Morel Mushroom: A Hidden Delicacy in Nature

Look! A small, delicate, dark-headed hollow, stemmed mushroom pushing up through the forest litter amongst the tree giants. It's springtime on the mountain, and Morel mushrooms are calling!

Morel Mushroom: A Hidden Delicacy in Nature

It is such a small thing... it is barely visible, hidden, camouflaged. Matching the burnt ground around it perfectly!

The cap of (Morchella) is honeycombed and pitted. It has a rounded tip flaring at the bottom that sheds rain and snow. True Morels are hollow from the tip to the stem bottom.

Imagine gnomes sprites of the forest

If, as a child, one lays their head on the ground gazing across the forest floor. One could imagine these pointy Morel mushrooms as gnome sprites sprouting right from the ground wearing conical hats!

Morel mushrooms are hollow inside

The Morel stems sliced open are hollow. When sliced wholly in half you find insects inside, a prize for your efforts.

Click on Photos to enlarge

It's spring! Morels are growing on the mountain

On the rainy days of early spring, the forests become alive. The calls and songs of newly arrived winged migrants fill the air. The resident giant Pileated Woodpecker drumming rises above the rushing sound of snowmelt waters.

Lush new growth pushes outward in blooms colored magenta, red, and white. The green is omnipotent! It's time to forage edible mushrooms!

Foraging for Mushrooms is Thrilling!

With glee, I cut the stem of the delicate Morel. Is it a disease this mushroom foraging? Could it be a virus purposely shared with humans to ensure fungi spores are spread throughout the forest, propagating mushrooms?

No matter that fungi may completely manipulate me. The thrill of the hunt continues!

However, the best part of the day was standing in the very heartbeat of nature, surrounded by its complete and total wildness.

Ah, life. Isn’t it grand!

Lesser Man vs Wild

Let's Talk Morel Toxicity

Warning! For true Morels to be edible, they must be thoroughly cooked before eating. No exceptions!

North American Mycological Association

According to Scientific American, if you eat Morel mushrooms raw or undercooked, you may experience a range of uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms.

Such as:

• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• abdominal pain

Neurological Symptoms

• dizziness
• balance problems
• disorientation

Tips on Cooking Morel Mushrooms

Always cook Morel mushrooms in an open pan without a lid. No exceptions!

Cooking in an open pan allows the toxic fumes to be released into the air while cooking.

Tip. Do not breathe the fumes directly while cooking these mushrooms. If you do you can experience the above toxic symptoms. Ensure your face is not directly over the pan while sautéing and frying.

Mushrooms, like any wild plant, before eating, you must be absolutely sure that it is safe to do so.

False Morels. The lookalikes. A Helpful Hint

A helpful hint in our quest for edible Morels is to become familiar with its toxic and poisonous lookalikes.

Gyromitra esculenta

Gyromitra esculenta is an example of a False Morel lookalike mushroom. According to the National Library of Medicine, Gyromitra contains the
toxin, “MONOMETHYLHYDRAZINE."

"A clear, colorless liquid used extensively in military applications as a missile and rocket propellant, in chemical power sources, and as a solvent and chemical intermediate, upon contact with strong oxidizers (e.g., hydrogen peroxide, nitrogen tetroxide, chlorine, fluorine) spontaneous ignition may occur."

Yikes!

The Convoluted Turban False Morel

But first, let's break down the meaning of the Latin word, Gyromitra. Gyro means convoluted, and Mitra means turban. Convoluted Turban. This is a helpful hint to help visualize the identification of this common false morel mushroom.

Gyromitra Edible or not edible?

Esculenta is one definition of the Latin word for “edible.” But it is not to be confused with “Edulis,” which may mean safe to eat.

If understood correctly, edulis means it's okay to eat, which in this case is false. Gyromitra esculenta is not okay to eat.

Gyromitra esculenta exposed cap showing air chambers. Stem solid to chambered.

The False Morel, Verpa bohemica's stem is not hollow like a true Morel. Instead, it contains a white colored cotton like flesh as shown in the photograph below. Click to enlarge photograph.

Drying Morel Mushrooms

The ancient way, and still an excellent way to preserve your Morel Mushrooms, is by drying them in the warm spring sunlight, as shown in the photo below.

• I dry Morels and other mushrooms by cutting the mushrooms in half first, lengthways, this helps them dry faster.
• Do not let the mushrooms touch each other while drying as it hinders drying and can spoil a mushroom.
• In my experience, the mushrooms take 2 to 3 days to dry completely, depending on the length of exposure to warm sunlight.
• Bring the drying mushrooms in at night to prevent the reabsorption of moisture from the damp evening air. And set them out again when there is full sunlight.
• Store your dried mushrooms in a Mason jar with a lid or a brown paper sack wrapped with several rubber bands.
• Date and name the mushroom in your storage container.

Electric Food Dryers

Drying your mushrooms using an electric food dryer works great! I use ours, especially if the weather turns and I can't dry the fungi outside.

The Morel of the Story

Confused? Yeah, that's the thing with plants and fungi. That's why we do not ingest any plants or fungi that we have not identified, correctly.

That my friend is the Morel of the Story.

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