Morels

[Uper]

Found this in the back yard yesterday.

 

[quads]

Yum! I haven't looked yet, but they should be popping up here anytime now. Found some asparagus the other night.

 

[ramonbow]

I found about 60 of them last night. I had to look under a lot of trees but fresh morels are worth it. It is really dry here so they don't last long in the woods.

 

[Jags]

There 'bout done here. Season only lasted about 8 days and didn't produce very well. I think the weather around here played heck with them.

 

[Uper]

This has been my first experience with 'em. I'm not really a big mushroom fan ever since I got sick on a can of Campbells mushroom soup when I was a kid. Just one of those lingering memory/effects. However, after a very dry April, we got a half inch of rain yesterday, so I checked the yard again and found and additional spot where they were growing. I picked between 15 -20 medium size ones and we had 'em with dinner. We're due for some rain/snow on Friday and Saturday, so I'll be interested to see if any more show up. I left a few small ones at each spot for sporulation. Are there any good ways to store them without a dryer? Can I let them dry open air and preserve them? Will they freeze well and retain any texture/quality?

 

[Jags]

Can I let them dry open air and preserve them? Will they freeze well and retain any texture/quality?

Yes, you can air dry them. Just move them around on occasion and suspend with a wire rack or drain rack. One of my favorite ways for long term storage is to "half" fry them (very light coating of flour, pan seared with butter), then freeze in serving portions. Don't cook them completely. When removing from freezer, put in a small sauce pan over low heat and bring them back to life. Great stuff when laid over a nice ribeye.

Edit: the best way for me to handle morels is to split in half lengthwise and then give them a soak in salted water before I do ANYTHING with them.