Morel Mushroom Hunting

 

When I first met my husband I was introduced to mushroom hunting. It seemed so foreign to me that people actually did this. It also seemed dangerous! After lots of persuading by his family I finally agreed to try them. I thought surely they wouldn’t feed me something that would kill me right? Well here I am over twenty years later and I am totally hooked on these amazing little things!

 

 

One of my favorite things about Morel Mushrooms is hunting them. My husband and I will load up the kids and head to the mountains for the afternoon and just wander around. Living in Idaho and Oregon all of our married life we usually don’t have to go to far to find a good spot for Morels. I honestly don’t know if there is any rhyme or reason to where they grown. We have found them in all kinds of different soil. Morels can be found in groups or as a single mushroom. (For basic Morel Mushroom information click here.)

 

 

It’s important to make sure you know what you are looking for. There are lots of mushrooms out there that are poisonous so do your homework before you go. I think it would be great to find someone who knows what they are looking for and see if they would teach you. I am very grateful that hunting mushrooms is part of my husbands heritage. It’s always fun to be able to pass things on to the next generation.

How to Care For Your Mushrooms

 

One of the things we have found that makes taking care of our mushrooms easier is cutting them off at the base instead of pulling them out of the ground. We put them in a grocery sack until we get home and then we clean them. Start by rinsing them off. I am telling you right now they are dirty! I put mine in a colander in the sink and let the water run over them while I cut them in half. After you rinse them and cut them in half put them in a bowl. Cover with water and add a few tablespoons of salt. I let mine sit overnight in the fridge, then drain and rinse them again. After the final rinse I lay mine out on paper towels to dry. They can hold quite a bit of water so I usually let them sit for a while, as well as changing out the paper towels as needed.

 

 

There are a lot of things you can add your mushrooms too but the best way I have found to eat these is breaded and fried. I will be sharing that technique very soon. I would be happy to answer any questions that you may have about Morels. Remember to always be on the look out, you never know where these little treasures might be!