Nice Big Natural Morels
False Morels
Calendar
Recent Tags
Agaricus Amanita Amanita muscaria Bioneers Bolete Boletus edulis Book Review Books Chanterelle Coffee Grounds Conifer Coral Cornstalks Cultivation Davd Arora Fly Agaric Food Fungal Jungal fungi perfecti Garden City Fungi Glenn Babcock Hericium Hericium abietis Hill Botanical Kris Hill Larry Evans lions mane Morel Mushroom News mycophiles Mystery Mushroom Organic Oysters Paul Stamets Product Review Reishi Shiitake spring Stumps Tree Ears Vargo's welcome Wild Foraging Wild Joe's WMMA WorkshopsRecent Comments
- Dean on Spring Mushrooms
- Peyton on Spring Mushrooms
- Fisk on Morels
- Dean on Fly Agaric
- Dean on Fly Agaric
Blogroll
Retail website
If you leave the base (“root”) the mushrooms will continue to grow and produce spores. Thus more morels!
I’d just like to know how to dry morels. I had some that I had washed and then my husband decided to dry them, he put them on a pizza pan and set them outside, now they look funny to me and I am not sure we should eat them. Could you please help me?
Hello,
The main thing you need to worry about when drying mushrooms is mold. If they don’t dry quick enough, it can be a problem. This is compounded when mushrooms are wet from rain or washing. I do not wash mushrooms with water unless I absolutely have to, and especially if they are to be dried. The mold can be of various colors and should not be eaten.
Drying small mushrooms can be as simple as laying them on a plate, or stringing morels on thread and hanging them. They should stay out of the light and need moving air more than anything. We like to dry them on a food dehydrator because it is safer and easier to manage. An oven works if you can turn it way down and leave the door open. I usually dry small batches of morels on a plate or screen inside where I can watch and turn them. Larger mushrooms need to be sliced before drying.The following link will get you to an article on drying and storing mushrooms: http://www.montanamushrooms.com/2009/07/12/drying-and-storing-oyster-mushrooms/
I’ve had decent luck in finding morels around the Stillwater forest however they all seem to have at least some worms. Even the newly sprouted smaller ones. Although I cook most of what I find that day is there a recomended handling of those that dont make the table right away?? Last season I would slice them and leave them to air dry on paper plates with a fan on to circulate the air and when I rotated there were noticable worms on the plates. Should I look in a different spot or just accept that there’s gonna be a little extra protien in with them?
I like to think the extra protein won’t hurt me!
The only way I know to kill the little buggers, is to soak the morels in salt water. This does not help the drying process, and dilutes the mushroom flavor. As long as you remember to cook dried mushrooms before you eat them, I don’t see a problem. They seem to be worse in cool and slow growing weather like we have had this year. Thank you for your response,
Dean
Thank you for the informative site. I have found some false morals in my yard and was wanting to know if they are also safe to eat. If so, I plan to make sure I scatter them around for next time. I’m in Sheridan, Mt. and have found various mushrooms all over and excited to have even false morals just in my yard.
Never mind Dean. Found the site the tells that the false morals are poisionous. Bummer.
Nicely done, that would have been my advice also!
I have been seeing some puffbals around though. Most of them are edible, and I find them delicious. Do you only pick morels, or do you venture into the rest of the edibles? Thank you for the response,
Dean
Hi, if someone could let me know where to look for morels this time of year, I’d really appreciate it, we’re heading n to Butte then Missoula then Flathead Lk up to Glacier Park
Please reply to my e address
fmroz@telus.blackberry.net
as sometimes I cannot get to websites
hi there big brother. i was excited to see all your pics of mushrooms. we found morels in cody wy (where i live ) for the first time ,since i have lived here, this year. we were so excited. i grew up hunting morels and thanks to my big brother i hunt them now. great site.
Found 4 Black morels near Pentwater, Mi 4-07-12
AWESOME…LET THE GAMES BEGIN…anyone else?
thank you for the info!
Great site! I’ve been out all weekend near Lewistown checking my spots and nothing yet. Pretty sure this will be the beginning of a great season! Plenty of moisture but too chilly at night-sounds like that will change this week.
We/I call those false morels “calf brains” up here and eat them all the time. As long as the inside doesn’t have the spider web/stringy/cotton like texture we chow em right down (after pan frying that is).
Happy Shrooming!
Hello, and thank you for your response!
Things are pretty dry here. I am hoping for more rain.
Do you pick the oyster mushrooms? I am going to check for them today.
I was told that the “calf brains” are delicious, but you have to make sure that you cook them hot and thorough. The fumes while cooking are toxic and I was told that there is some possibility for accumulation in your system from long term consumption. I cannot recommend eating them on this site, but obviously you know what you are doing!
It is always interesting to me to study what some cultures eat and others will not. I think moderation and seasonal availability has something to do with this! Let us know how you do and I will do the same.
Dean
Any word of any morels in the Missoula area?
I have not heard any news yet! Anyone out there finding morels yet?
no morels, checked all my hotspots and talked to a couple of fellow hunters in the field. One said he found some in Missoula. found some grand oysters though!
Nice, thanks for the info!
It takes quite a while for me to get sick of eating good oysters!
Are the False Morels edible? My husband has found many of them and said they were always found by the real morels???
People eat them, but I cannot recommend eating them. I am told they are delicious, but they contain a toxin that is mostly evaporated while cooking, However, the toxin can build up in your system (bio accumulate) and kill you. Not a chance that I am willing to take! They do seem to grow where the true morels grow.
Just moved out to Joliet MT a couple of years ago didn’t know Montana had Morels and have been tring to find them do they around The Joliet area
Yes, morels grow in the Joliet area. I am not sure about the moisture there right now. This will be key in finding them.
Happy hunting,
Dean
Nothing in Southwest Montana yet…at least I don’t thnk so…newby:)