Early Morel, Latin name Verpa Bohemica, is a species of edible fungus from the Morchellaceae family of mushrooms. It’s the same family of mushrooms as True Morels (Morchella species), and while closely related and both not only edible but incredibly delicious, they differ slight from each other.
The main difference is that the True Morels have their caps fused with the stem, whereas Early Morels have their caps separate from the stem, connected only at the top.
There are some claims of alleged Early Morel toxicity, but they seem to be restricted to the individuals who have an allergy on one or more compounds in Early Morels. No laboratory analysis I am aware of has been able to find Gyromitrin in Early Morels. Gyromitrin can be found in False Morels, like the poisonous Elfin Saddle mushroom (Gyromitra Infula) I told you about in this video:
Still, there are parts of the world where Gyromitra species fungi are routinely eaten and without any issues, so take claims of any of them being poisonous for what it is. Still, there are mushrooms which are truly poisonous, even deadly poisonous and as such, they deserve a healthy dose of respect and a lot of care taken in identifying.
In this video, I help you with the identification of Early Morels (Verpa Bohemica), but as with all mushrooms, it’s best to consult with a local expert and in my opinion, cooking is always the key to mushroom consumption so always cook your mushrooms thoroughly, parboiling them and discarding the water.
I myself have been eating Early Morels for decades and will continue to do so. Although, as annual temperatures keep getting colder, the season for Early Morels keeps getting delayed and sometimes, these mushrooms simply do not grow at all because it’s way too cold for way too long.
I hope the video was helpful and educational for you, but please bear in mind that I’m not an expert and may be wrong about anything I say. Always do your own research and if you need an expert advice, do consult an actual expert. Please review my disclaimers at https://www.nophoneman.com/wild-edibles-disclaimer/ and https://www.nophoneman.com/medical-disclaimer/.
00:00 Disclaimer
00:12 Early Morel harvest
00:22 Early Morels vs True Morels
00:32 Verpa Bohemica cooking
00:49 Early Morel species
01:10 One of the most expensive mushrooms
01:57 Cultivating True Morels at home
02:29 Verpa Bohemica distribution (where it grows)
02:47 Early Morel season
03:03 Early Morel identification guide
04:06 Verpa Bohemica cross section
04:55 Verpa Bohemica Morels
05:17 Verpa Bohemica toxicity
05:32 Verpa Bohemica poisonous?
05:51 Early Morel edible
Keep rocking :o)
Mark
https://www.nophoneman.com/
▶️ 3Speak