Three days ago I found and tasted my first morel mushroom, and I became instantly hooked. As a new mushroom hunter, I want YOU to enjoy the feeling of pride that comes from being a part of this special group of foragers. Below are some of the things I’ve learned, read, heard and observed in my special first season of morel mushroom hunting.
1. Start looking when nights are cold and days are warm
Nighttime temps of 40 and daytime temps of 60 are ideal for morels. In Minnesota it’s just before the mosquitoes start to bother. For Minnesota’s cold spring this year, morel hunting began on Memorial Day Weekend, or May 26th. The season can last up to three weeks, and morels pop up fast, so look every day!
2. Morels grow near fallen trees
If you see ash, aspen, elm, hickory, sycamore or oak trees, look around them for morels. These trees are said to feed morels from their roots. I was surprised to find morels surrounded by pine needles and leaves both, though, so don’t assume that you won’t find any near the pine trees.
3. Look for disturbed soil
If tree roots feed morels underground, then when the soil is disturbed by traffic, fires, logging, etc. the morels are forced to the surface and voila! They emerge! The spot where I found the most morels this spring is where some small trees were mowed down last year, and where the horses trod in the south pasture.
4. Morels like moisture
Do you see the low ground, covered in water in the picture above? It’s not far from where the morels were found. The ground was moist, but not saturated. The soil was not sand and not clay, but loam. In my searching, I noticed that some ground was covered in moss, and that morels were not found there. Morels are typically more plentiful after a winter with lots of snow, or during a wet spring.
5. Where there’s one, there’s another
If you see one morel, look nearby and you’ll most likely find another!
One more thing: while you’re gathering, carry your harvest in a mesh sack (like the ones you buy onions or clementines in). Mushrooms propagate by releasing spores rather than seeds. The spores are finer than dust and you probably won’t see them, but if you carry your mushrooms in a mesh sack, the spores will fall out and hopefully produce more lovely morels!
