Mushrooms

[GRIZ]

I know it might be a little bit early but I was wondering if anyone hunts them? It sounds like fun to me but I don't know where to really start. What kinds of woods to look for?

[Woody]

Well o'grizzled one, if you are referring to the elusive Morel Mushroom, I can be of help-sort of.  I used to hunt these lil rascals down all the time until I moved here.  Typically you look for elms, or oaks.  Something low lying seems to turn up more.   I've found them in S.E. Minnesota as well as up by Winnibigosh.  Around here, I'm not sure exactly where as I know they find them, but of course won't say where. 

My favorite way to eat them is once they are dried and put away for winter.  Then when you put a beef roast in the crock pot-add a few (or quite a few) to the roast.  It make the best darn gravy EVER!

I've always heard of coating them in flower and frying them in butter-but never done it that way-I'm sure it's tasty!

[HUNTER2]

I've always wondered how you tell which ones you can eat. I have never learned so I just buy mine in the store. :stupid:

[schwinger]

I looked pretty heavily into this last year but never had the time to actually go looking. There are a couple of good sites out there that show some pictures and describe where to look and what to look for. The biggest tell tale sign of a morel is it is completely hollow.

[luvnlife]

I love hunting for mushrooms, sadly to say I haven't been that successful. I found about 10 of them last year. It is all about the hunt, when you find one it is so rewarding. It is just another reason to get into the woods and enjoy nature! LUVNLIFE

Mushroom rule #1
                            IF NOT HOLLOW
                            DO NOT SWALLOW

[TNT]

Yo Griz,
The ole boyz that pick always say, check early and check often, but this might be a little bit early. I would have to say that the Morel is the most sought after, but i know of a few that go out for late fall brown caps and can them. And it does take an educated eye to spot them, but give it a try and enjoy, up here we look to aspen, and pastures are a good bet also, other area's look to the elm and dead rotting trees. there are many types of morels, and i think that the grays are the tops, with the yellows right next to them, but we have way more grays than yellows, along with wrinkled thimble-caps, and once you find some, mark the spot, most years they will return,that's why most shroomers won't tell you of their hotspots, better gaurded than fishing holes. , if you are in hilly area's look to the southern slopes first, as they warm up sooner than the other slopes, and not to pick on luvnlife, but the first rule to picking is,
IF YOU CAN'T IDENITFY IT, DON'T EAT IT. :death2:
mushroom poisoning is serious stuff, get yourself a good field guide,
one good one is,
NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY FIELD GUIDE TO NORTH AMERICAN MUSHROOMS,  by Lincoff, Knopf.
this giude has great pics and other info in it.
here are some pics of some picking,


my fav is to cook some home smoked bacon, then throw in the shrooms in the bacon grease, then pop on your fav cut of steak, to die for, my second chioce is cream of morel mushroom soup with bacon,wow. rolling them in flour and popping them in bacon grease can't go bad either.

[luvnlife]

TNT  is very right,

 DO NOT EAT IF YOU DON'T KNOW!

Those are some nice shrooms you picked hopefully I will be able to post some pictures like that this year..............

I am getting very excited!!!!!!!!

LUVNLIFE

[DIRTBALL2]

In spring a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of love! Screw that! Mine turns to thought's of morel mushroom's! Ah yes! Food for the God's! Morel's are such fantastic eating that even Emeril wouldn't have to kick it up a notch! BAM!!! When to go looking for them varies and changes quite a bit from year to year. Depending on rainfall, temperature, etc...Usually around Mother's Day here in Minnesota. My best tip-off though is to watch the lilac bush's. The minute you start seeing purple, beat feet out there! Verily, get thee hence! Mach schnell! Where to start looking? As mentioned in an earlier post, check oak and elm trees. The best possible clue is a dead elm tree where the bark id just starting to fall off. Always check the south slope of a hill first. If you are walking along the edge of a woods keep your eye sharp no matter what direction it's facing. Those dam morel's are sneaky! Just like the deer I hunt every fall! I swear the dam things can hide in plain sight! When I'm out hunting I always break off a long, dead branch and carry it with me so I can move the grass or weeds aside and catch them lurking in there or underneath a dead log. Do not make the mistake of doubting the perversity of the sneaky, elusive morel! Many times I've almost stepped on them. Whereabouts do you live Griz? If it's not too far away from where I live(Warroad) I would be happy to take you out hunting for morel's. In exchange you can give me some inside information about(Good juicy stuff!) Dr Bob and jigglestick! I need some new ammo for when I give them crap! Not that they deserve it, of course! DIRTBALL2

[holdemtwice]

wow  those are spme mighty fine looking shrooms . i will be going out this year . hope i can find em that big .   

[GRIZ]

Well DB I'm bout 5 hrs away. So prolly not. How far ya from grand forks? Got a job up there and if timing was right with a free w/e could go straight from there. As far as the low down on them characters ( the juicy stuff) that's free for the asking. Just because they deserve it and I know they'd do the same. >:D

[UncleDave]

Too scary for me.  Mushroom poisoning sounds painful and fast.  No hand picked shrooms for me.  They do look so nummy though.