How to Pick Morel Mushrooms
Once you've found wild morel mushrooms, it's important to know how to properly pick them. You do not want to damage either the mushrooms themselves or the plant from which they're growing, because you want it to grow more mushrooms in the future. Thankfully, it is not difficult to pick the mushrooms in a way that does not disturb the underlying plant and also does not require any overly specialized tools. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Examine the morel you have found and how it is attached. You should see its head and also some stem, although much of the stem will extend below where you're able to see, which is often inside the trunks of living trees.
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Lift the head of the morel carefully, but do not pull it.
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Cut the stem of the morel at the lowest point, closest to where it disappears into the tree trunk. Use either a sharp knife or shears to do this.
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Put your newly collected morel in the bag you've brought along. Take it and any others you find on your morel hunt home to enjoy.
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Tips & Warnings
Black morels can also be pinched off their stems. This is done exactly like it would seem: Simply pinch the stem between your thumb and forefinger. You may have to do this more than once. Do not pull the stem up from the trunk of the tree as you do this. This method does not work for white or yellow morels, as their stems are not as fragile.
If you pick more morels than you can use while they are still fresh, you can preserve them so that you have them to enjoy year-round. Drying them will help to retain their original taste and texture when you rehydrate and cook them in the future. Make sure to examine any morels you intend to preserve very closely before you put them away. They should not show any signs of mold or decay. If they do, they can ruin your entire batch of stored morels.
Plastic bags do not make good places to put morel mushrooms once you have picked them. Morels hold a lot of moisture, and placing them inside plastic bags (especially if conditions are already humid) makes them prone to "sweating" and breaking down more quickly. Placing them inside bags or baskets made of breathable materials (such as mesh, paper, or cloth) will keep them in peak condition for a longer period of time.
