The snow has melted, the sun is out, birds are singing, trees and flowers are beginning to bloom. Could there be anything more to love in spring? Yes, there can. Have you ever had a morel mushroom? For many of the United States’ morel hunters, finding morels may be more exciting than spotting the first flower of spring.
Morel mushrooms have been called the truffle of the United States. I don’t know if they have tasted truffles, but it sure sounds good. People will pay a lot of money for dehydrated morels, much less fresh ones. Here in Michigan, people will go up north for the weekend, just to hunt for morels. You will often see a car pulled over on the side of the highway and someone trekking into the woods as you make your way north in Michigan. Most of the time, they are not looking for an emergency bathroom. They are looking for fungi gold.
The taste of morels has been described as nutty and smoky. You can actually see the morel lover’s mouth water as he/she talks about their beloved mushroom. They will often let you taste their morels but not very often because they don’t want to share because morels are hard to find.
Usually they are found in the woods. There are tons of articles on the internet on how to find morels and the beginner should read them because there are mushrooms that look similar which are poisonous. What’s the best way to learn? Go with an experienced morel hunter. They will take you out into the woods and show you how to look for them, how to pick them (never pull them out by the roots), how to carry them home (you need to spread the spores as you walk to replenish the supply), and then you will probably prepare them together. Soon you will have the best mushroom meal you have ever had because you found them yourself and are probably hungry after a long hike.
You will need to realize that your experienced morel guide will probably not take you to their favorite spots. Those they keep to themselves. But it’s okay because after learning how fun it is to morel hunt, you will probably find a few treasured spots of your own.