Morelizing Again!

Another 33 fine M. Esculentas last night in the vicinity of the Missouri River bottoms. Easily a quarter of them were new growth!

Mushroom Maelstrom

...just a quick hike in the vicinity of Twin Rivers tonight -- just spent an hour in the woods. Yield: 77 common morels, nice ones. Here's tonite's haul!

Here are a couple of shots of the larger blondes and the grays:

Morel Dilemma

What to do with all those mushrooms? A Puzzlement!

I scoured the Crescent Hills Saturday again. Found a young hobo lost, looking for water and directions - had just come off of a freight from Portland headed for Georgia. He couldn't understand why no one would befriend him. I gave him water and directed him to the kind ladies at Route 66 Park.

Moments later I popped out of the woods on top of a popular mountain bike trail. There at my feet were a couple dozen 3" beautiful black morels. The trail riders were oblivious. I packed them up and headed home for some spring yard work.

As I stacked brush I noticed several verpa bohemica (30 or so) and as I picked them I also noticed two 10" blacks, standing right there next to my rock garden. We use no pesticide or artificial fertilizers so those 'shrooms went right into the basket!

Yesterday I decided to brave the drizzle and spend another afternoon in the woods. Jackpot! Underneath blooming may apples, I found about 20 yellows, common morels, in perfect shape, all 5" to 8". I filled my bag and headed home to clean them.

I feasted on blacks and yellows last night. I'll have morels aplenty for the next week. But it doesn't stop there: The weather has turned cool and rainy again, so the fruiting will continue perhaps for weeks.

This has been the best year for Morels that I can remember.

Morel Imperative

First morels of the season! Jackpot!

Aside from the 50 or so ticks I picked off of me (no pain, no gain) I had good luck on this first fruiting of 2008. On April 19 I spent 4 hours in the woods. Here's the yield:

- over 20 Verpa Bohemicas - small and delicate.
- 16 Morchella angusiceps - nice, 3" classic black morels
- One solitary Morchella esculenta - small but lovely and meaty

Sunday morning I had these mushrooms with homemade Missouri small-farm raised pork sausage with lots of sage in natural casings. A breakfast fit for a king.

Where did I find the morels? In the woods, of course!

Morel Scout 2008 First Run

Yesterday I took a long foray into the Crescent Hills area scouting morels. Not a thing. Trilliums are up and showing but no blooms, oak leaves are not even out yet. Moderately warm, slow rainfall today may bring them out tomorrow.

But at least I did get my first tick of the season!