This mushroom is deadly poisonous raw, but can be boiled or dried to eliminate its toxins making it edible. Still, it isn't easily digested and causes gastrointestinal distress for many who eat it.
From a chemist's standpoint this mushroom is extremely fascinating. It contains the toxin gyromitrin which breaks down to produce a small amount of highly volatile MMH or rocket fuel. It's highly toxic when fresh and requires some attentive care and caution during preparation. Even after boiling the mushroom can contain carcinogens. While drying, the vapor from this mushroom can accumulate causing gyromitrin poisoning which can be fatal.
Knowing The Difference...
Luckily this one's pretty easy
Of all the species of false morel the Conifer False Morel is the most easily confused with species of true morel because of it's dark color.
Another easily confused specimen... This one is toxic if eaten too often or in too large of quantities and causes severe cramps and even loss of muscular coordination
I chose some close comparisons, but just so you aren't nervous the next time you go looking for morels here are some unmistakable specimens of True Morel:
Morel (Morchella Esculenta):
This delicacy sells for around 40$-60$ per pound at the Seattle Fish Market. They are mildly toxic when raw and should always be cooked.
Morels are one of the most prized and sought after specimens, usually holding the highest value in the market in spite of its mild toxicity while raw. I can't imagine why a person would need to limit themselves to boiling deadly vapors out of a potentially toxic false morel for a meal, there are plenty of other options! But there are still people who eat them. They are an interesting family of fungi to say the least. Thanks for reading everyone! Now you can go out and seek morels with confidence!
If you liked this please upvote and stay tuned for the next species! Are there any in particular you'd be interested in hearing about? Let me know in the comments section! Also join me for my next mushroom foray this Sunday! If you'd like to see last weeks findings in Utah check out my feed Hive account@fractalobserver. Thanks for reading!
. Thanks for reading!