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Wisconsin State Journal ^ | April 5, 2008 | Liza Wallner
Posted on 04/07/2008 5:41:44 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Erupting from the warm moist earth of Wisconsin spring in late April/early May, the Holy Grail of fungi, the morel, appears like clockwork to the delight of amateur mushroom hunters (aka mycologists) throughout the woodlands of the Midwest for just a few short weeks.
Convoluted like the hemispheres of the human brain, morels bear a resemblance to few other mushrooms. The conically shaped caps and hollow interiors of these fungi make identification relatively simple after first-time, rudimentary instruction by a seasoned expert.
Morels are the fruiting body of a pervasive underground network of webby mycelium. Their sole function is the distribution of millions of spores from within the pits of their spongy-looking caps. Morels themselves feed directly from the roots of dead/dying trees such as apple, white ash, poplar and elm. There are three primary species of morels found in Wisconsin.
The first to 'pop ' in spring are the black morels (Morchella angusticeps), the second are the gray morels (Morchella esculenta), and the last to arrive nearly two weeks later are the giant yellows (Morchella crassipes).
The impetus for the fruiting cycle is still unknown. Could it be changes in moisture levels due to spring precipitation? Warming of soil temperatures? Or perhaps fluctuations in soil nitrogen levels from fires or lightening strikes from the previous year? Experts still trying to understand these mysteries have yet to invent a reliable method of cultivation that would allow the mass production of morels for commercial distribution. This makes collecting them in the wild all the more exciting.
Midwestern morels have a distinctively rich, earthy and woodsy taste that some refer to as 'meaty ' or 'nutty '. Mushrooms from Wisconsin woodlands are highly prized and touted as the tastiest of all morels. Their intense flavor far surpasses grocery store buttons and morel rarity makes them easily command prices in the neighborhood of $25-50 per pound in local markets. High-end restaurants offer special morel tasting menus during their short three-week season. While these dinners are not inexpensive they seem worth the lofty price for the adventurous eater unwilling to muck about in the woods to find their own supply.
Hunt morels with care. Choose pesticide-free woodlands and be mindful of adjacent farms that may produce chemical runoff. Consume only thoroughly cooked fungi in small quantities until you can ascertain how your body metabolizes these unique edibles. Never eat any mushroom unless you have positively identified it. When in doubt the rule is to throw it out. No exceptions! Also, always obtain permission before hunting on private lands and contact the DNR for current hunting regulations in your area regarding state owned properties and parks. Collecting morels is legal in many of our state parks so long as they are for personal consumption and not resale.
Morel mania overcame me after I attended a seemingly innocuous lecture on a whim at a local library in January of 2007. The information I gathered there helped me make my very first morel finds later that spring. After that I was hooked. My subsequent infection with 'morel fever ' was pretty much a done deal. The insidious condition begins with bragging about the hunter 's own bramble-scratched legs. I had thoroughly shredded my legs during my '2007 quest ' and was quite proud to explain this to just about anyone.
Soon after my successful 2- to 3-week hunt ended I had the strange desire to purchase mushroom identification guides. I attended more lectures and finally I joined the Wisconsin Mycological Society to commune with other 'shroom people. ' ' I went on numerous WMS guided hunts (free for members) and studied and learned from the experts. I began to notice every suitable tree wondering to myself if it might produce the 'motherlode ' of morels beneath it the following spring. My fever turned to frenzy with the purchase of new hiking boots and a trekking GPS.
Could excess La Ni a moisture, a weather system appearing at approximate 10-year intervals, assist in the production of a bumper crop of 2008 morels? Many such theories and far-fetched hopes continue to propel me toward the inevitable rush of possibilities for a bountiful 2008 morel gathering season.
My recent decision to drive three hours to attend the Illinois State Morel Hunting Championship in Henry, Ill., this May further illustrates how interest quickly turns into a growing obsession. Yellow school buses will ferry registrants to a 'secret location ' for a two-hour, forested romp of fungi-scouring excitement. The hunt competition is followed by an award ceremony, morel auction and a commemorative plaque presentation to the lucky someone who finds the highest number of morels. The best part of the Illinois hunt? Entrants get to keep all of the morels they find!
And so another morel season is poised to begin. Happy hunting and gourmet eating to all of us who embrace the morel majority!
Contact Liza Wallner through features@madison.com
ONLINE INFO
Illinois Morel Hunting Championship May 2-4: www.ilmorelhunt.org/
Muscoda Wisconsin Morel Festival May 16-18: www.muscoda.com/event_morels_08.html
Wisconsin Mycological Society: www.wisconsinmycologicalsociety.org Dues: $20 annually.
DNR Web site in Wisconsin: www.dnr.state.wi.us/
Are morels popping in your area of Wisconsin? www.morels.com/wisconsin/guestbook.html
Want to try your hand at growing your own mushrooms? www.fieldforest.net
BOOKS
'Find the Tree Find the Morel' by Jason Edge, 2003: www.morelmasters.com ($9.95 plus shipping).
'Morels' by Michael Kuo, 2005: www.mushroomexpert.com ($27.99 plus shipping).
ON THE HUNT
According to the DNR, collecting fungi is legal for personal use and in small quantities (not resale) in many state parks. Among those are Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo, (608) 356-8301, and Blue Mound State Park in Blue Mounds, (608) 935-2315. More Madison area morel hunting hot spots can be found at:
• http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/bluemound/ or 608-437-5711
• http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/devilslake/ or 608-356-8301
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1-20, 21-28nextlastI was out this weekend in southern Indiana looking for morels. Didn’t find any. I think it was a bit too wet and too early and maybe not warm enough yet. But they are within days of sprouting.
I’ve always wondered what them things looked like...
I didn't know you were a decendant of mushrooms!
MMMM! Dipped in egg, rolled in flour, fried in butter, few things better.
I just saw an episode of “Cash and Treasures” that featured Morel mushroom hunters. I’ve never eaten one, but everyone on the show was raving about them.
The flavor has been described as eating the most tender, flavorful slice of beef you’ve ever had.
I love them. They are a rare treat, but this might be an exceptionally good spring for them due to our massive amounts of snow this past winter. :)
FunGuy Ping.
Something else that's mighty good--available in Calif. in season--is fresh wild chantarelles!
I'm told that wild morels grow in the South too. I don't know if they're available in grocery stores or not--but,if not, they oughtta be!
Pass the morels, and pour me another glass of Rosenblum Cellars, Zinfandel Reserve, Monte Rosso Vinyard, Sonoma Valley 2005.
(At least that we know of)
LOL!
My Uncle lived in CA for many years. Whenever any of us would fly out to visit, our “carry on luggage” was a cooler full of Wisconsin cheese for him.
Ahhhh...it is the only time of the year I can say “Eat Me!” without crossing the line into incivility...
Or can I?
Thanks for the ping!
Didn’t know my name is the essence of “kept in the dark and fed...”?
I love to hunt mushrooms. Getting out in the woods after a long winter stuck indoors, the promise of Spring in everything sprouting new, not an insect to be found..
The most I’ve ever seen in one place was 3 bushels, and that was somebody selling them on the roadside. The most I’ve ever found in one outing was about 5 gallons.
“Erupting from the warm moist earth of Wisconsin spring in late April/early May, the Holy Grail of fungi, the morel, appears like clockwork....”
Wow, what an opening sentence. I think it may be a candidate here:
Are you a friend of Patton’s?
Patton! Check out that link, LOL!
Gluttony Seven Deadly Sins
I just thought you enjoyed that peculiar ambiance. :)
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1-20, 21-28nextlastDisclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
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