Beautiful photo. I used to pick morels for money in the aftermath of the big Montana fires- in the summer of 2001, other than writing, I think that's the only way I made any money. It was big fun, out for a week or more at a time, roaming the ash and traveling the wildest places, seeing the strangest things revealed by the fire. Haggling pound prices at night, in the rowdy mushroom camps down by Highway 93 in the Bitterroots. Sell a few pounds for gas, food and beer, dry the rest on tarps for sale later. Shining times, indeed.

I still love to pick them, especially with my children in on the hunt- a kind of wild Easter Egg hunt, way out on the country. We dry them on tarps, keep some to eat with elk steaks, give a lot away to friends and relatives for Christmas.
The bounty of the earth, brought to hand.

Hal

We call the the half morels peckerheads here in S. Illinois. I know plenty of guys that eat them.

My grandpa used to eat the red morels. I never saw him without a wiskey bottle in his hand so even though the red morels are toxic it was probably not doing any more harm that the Jim Beam he was living on.

Anybody have any tips for preserving morels for a little? Because I always find a few here and there, but usually do not have enough for a meal until I've been out in the woods a few times. Let me know if anyone's had luck keeping them fresh..

Starting in March our whole family can't wait to go morel hunting. Our daughters and son love to go. We always find more than we can eat in one sitting. We have always froze them and they taste almost as good as just finding them. HAPPY MOREL HUNTING EVERYONE!!!!! Take your kids out, I assure you they will have a blast looking for these.

Great article and photos. We call the half morels peckerheads here in Mo. too. I know several folks who eat em, and I've tried a few when they're real fresh. Not bad. The red one folks call 'beefsteak" mushrooms around here, and they eat em' just as feverishly as morels.

They look pretty funny looking, compared to other mushrooms. I wonder if they taste the same... I would not mind getting my hands on some if I can find them. Which makes me wonder... do they even grow in Florida?

Good article. I would also recommend hunting around popular trees and going after a rain. The rain lowers the forest floor allowing you to spot the morels much easier. The larger ones tend to stick out and can be seen from a distance.

Mushrooms scare me to death. You take a big risk "testing" them by eating a small amount, as they can kill you in a "delayed reaction" way of several days.

I figure I would never eat any unless someone expert could verify they are good to eat.

I have to admit these look very distinctive.

what's the thing about red ones being toxic?

I could have found more this year but I lost my deocys in the woods.

Can't wait to go find some. I am taking the kids this weekend.

Hello from Hartford,IL.
My family go out EVERY year and find atlest 10lbs. We get so many that I sell them from the side of my road.This year I was selling them for $25 a lb.
I usally the the fever around January.There is also a Morel website that people give tips and sorta locations where to find them.www.morels.com

Mm-mm-morels! I once found some growing in a bed of daylilies & irises next to my house! Nowadays, you can buy a kit & grow your own if you're really desparate.. then again, you'd have them any time of year.

Great article and pictures....I definitely be watchful of pictures # 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My bro in law got over 25 lbs, my wife "Blanches" them in a deep fat fryer with flour and seals them with a sealer, we eat on them all through the year!

Very good article and pictures.

Thank you!

RG

My family always goes out a few times a year, especially while turkey hunting. We just frie em up and bread them with flour. Yum!

I dry them for a few hours in the dehydrator, then thread them with a needle and thread. I've kept them for months, and rehydrated in a little milk and butter gently simmered on the stove.

Those look tasty... I've never gone mushroom hunting but I know a number of people that do it. I'd like to go one time and see what it is like. It sounds like a good time to me!

I just bought a kit. I am going to try to grow them. I used to hunt them all the time as a kid in Indiana, but in Tennessee I am having trouble getting into an overgrown woods or knowing where to go, so I will let you know how they are. Also, my mother just a couple of weeks ago froze them like this: She soaked them in water and salt for a few hours, rinsed them off, and let them completely drip dry in the refrigerator from a colander into a bowl, placed on paper towels, then rolled them in flour, froze on cookie sheets and put in freezer bags. You cannot tell they are not fresh when they are fried. Fabulous.

Hey t_holinka grew up in Potosi area hunted morels all the time when i was a kid. Went out with my Grandpa and brothers and sisters all the time. One thing my grandpa told me was to shake or tap lightly the mushroom to release the spores and keep em going.happy hunting..good old potosi beer

In Ohio I've heard the half-morels called spikes, but more commonly snake heads.
My dad goes out every year to find them. My mom calls herself a 'mushroom widow' because he's almost always in the woods during the season. When he goes out he drops the mushrooms a couple of times to spread the spores, and likes to use a mesh bag to help with that. Then when he gets home he cuts them in half, soaks them in water for a while (then tosses the water in hopes of having a patch at home!), and then after they dry he coats them with shortening and a combination of flour and cornmeal. Apparently they make a good sandwich!
Also, they sell them in the stores around here. Marsh was selling them for $22/pound a few years ago. At Meijer it's about $9.99 for four ounces. Ridiculous! I'd much rather go out to the woods and spend some quality time with my dad.

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