The Morel Mushroom

A Culinary Delight for the Tastebuds.

April and May are just around the corner!

What does that mean? It means it’s almost time to go ‘shrooming for the best tasting mushrooms in the entire world. Where do you get them? What are they called? How do you cook them?

The Morel Mushroom – A Culinary Delight for the Tastebuds

Because they’re so delicious and in spite of how hard they are to find, there’s just something about the morel mushroom that drives people wild. If you haven’t tried them yet, be assured once you do, like me, you’ll be addicted.

Of all the mushrooms, the morel is my favorite. With its tall stem and honeycombed top, there’s little chance of confusing a morel with any other mushroom, even those that are poisonous.

Morels can be found most anywhere there are woods. They love to grow in shady, damp areas near the roots of trees. The problem is, the morel’s shape and color blend it easily into its surroundings, and this makes them difficult to see.

Each area’s morel season lasts for only a few short weeks. Where I grew up in Ohio, that was late April through May —oh, and no one EVER shares their “secret” spot for ‘shrooming!

As children, the six of us loved going ‘shrooming with our uncle Frank. He had a secret spot way back in the woods. It was near a stream and we almost always found turtles and crawdaddies to heighten the adventures we invented as we tromped through the woods.

Once you’ve found a good spot, you’ll easily fill a couple of brown paper bags. Take them home and I can’t say it enough — you are in for a true treat for your taste buds. Their flavor is unique. It’s earthy, rich, and something you just can’t forget.

This is my family’s favorite way to cook them:

Soak overnight in a sink full of salted water to drive out any insects.
Rinse well.
Coat with flour.
Sauté in butter.
Drain on a couple of layers of paper towels.

It doesn’t matter whether you ‘shroom for morels in a ‘secret spot’, or buy them at your local grocery or farmer’s market … enjoy them while you can, because they’ll be gone before you know it.

Go get ‘em, writers!

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