Mushroom foraging

‘Tis the season for morel hunting. This popular wild mushroom is a forager’s dream and prized by gourmet cooks around the world.

There are dozens of Morchella species and many appear to form symbiotic relationships with trees. These distinctive fungi have a honeycomb appearance due to the network of ridges with pits composing their caps.

Yellow morels are more commonly found under deciduous trees rather than conifers, while black morels are mostly found in coniferous forests, and on disturbed ground and recently burned areas.

Morels may be more likely to fruit during a period of increasing heat following a chilly period, which explains their abundance in areas like Michigan with cold winters. There is even a National Morel Mushroom Festival held each spring in Boyne City, Mich.

One of the simplest ways to enjoy morels is by sauteeing them in butter, cracking pepper on top and sprinkling with salt. They are popular additions to meat and poultry dishes and are delicious in soups and pasta fillings.

Another favorite edible mushroom for foraging is the black chanterelle, also known as the black trumpet or horn of plenty. It mainly grows under beech, oak or other broad-leaved trees, especially in mossy, moist areas. These dark beauties can be hard to find because they easily blend in with leaf litter. The black chanterelle have a good flavor and when dried taste similar to the prized black truffle, one of the most expensive edible mushrooms in the world.

It’s always a good idea when foraging for mushrooms to clearly identify them by using a mushroom guide. There is a poisonous “false morel,” which have a similar appearance to true morels. If consuming mushrooms, it’s wise to eat a very small quantity at first to minimize any possible allergic reaction.

Happy hunting!

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Photos courtesy Amy McKeighan, John Mevis.