Saturday, May 14, 2011

Secrets to Finding Morels






Is there a secret? Oh yes there is a secret to finding these forest delicacies.

Do you know how Spring arrives in the woods? Have you taken years to study which flowers emerge first?
Have you studied soil temperature and moisture?

Those things help. You need to be aware of all of these conditions in order to find the morel mushroom when they begin.

But then again, you can throw all the facts out the window of 'where and how to find' them.
Because simply put.
Morels pop up ... I swear this is true...where they feel like it.
Morels are fungi. They spread by spore.

Wind and rain can be a factor in where they spread.
Dead Elm trees?
Are they the 'ticket'?

Well now they can be found there. But I've found masses of them in other places as well.

The best way to hunt these elusive little fungi.

Is
Patience.

When you are ready to give up. Sit down on a log and rest a while...as I did the other day.
I was discouraged.
They 'should' have been there...I was in the area.

Then I looked off in the woods.
...and I swear a whole 'family' of the little buggers had popped up out of nowhere.
Like magic.

I cannot describe the feeling of discovering them. It really truly felt like magic.
I wonder if the Fungi Fairie was around behind that prickly ash, just giggling.

Welcome to the world of the Morel.
Mystical
Mysterious
...and Secretive!

2 comments:

  1. Do you read Jill's Life? She has been on the hunt for these buggers too. It must be a good year, as she has found many too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. No I don't know that blog, I'll have to check into it,..thanks for the head's up.

    I just love looking for this as it is always an adventure!

    ReplyDelete

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