WineLovers Discussion Group

I'm surprised that we haven't had a feed on morels yet, being that it is the height (or tail end - depending on where you live) of the season. Any hunters out there having any luck? We have had a weird season here with an inch of snow falling on May 2, followed by a record high of 100 degrees a week later, with everything else in between. I haven't had any time to look for any, as the morel window also falls in the busiest time of garden season for me. Some friends have reported average findings though, and it seems like every decent restaurant in town has them on their menu.

I haven't seen any here, Joy; neither at the higher end purveyors nor in the restaurants I'd expect to see some from by now. Odd.

A local food writer friend hit the Southern Indiana woods recently - a couple of weeks ago? - and made quite a haul.

If you like them so much, why do not you grow your own? Surely you must have heard about the easiest method of them all: dig a large hole in a place where you suspect mushrooms would grow anyhow, fill it with dirt mixed with newspapers and add water if necessary from time to time. In two or three years you will get more morels than you can consume. I have done it for years!

Greetings from Sweden / Fredrik L

PS. You tend to get Gyromitra Esculenta (a k a false morel) and not Morchella, though!

The only ones I've seen here were in the same food co-op that had the ramps at $32/lb. The morels were $70/lb. Needless to say, I didn't come home with any.

Fredrik L wrote:PS. You tend to get Gyromitra Esculenta (a k a false morel) and not Morchella, though!

Not sure what area you are referring to, but we do see some Gyromitra brunnea as well as verpas. In our area gray and yellow morels are the most common - in good years they are really easy to find around here. I wouldn't recommend eating a false morel - they are known to be quite toxic.

Area? Northern Europe.

Toxic? That is why only restaurants and companies may buy, because you have to treat them correctly. If you want fresh false morels you have to grow them or hunt them in the woods.

Greetings from Sweden / Fredrik L