How to Find Fresh Morel Mushrooms

Morels are a spring delicacy that you may have to first hunt, to eat.

Morels are prized mushrooms that each spring foster a sometimes feverish hunt among enthusiasts. An unpredictable little fungi, it's not so much finding the morels themselves, but knowing the types of areas where they prefer to grow. Experience helps, luck is for sure a factor, but anyone who wants to find these desirable mushrooms needs a good arsenal of information before he heads out into the wilds. There are no special equipment or tools required other than maybe some bug repellent and a keen eye.

Things You'll Need

• Mesh bag
• Bug repellent
• Log book and pencil

Instructions

1. Determine when morels begin to show in your geographical region. Weather and overnight temperatures play a key role in this. Typically the season spans mid April to mid to late June, give or take a week or two for adjustment to more northerly locations.

2. Monitor the day and night temperatures. When day time temperatures reach the mid to upper 50s Fahrenheit, and the overnight temperatures don't fall below the mid 40s you can begin to expect morel season has almost arrived. Look for dogwood and other forest trees to bloom as a sign that morels may be showing.

3. Search out likely areas that morels may generate. Morels grow in soil rich in the nutrients they need, and once depleted, may never grow there again. Possible locations include woods where a fire has occurred in the previous season, a forest where logging has recently taken place, or where an abundance of fallen trees exists. When a tree is cut, burned or falls the nutrients are released into the soil and can cause a crop of morels to pop up.

4. Look for elm, ash and other trees, especially those that have been downed. Learn to identify trees by their features as a key to hitting morel hot spots. Downed elm, ash and poplar are often hot spots for morels.

5. Check fallen logs, piles of leaves and along railroad beds. Look for rich black sandy soil. Clay is not a soil morels grow well in. In cooler temperatures hunt sunny patches, and as the temperatures rise progress to deeper shaded areas.

6. Check the surrounding area if you find one morel. Often if there is one, there are more.

7. Keep a log book or a map to note your finds, or lack of morels. No mushrooms one year doesn't mean a promising spot won't yield morels the next and vice versa. A hot spot one year may be bare the next.

References

• Northern Country Morels: Morel Habitats
• The Great Morel: Frequently Asked Questions