Show us your morel harvest!

[couloirman]

Anyone else hunting for morels? They are out in full effect here (western PA). It is going to be a good month, I can feel it. Not even May yet and they are already popping up. This was the small harvest after maybe 30 minutes in the woods. Would have picked more but it was pouring rain and I am still on crutches.

[neck beard]

[Mazderati]

Hell of a butt plug collection.

[ill-advised strategy]

Hell of a butt plug collection.

immorel harvest?

[KQ]

Years past harvest on my land has been good but no morels for me this year. River rerouted over their usual growing spot then it dried out.

I was however treated to a lovely morel risotto that my friend made from some mushrooms her friend had harvested. Friends are good!

[~mikey b]

No pics cuz I already cooked and ate them but I got a gallon bag stuffed full of lovely morels handed to me by a customer yesterday. Creamy mushroom lasagna. Some in the freezer too.

[SB]

I luv me sum morels.

[liv2ski]

Never heard of them??? But the lasagna sounds good Mike.

[isisis]

I live in west-central Idaho. This year is shaping up to be worse than last year for morels, and last year was pretty bad.
A photo from a couple of years ago:

I usually dehydrate the morels I do find, and I actually prefer dried morels over fresh ones.

Not that I could ever compete with KQ & her awesome recipes, but here's one that I love.

Dried Mushroom Pate (with Morels)
Servings (makes approximately 1 cup)
Ingredients:

• About 8-12 dried morels (about 1oz) rehydrated in about 1 cup of boiling water for about 20 minutes. Should rehydrate to be about 1⁄2 or more cups of mushrooms, by the time they are re-hydrated. Save the water the mushrooms were soaking in.
• About 1⁄4-1/2 cup onion or shallot, sautéed in butter
• Toasted hazelnuts or walnuts, about 1⁄2-3/4 cup, skins removed from hazelnuts (toast in ovenor on top of stove, let cool, remove skins from hazelnuts)
• A few springs of fresh Thyme, or fresh parsley (optional)
• A pinch of nutmeg or more if you like the flavor, don’‛t overdo it
• Additional chicken or vegetable broth, if necessary.
• About 1⁄4-1/2 cup heavy cream, more if needed (you can also substitute half & half, sourcream or cream cheese)
• A few splashes of Sherry, Cognac, or Marsala wine
• Salt & ground black pepper

1. Saute the onion or shallots in a little butter (2 Tablespoons?). Add the re-hydrated mushrooms & some of their soaking liquid and or vegetable/chicken broth & let simmer, until almost all liquid is evaporated. You can “de-glaze” with some of the Sherry, if you like, or wait until the blender step, to add that.
2. Pour the mushroom mixture into a blender or food-processor. Add the nuts, nutmeg & thyme. Add enough cream to blend into a smooth consistency. Add additional broth or cream, if needed, to blend/process. The mixture should be fairly smooth & have a spreadable, “pate-like” consistency.
3. Scrape mixture into a bowl, taste to correct seasoning, add salt & pepper & more nutmeg if you think it needs it. At this point, I add additional sherry or cognac to give it a richer flavor. Garnish with chopped nuts, chopped fresh parsley or thyme if you wish.
4. Chill or serve at room temperature. Probably would freeze well. Serve with crackers, or sliced/toasted French bread. Tastes almost like chopped liver, but better!
Can be made completely vegan by using tofu or some other "non-dairy " creamy substance.

[~mikey b]

Morels for sale.

I don't know this person. If anyone wanted some I can pick them up, dry them and send to you.

http://goldcountry.craigslist.org/for/5008757982.html

[couloirman]

The harvest is getting better and better here in western PA every day. Got about 40-50 per person every day for the past 4 days. And at least one person in the group has gotten bitten by a tick every time out. They are scary aggressive this year. Never seen them this much before in these spots. Watch out for lyme everyone!

[capulin overdrive]

Sadly no Morels in the desert!

[neufox47]

Mmmmm morels...

[Game Over]

they have been popping up in our driveway next to the garage all spring.

[Game Over]

here is one. I dont know why TGR rotates my pics??

[TBS]

Found this growing next to the driveway. This is morel country but no idea how to identify 'shrooms.
Morel or something else?

[irul&ublo]

Found this growing next to the driveway. This is morel country but no idea how to identify 'shrooms.
Morel or something else?

That's digitaldeath's buttplug


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[couloirman]

Found this growing next to the driveway. This is morel country but no idea how to identify 'shrooms.
Morel or something else?

Nice find-- that's a morel. If you cut it in half lengthwise it should be hollow on the inside. False morels have a white cotton like substance on the inside of the stem (don't eat those). Also don't eat them raw, or breathe the cooking fumes as morels release hydrazine gas when you cook them and that's bad to breathe. If you find more, wash them in a bucket, save the water and pour it in an area you want more morels to grow in next year (best areas I have found are near compost piles, burn piles or any other area that has burned recently) and you might get lucky next year. Try to leave the root in the ground next time you pick one as well, as a lot of people believe that same root will produce again in the exact same spot next year.

[neck beard]

Found this growing next to the driveway. This is morel country but no idea how to identify 'shrooms.
Morel or something else?

Can't any of you guys see the face?

[Conundrum]

A buddy showed me his spot today. Five of us walked out of National Forest with 25 gallons. Could go back tomorrow and repeat but we’ve got enough in the house to last awhile. Here’s about 2/3rds of our share. Fridge is full soaking some for consumption the next few weeks.

[abraham]

Holy shit

[iceman]

I would be pretty fuckin sick of morels waaayyy before I got through all those. But nice work.

[Buster Highmen]

wow. I just dried a paltry bucket and made morel butter and put it over seared scallops. killer cull.

[SB]

Wow, nice haul.

[m2711c]

here is one. I dont know why TGR rotates my pics??

Try taking your pictures horizontally instead of vertically. It works for me.