Try This: Morel Mushroom Hunting

Feeling a little cooped up? Spring is a great time to get outside and go for a nature walk! There are lots of things you can do and see in the great outdoors without getting too close to another person. This time of year just happens to also be a great time to find morel mushrooms!

Morels look almost alien, but they’re tasty and easy to identify. These mushrooms are considered a delicacy worldwide and are a great source of vitamin D as well as mineral rich. This strange-looking treat can be found in parks, backyards, and wooded areas across our state.

Where to look:

To find morel mushrooms, keep an eye out for a shaded area around mature, and even dead, trees where the soil has not been recently disturbed.

What do morels look like?

Morels have distinctive texture and range in color from a cream color to light tan to very dark brown. Like most mushrooms, the above ground part is actually only the fruiting body of a much larger organism that spreads out with long networks of threadlike mycelium similar to the root of a tree, but these mycelium spread over a much larger area.

Morels have a cavity that begins just at the tip and continues to the base of the mushroom. By cutting a morel mushroom in half this very distinctive trait becomes visible. Another trait of the morel is that its cap is also thoroughly attached to the stem.

Ready to harvest?

If you do find one, you can cut it flush with the ground or just pull them up. Take the time to look around. You’ll likely find many more in the same area!

If you find a bountiful harvest take them home, wash them thoroughly, and prepare them for a meal!