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How to Hunt for Morel Mushrooms

Morel (also spelled Moral and Morrell) mushrooms are an edible fungus that grows in forested areas throughout North America. The taste of morels is creamy and earthy, and they can be eaten raw or cooked. Hunt for morels in the early spring to successfully unearth these prized mushrooms. Their cone shape and wrinkled texture makes them easier to identify than their small, brown relatives. Nevertheless, don't eat anything you find unless you are certain of its identity.

Things You'll Need

Sack
Long stick
Mushroom identification guide

Instructions

- 1
  Begin mushroom hunting in the early spring around April. The exact timing will depend on where you are located. Areas in the southern United States will reach warmer temperatures earlier than the the northern states. A good rule of thumb from Morels and More is to head out when temperatures "begin to climb into the sixties during the day and are no colder than the forties at night."
- 2
  Bring your sack for collecting mushrooms and a long stick for poking into brambles, twigs and undergrowth. Choose a sack with an open weave so that the spores from your collected mushrooms will be able to drop through the bag, spread and propagate new fungi.
- 3
  Hunt for mushrooms in wooded areas, forests, near river beds and streams. Specifically, check around the base of dead elm, apple, ash or poplar trees.
- 4
  Poke under fallen leaves, stumps and decaying plant matter. Morels grow in moist, dark conditions so use your stick to overturn and poke into potential growing areas.
- 5
  Examine the mushroom to determine if it is a morel. Morels range from yellow to black in color. Their caps are wrinkled with a honeycomb texture. Use a mushroom identification guide to positively identify the mushroom.
- 6
  Pinch the mushroom at its base with your thumb and index finger. Twist it off at ground level and put it gently into your sack.

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