's Hidden Gem.

reply to post by catfishjoe


what if I froze them sealed them and then mailed them in a cooler full of ice lol

reply to post by VoidWalker


Along with a 6 pack of Iowa's best beer?? Sure!!

reply to post by catfishjoe


OOOH MAN DO I HAVE THAT ON LOCK! lol my family friend has a micro brewery in their restaurant. Best beer in Iowa!

reply to post by catfishjoe


In the cold dark far north.
I'm in Alaska. Mushrooming is something I really want to learn more about. We have so many species up here and I am only comfortable with 3 so far the puffball, the morel and the boletas. I really do love seeing those morels in the spring.

reply to post by woodsmom


Always wanted to visit Alaska. I consider You a very lucky guy!!

reply to post by VoidWalker


Here in Oklahoma we have 3.2 beer. You have to go to the liquor store to get real beer.

reply to post by MountainEnigma


Thanks so much for this thread. I live in SW VA just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. We have over 22 acres of wooded forest - lots of hickory. Zillions of mushrooms - morels - everywhere. I just started researching over the past year - haven't picked any yet. Would be so nice if an expert came here to take a walk with me. Any one live near me?

in Russia as conditionally edible lines 900igr.net... Edible only boiled form. Toxic broth

reply to post by catfishjoe


Ours is the same Minnesota is a 6.5 I believe lucky dogs

reply to post by mangust69


Hi, new to ATS. Had to finally create an account to comment on this.

In Finland, where I am from, false morels are also a valued delicacy collected in the spring time, so this is not limited to Russia. If sold unprocessed, warning signs need to be posted by law as well as instructions for preparation. Top restaurants also serve these properly prepared when in season.

See link below for more info

False morel on wiki

I have personally collected and eaten tons of false morels without any symptoms, so it "boils" down to knowing what you pick and how to process it. However, here, it is also recommended not to eat them more often than about once a week due to possible toxic remnants even after being properly processed.

There are basically two ways to process false morels

1) Parboiling - several times (3 recommended) in lots of fresh water, do not use the water as it is toxic. Also, don't inhale fumes while boiling.

2) Drying until crisp - we used to string the false morels and hang them in a well ventilated barn / attic. Do not enter the attic while drying as the fumes off the mushrooms are toxic as well.

Personally, I prefer the latter method as it preserves the aroma and taste of the mushroom better. Downside, it takes time if your want your mushroom meal today.

One of my favorite dishes is creamy false morel soup, delicious.

catfishjoe
reply to post by VoidWalker

 

Here in Oklahoma we have 3.2 beer. You have to go to the liquor store to get real beer.

Or make your own.

whitewave

catfishjoe
reply to post by VoidWalker

 

Here in Oklahoma we have 3.2 beer. You have to go to the liquor store to get real beer.

Or make your own.

I've really thought about it. I just need to research it more. Our liquor laws here in OK is f'd up.

There are some mushrooms you can't eat if you consume alcohol at the same time. Morels are on that list.
There are brew shops in Oklahoma that can tell you about the home brewing laws in Oklahoma. The one in Moore has brewing classes and occasionally has taste-testing events.

reply to post by whitewave



I hope you're joking about the morels and alcohol because if that was the case I would have died a thousand deaths. Thanks for the info. Useless info: Moore is the home if Toby Keith.

Didn't say it could kill you but it can make you sick-as in nauseous.
wiki link
Toxicity[edit]

Morels contain small amounts of hydrazine[30] toxins that are removed by thorough cooking; morel mushrooms should never be eaten raw.[31] It has been reported that even cooked morels can sometimes cause mild intoxication symptoms when consumed with alcohol.[32]

When eating this mushroom for the first time it is wise to consume a small amount to minimize any allergic reaction. Morels for consumption must be clean and free of decay.

Morels growing in old apple orchards that had been treated with the insecticide lead arsenate may accumulate levels of toxic lead and arsenic that are unhealthy for human consumption.[33]

reply to post by whitewave


Us rednecks must be immune. Beer and shrooms? Hell yeah!!!

reply to post by KawRider9


Suit yourself. It's true that the toxicity of mushrooms partly depends on the geographic location. When it comes to shrooms, I prefer to err on the side of caution.

A buddy of mine once collected cow patty mushrooms but I was too scared to try them. They are the trippy ones.

Sleeting here in Oklahoma. Up to 6in of snow expected. Spring seems sooooooooo far away.

I grew up in the upper panhandle of Idaho and we mostly collected two of my favorite mushrooms, morels in the spring and shaggy manes in the fall. We would split them length wise and wash and clean them thoroughly. Mother would then coat them in flour and fry them in fresh cream butter. Those of you have eaten them properly prepared know what I am talking about when I saw divine!

One spring while I was working for the USGS establishing elevations for maps, we were driving up a very old logging road and forded a small stream and crested the opposite bank when there before us was the most breath taking scene I will never forget. As far as the eye could see, nothing but morels. My supervisor who was riding passenger couldn't understand why I hit the breaks so hard.

I got down out of the truck and just stood there. He looked at me with a startled face and asked what the hell was I doing. He had never seen them before because he was from LA. After I explained what he was looking at he willingly helped me fill burlap bag after bag full of them. That night I had him come to dinner and my mother cooked up a morel feast that was like none I had ever seen. I thought he was going to orgasm the way he was eating and moaning.

The rest of them my mother froze in old milk cartons after washing and cleaning them. Then during winter mother would take out some frozen trout and a carton of mushrooms and we would feast. OMG what wonderful memories!