sitting back and eating "MORRELS" tonight

mushroom seasons coming soon! who hunts them? i found a ton of morrels last year. well over 2000[ 650 in one afternoon"

i'm no expert, but heres some basics i've learned:

to preserve them, an old "shroom hunter" told me a trick that seems to work great [ i am eating last years mushrooms tonight and they tast like they were just found!]

1st: put a couple baking sheets in the freezer a few hrs before you start.
2nd: soak your mushrooms in saltwater for at least 8 hrs [this will get any bugs outta them]
3rd:slice them 1/4" thick.and put them in regular water.

last take out the cookie sheet and pull the mushrooms out of the water and on the cookie sheet. they will almost instantly freeze. but cover the sheet with shrooms about 1" apart and put them back in the frezzer. after 30 minuts or so pull them out and they will be like individual ice cubes.

i preferr to vaccum pack them in groups of 30 slices

TIME TO COOK EM'!!! [ even up to, or greater than, a year later!]

thaw them out under warm water, dip them in egg, roll em' in "ritz crackers" and fry them in butter until golden brown------------------------ mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm' good!

Bee, I've had some great years finding Morels and other years, hardly enough for a good meal. The first time i actually knew about them and went for a look, 20 years or so ago, i just walked this 1/2 logged out Fir covered side hill and they were freaking everywhere for as far as i could see. A bud and i would fill up our shopping bags and dump them to completely fill a big cardboard box, that was in the back of my truck, in a couple hours or so and we only cut the biggest and best of what was there for the taking. Talk about getting spoiled.

It never has been as good in our area, some are really into getting and selling them, it's like their job, but they hardly make gas money around here lately. Seems we need plenty of spring rains for the better years. I hope to pick at least couple big messes in April-May, nothing in the mushroom world is better, IMO, than a big batch of Morels!!

Joey

I do a little bit of mushroom hunting. I don't trust myself with anything but puffballs yet.

HF, Puffballs, Do you have a preferred way of cooking them?

I find several every spring that go 6-10" across and are as white and firm as can be all the way through but never have had them to where i'm wanting more.

Joey

A fire in the summer, (or the year before), a good snow year and get to lookin!
In Western Idaho, We have picked buckets full!
Leave the tiny ones for next year!

+1 on the fire, or a year old logging opperation right on the skidder trails. i have a few spot just on grassy hillside that i can pick 50 or so, but last year i found what i thought to be the mother load.in 1 day me and a buddy found 650 morels!

i hope it is as good this year. seems like last year i first found them on memorial day weekend.