The secrets of the morel have been sought out for centuries.
Where do they grow?
When do they make their grand appearances?
Indeed, only the morels themselves know the true answers to these questions, but I hope to share with you some helpful general rules that can aid in the timing and placement of your morel mushroom expedition – be it for science or for enjoyment.
Some well-documented morel mushroom varieties are the following species. Most thrive across North America.
Morchella angusticeps
Morchella conica
Morchella costata
Morchella crassipes
Morchella elata
Morchella esculenta
Morchella gigas
Morchella semilibera
Morchella spongiola
Morchella spongiola var. dunensis
Morchella vulgaris
The morel mushroom season varies across North America, depending on the climate of your region. The season is generally in the spring months. There have been countless scientific studies as to how, where and why morel mushroom pop out of the ground when they do. The most prominent variables affecting the fruiting periods are: ground temperature, air temperature, moisture levels along with changes to forest cover. Morel mushrooms, particularly the black variety are attracted to recent forest fires or blown-over trees as these stimulate the ground layer and prompt growth.
Typically, morel mushrooms are found in moist ground cover (though not waterlogged areas), around dying or dead Elm, Poplar, Douglas Fir, Sycamore and Ash trees; as well they can sometimes be found growing near old apple orchards. It is not unheard of to even have these mushrooms appear in your own backyard! Ground cover surrounding morel mushroom patches varies widely meaning that it is possible to have unique growing conditions for each patch that you come across.
Morel mushrooms have captivated our interest for centuries and are prized by chefs all over the world. And luckily, with a few rules of thumb, they are some of the easiest mushrooms around to identify.
Below are some excellent photos for identification of the most common and popular species.
EDIBLE: Yellow Morel
http://www.svims.ca/council/thumbn/Morchella%20esc ulenta%201%20Pamela%20Kaminski.jpg
EDIBLE: Gray Morel
http://www.mushroomthejournal.com/bestof/images/Mo rchescJD.jpg
EDIBLE: Black Morel
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/morels/blacks2.jpg
EDIBLE: Burn Morel
http://www.morelmushroomhunting.com/fireburn2.jpg
http://www.morelmushroomhunting.com/randy_clump.jp g
http://www.morelmushroomhunting.com/fireburncloseu p3.jpg
!POISONOUS!: False Morel
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thum b/9/97/Fr%C3%BChjahrslorchel.JPG/180px-Fr%C3%BChjahr slorchel.JPG
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:UfBeoKRjqa4DnM :http://www.mushroomthejournal.com/bestof/images/Gyr oEscuG.jpg
If you are interested in morels for harvesting and use in cuisine, very quickly, you will become accustomed to determining which morels are safe, and which are the false morels. As a general rule, morels that are red or have multiple chambers when cut open are good to stay away from. Interestingly, since true morels often grow in the same places are false morels, it can be a good idea to return to the same locations where false morels were seen to seek out the true morels that appear usually about 2 weeks after the appearance of the false morels.
WARNING
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It is always best to have an expert identify mushrooms that you have collected from the wild. Be sure to consult a professional mushroom hunter or trusted friend before consuming any type of wild mushroom.
REFERENCES
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1. Pilz, David, Nancy S. Weber, M. Carol Carter, Catherine Parks, and Randy Molina. 2004. “Productivity and diversity of morel mushrooms in healthy, burned, and insect-damaged forests of northeastern Oregon.” Forest Ecology and Management 198: 367-386.
2. McKnight, Kent H., McKnight, Vera B. 1987. A Field Guide to Mushrooms North America. Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin, New York.
3. Bunyard, Britt A., Michael S. Nicholson, Daniel J. Royse. 1994. “A systematic assessment of Morchella using RFLP analysis of the 28S ribosomal RNA gene.” Mycologia 86(6): 762-772.
4. Weber, Nancy Smith. 1988. A Morel Hunter’s Companion A Guide to the True and False Morels of Michigan. Chief Photographer James A. Weber.
5. Arora, David. 1986 Mushrooms Demystified Second Edition. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley.
6. Anonymous authors, en.wikipedia.org
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