How to Hunt for Morels

Morel mushrooms are some of the easiest mushrooms to correctly identify in the wild. Although they are readily spotted, there are look-alikes that are harmful if eaten and care must be taken to collect the right ones. Hunting morels can be great fun with some simple steps.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Gloves
• Cloth bag

1. Find the black morel, the first fruiting morel of the season. The mushroom is black or charcoal in color with the distinctive spongy cap and hollowness throughout the mushroom. This is a savory and meaty variety found near aspens, poplars and ash trees.

2. Identify the gray morel (or yellow morel) with a more densely pitted gray cap than other varieties of morel. Some may turn a yellowish color over time and may grow up to a foot tall. These morels are typically found near ash, apple and elm trees.

3. Discover the half-free morel mushroom that fruits just after the black morel. They are hollow throughout and have long skinny stems with caps that extend halfway down the stem. These are delicate morels and are considered very edible.

Tips & Warnings

• Make certain that the morels being hunted are hollow all the way throughout the mushroom. All true morels will be hollow and have no fibrous tendrils through the stem.
• Notice that most morel caps are attached to the stem itself and not open like an umbrella.
• Be absolutely positive of the morel being harvested. Many morels look-alikes are dangerous to ingest, causing paralysis or death.
• Many dangerous morels can be eaten for years without noticeable negative symptoms. However, there may be a tolerance threshold for their toxins that may lead to sudden illness. When in doubt, throw it out.

Resources

• Visit Morel Mania, Inc. for more information on the mushroom variety.