How to Identify Half Morel Mushrooms

Morel mushrooms can be found in moist forest areas and around rivers.

Edible mushrooms offer a delicious and exciting addition to appetizers and entrées, and most types of mushrooms can be enjoyed raw or cooked. However, some mushrooms are not edible or dangerous to eat in mass quantities or under certain circumstances. The morel mushroom, for example, can be poisonous when eaten with alcohol. One type of morel, the half-free morel, is often confused with a false morel, which is poisonous.

Instructions

1. Consider the size of the mushroom. Morels range in size from 2 to 12 inches tall. Anything taller is most likely not a morel; therefore, it's not a half-free morel.

2. Look at the texture of the mushroom's cap. Like all morels, the caps on half-free morels have distinct pits and ridges and are darker than the stem.

3. Look at the size of the mushroom's cap. The cap of a half-free morel is much smaller than other types of morels and most other mushrooms. The cap shouldn't be much thicker than the mushroom's stem.

4. Examine the mushroom's stem. The stem should be thick and a lighter color than the cap if the mushroom is a half-free morel.

5. Consider where the mushroom was found. Half-free morels, like all morels, are found in areas that are moist. Common places you might find a half-free morel include river bottoms and wooded areas.

References

• Missouri Department of Conservation: Edible Mushrooms