First Morels of the Season!

[bjrogg]

We've had plenty of rain but to cold here yet. Usually around Mother's Day. I think the blacks are earlier but I've never found them. Like Ed and Jeff said, under dead Elm, orchards, burns sometimes pines and sandy ground to. Em they are good
Bjrogg

[upstatenybowyer]

Blacks pop up in the most unexpected places. I found these by an abandoned mine pit. They seem to like places where the ground was once disturbed in some way. I also found um once in the middle of someone's lawn.  Go figure

[Hawkdancer]

I am insanely jealous😀👹👹!!  Haven't had any morels since I left MO in '66.  They supposedly grow in some of the bogs and bottoms around here, but most anywhere else is too dry!   They are par magnifique in a sauce for steak or pasta😀
Hawkdancer

[JW_Halverson]

Morels dry very well, too.  And once they have been dried, they intensify to another order of magnitude.  Two or three rehydrated and chopped will flavor a whole pot of soup!!!

[mullet]

I sure wish we had them down here. but I'm going to content myself with the Oyster mushroom kit I bought at Home Depot last weekend. Got them in my bow/gun room and they are really sprouting.

[upstatenybowyer]

I've collected another dozen or so blacks since the first post. I've only got one spot for them, but lots more for greys and yellows. I'm predicting the greys will appear within the next week followed almost immediately by the yellows.

JW, you're absolutely right about drying. I always do at least a pound or two in the dehydrator and put um in the freezer. Then I've got enough until the next year!

Mullet, I inoculated 2 fresh cut Beech logs last spring. One with oysters and one with shiitakes. The oyster log started to produce last fall and I'm hoping the shiitakes will fruit this summer. Maybe we could trade morels for bow stuff or something in a week or two. 

[mullet]

I'll be at the Tenn. Classic in a week or two. Let me get back. I'll probably pick up something to trade. I just cut a bunch of Oysters tonight. I'm going to buy more of these kits, you have mushrooms in seven days for $10.

[upstatenybowyer]

I'll be at the Tenn. Classic in a week or two. Let me get back. I'll probably pick up something to trade. I just cut a bunch of Oysters tonight. I'm going to buy more of these kits, you have mushrooms in seven days for $10.

Have fun at the Classic. Man, I'm Jealous. I'm gonna make it down there one of these years!

[upstatenybowyer]

The greys and yellows are starting to appear now. I only had about 30 minutes to look today, but this weekend should be off the charts!

[BowEd]

Looks pretty good Jeff.

[Hawkdancer]

They look delicious   That could be some real trade goods😀👹!
Hawkdancer

[Ed Brooks]

Morels, the mushroom that grows everywhere and nowhere.
My son ended up finding his 1st morels a couple days ago.
These were growing in the crushed gravel on the edge of a two lane paved rd. Yes they were very tasty, hope to find some more. Ed

[JW_Halverson]

Only place I ever found them in the Black Hills was on top of a finger ridge that had served as a logging deck for a ponderosa pine thinning operation.  After they pulled out, they left a two foot deep layer of pine chips/mulch all over the ridge.  Morels are supposed to be found in the bottoms of draws and under hardwoods!  LOL. 

I am pretty sure they were morels.  After eating them, the pink baboons riding dolphins confirmed they were!

[upstatenybowyer]

lol.

Found some more today and I'm taking my 5 and 6 year old with me tomorrow. They're lower to the ground, so they ought to be helpful. 

[bjrogg]

Always have to get those eyes adjusted. None here yet but we've had plenty of rain and expecting more. When it warms up we should have a good crop of them I would think.
Bjrogg