Hey, this reminds me of a story I heard long ago. There was this big corporation which built a manufacturing plant near a wooded area where these grew in abundance. Poor planning for drainage caused the ground to be flooded. The headlines read:

A very nice photograph.

But a pretty bad groaner.

Check for Morels up behind Central Loc.
Last week we filled 3 grocery bags full.
No reason to be hush hush when they are in
such abundance this year!!

So what exactly is a morel? Is it some kind of fungus, like a mushroom? I was baffled by this pic and had to come in for a closer view... but I'm still not sure what it is! LOL

Morels are mushrooms, very tastey mushrooms that grow in very restricted areas, and for only a short time. I think of them as the truffles of the Mid-west. Like truffles, they don't take well to cultivation although I've heard that recently there has been a little success. Unlike truffles, they grow above the ground. Another plus for amateur morel hunters, they are distinctive and are hard to confuse with poisonous mushrooms. This year's harvest in south-central Minnesota produced smaller but more plentiful morels than I've seen in a while. Our cool damp spring can be thanked for that.

Great photo! My mom lives south of Traverse City and the morels were not very plentiful in that area this year - at least she didn't find many. They were going for $40.00 a pound, which is quite expensive. I had the oppurtunity to take my daughters (7 and 10) "hunting" for the first time last year, near my mom's and we found quite a few. And guess what, they loved them. They are delicious.

Morels are a delicacy! They are becoming rare here on the Mason/Dixson Line of MD and PA due to a blight that hit several years ago. I have been told that they were plentiful, now we have to travel to the Winchester, VA area to find them. The harvest season is only about 3 weeks here. If you ate fresh morels, you wouldn't go back to can mushrooms again.

There are suppose to be Morels around my hunting camp north of Ralph. I am going up there next weekend. If I find some, how do prepare them. Saute in butter and Garlic?

great photograph. please have monkey business put it on a t shirt.

Hi Mike...I clean in a pail of water, cut in half,
and saute in butter-garlic-green onion YUM
I like them best when smelt are running and you can have a mess of smelt and morels YUM YUM
If you hit it big air dry in sun after washing, and either let dry or freeze for use in sauces etc!
Blacks taste a bit "stronger" fresh, but Whites have more size YUM,YUM,YUM

All right Larry. Thanks a lot.

I have picked morels for 25 years. Each season produces its bounty depending on the weather. Morels are fond and abundant if there are warm nights without frost so the spores are not damaged. Rain or snow melt has to produce enough moisture. I have generally found them in old apple orchards, aspen growth, or in the hardwoods. A rule of thumb is if you find one, you will find more. Morels look like a xmas tree and are unique in appearence.The nice part is that they are a early variety and there are not alot of other mushrooms at that time. I have made breaded mushrooms from morels(deep-fried in batter), omelets, and saut'eed with onion and as garnishment over a juicy steak. I enjoy getting out of doors and close to mother nature at the same time. A great method of relaxation and therapy for the soul. BON APPETIT!!!

Larry- Is it a must to cut my pail in half? Can't I just fill it up half way? Also where do you find butter-garlic-green onion?

My tip is to look near rotting wood. We just slice them and saute' in butter. YUM!

We're planning a trip to the UP. What's the best time of year, time of day, and place to see the Northern Lights?

Dana, Northern Lights are caused by storms on the sun, and peak every eleven years,of which this was one. They are most often seen around the Spring or Fall equinox, three to five days after a solar storm (sunspots). The best time to see them is between 10:00PM and 1:00AM from a location that is very dark with an unobstructed view of the northern sky. Sightings are relatively rare, but are better in the Keewenaw area. "The Aurora Page" in the "Golden Pasty" section of this website has some very good information about the "Northern Lights"

The way my mom, sister, and I make morels is to soak them in a little salt water to get the bugs out, then cut them in half and dry them a little on a paper towel and then flour them. Fry them in Crisco (they tend to burn in butter when they are floured) turning them when they are browned. They'll be a little crispy around the edges and soft in the middle. Sprinkle a little salt on them and they're perfect.

RM - You're a great help. Thanks.

Morels go for 25-45 dollars a pound down here in Madison, WI.Northern lights in the U.P., Nov.thru Feb.

you know, there is nothing more tasty then venison steak with sauted morels eh? Just lookiing at this one made my mouth water, and sad that my kids (the one's that said they couldn't eat bambi,but refused to eat anything but after I made them take a bite) at it up in a month's time, don't you know.

I pick lots of Morels each year and would be willing to sell them at just $18.00 a pound.
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