How to Hunt for Morels in Iowa
Morels are an edible mushroom that grow in the spring. The cap of morels is holey or spongy looking, and they have hollow stems. Highly sought mushrooms, morels once picked keep for two to three days, according to Iowa State University. Some Iowa residents plan their springtime around hunting for morels. However, poisonous false morels also grow in the same areas during the same time of year.
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Instructions
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Know what you are looking for. Morels have dangerous impostors. Buy a guide book or check with Iowa State University or Iowa Association of Naturalists for details about safe morels.
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Go hunting at the right time. Morels like to grown in conditions where it is in the 60s during the day and no colder than the 40s at night; so don't jump the gun. For example, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the morel season usually begins in mid to late April and lasts for four weeks.
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Wait for a warm moist morning, preferable after a rain. Head out to wooded areas with dead elm trees and logs, wetlands near rivers and creek beds, or grasslands where there is rich dark soil.
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Look around dead trees and stumps and shaded areas. Also, check areas where forest fires have cleared patched in the woods.
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Plan for multiple morel hunting trips. Watch the weather, and be ready to head out early in the morning.
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Pick morels and put them in an orange or potato mesh sack. Morels spread through spores that release when the morels are jostled, so it is important to let the spores spread as you look for more.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not wash or soak morels in water. Use a mushroom brush to clean or only a quick rinse.
The Iowa Association of Naturalists warns that false morels can be deadly if eaten raw and poisonous when cooked.
References
Resources
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Comments
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Morel season is upon us HUNT ON
