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Award-winning chef, author and forager Alan Bergo. Food is all around you.

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The Forager’s Guide to Morel Mushrooms

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mature blonde and grey morels or morchella americana from minnesota

Fresh grey and yellow morels. 

Prized around the world for their texture, rarity and nutty flavor, morels, also known as molly moochers, sponge mushrooms and dry land fish, are one of the most exciting wild mushrooms you can hunt. 

Here I’m going to tell you everything I know about them: how to hunt, identify, harvest, clean and cook, as well as some of my favorite recipes I’ve made over the years for them. 

For reference, I’m in Minnesota so my experiences will be the most useful to hunters in the Midwest and United States, but my tips for cooking apply everywhere.  

young grey morels or morchella americana

Young greys show up first for me. 

Hunting 

There’s two big keys for hunting: when, and where.

When

Early spring is the time to look, and there’s a number of different ways to tell when you should go out. I usually see mushrooms start in early to mid-May, but every year is different. 

common morels or morchella americana near dead elms in minnesota

Look under leaf litter and dead leaves. 

Natural indicators 

There’s lots of folk-wisdom for when to start looking for mushrooms in the Spring. The most common is when the lilacs bloom, as well as dandelions. I pay attention to both. 

Soil temperature 

When the ground hits 50 degrees farenhieght it’s time to look. Testing the soil temperature is easy-just stick a thermometer into the ground.

Where

Looking for mushrooms growing near dead elms is my best bet, but it may be different depending on where you live. Here’s a quick list. 

Dead elms 

looking for dead and dying trees that have begun to shed their bark, but aren’t totally bare. American elm (Ulmus americana) and slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) are what I look for the most. I look for south-facing slopes as they’re warmer-a common strategy. 

dead elm dead elm stump shedding bark
You want some bark still on the tree.
A dead elm shedding it's bark
Dead elms are easy to spot.

Not every dead elm tree will have mushrooms, but, sometimes all it takes is a single tree to make your whole season. I look for “grandpa trees” or big, old dying elms. The bigger the tree, the more mushrooms it can make. 

They grow with lots of other trees too, but it can be region specific. In Indiana you might hunt sycamores. In North Dakota, you might hunt flood plains with moist soil during morel season. Research your region and learn from mushroom hunters in your area.

Other types of trees 

  • Dying cottonwoods 
  • Green and white ash trees 
  • Tulip poplar 
  • Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
  • Eastern white pine 
  • American sycamore 
  • Crabapple 
  • Bitternut Hickory 
  • Black cherry 
  • Old apple orchards (some of these have been contaminated with arsenic)
Dead elms in the spring

When you find one elm, look for more. 

Disturbed areas 

Disturbed areas can be very good. Here’s a list of the ones I have experience with. 

Logged forest 

Logged woods are one of my best spots. I find woods with rich soil that’ve been logged recently (I look for maple-hardwood mixed woods). After two years, I usually start to see mushrooms and they increase in number for a few years before declining. A1/4 acre patch gave me about a hundred each year for 5 years.

Hunting morels in logged woods in wisconsin

Hunting blonde morels in logged woods

Flooded Areas

Mostly I hear about flooded areas in the Dakotas, where there’s flood plain forest and cottonwood trees. Floods in 2011 brought the best haul I’ve ever seen: over 100 pounds of molly moochers were delivered to the restaurant I was working in at the time. 

Burns, Storms Damage, and Forest Fires

A common anecdote about mushroom hunting in Europe is “people used to burn their woods so mushrooms would come”. This doesn’t refer to people burning down trees, but more likely to them burning woods that had lots of undergrowth. This is the same reaction that makes it possible for people to hunt burn morels in North America every year after forest fires.

Hunting black morels in aspen clear cut in northern minnesota

Hunting blacks in the spring in burned clear-cut in Northern MN.

Identification 

Identifying morels is pretty easy as far as wild mushrooms go. Here’s a few quick tips: 

True morels

  • Will have pitted caps with a honeycomb structure, there will never be folds, which could be Gyromitra.
  • Are always hollow in the center-never filled with white pith or folds 
  • Will have caps completely connected to their stems 
Half free morels or peckerheads and true morels morchella americana and morchella punctipes

Note the differences between the half-frees on the left, and the real-deal on the right.

Varieties 

We know a lot more about morels than in the past. Plenty of hunters might say they pick “blondes and greys” (these should all Morchella americana), but we now know there’s many different species of around the world.

For example, poplar or tulip morels are a specific type of blonde morel that could be either Morchella diminutiva or M. sceptriformis, and the list goes on. Here’s ones I have experience harvesting.

Greys

These are the first mushrooms that I see in the spring. They can be small, but they make up for it with a dense structure. Many experienced hunters I’ve spoken to prefer these over their blonde/yellow cousins.

a small grey common morel or morchella americana

Greys are the first morels you’ll see. 

Blonde, Gold, or Yellow

From my experience, these grow to be larger than grey or dark morels. As these grow in size, they tend to get crumbly. The “walls” of yellows are also thinner than grey or green morels. When you see them, check your spots as the season has reached it’s peak and will be over soon.  

Blonde morel mushroom from Minnesota

A beautiful, lone blonde.

The Bigfoot

You may come across mushrooms late in the early summer that have a giant stem. As I understand it, these were thought of as a separate species (Morchella crassipes) but, according to Michael Kuo, they’re probably just blondes that, for whatever reason, get huge. 

bigfoot minnesota morel morchella crassipes

This weighed a pound and was over a foot long! 

Blacks

Also known as conical morels, blacks are a separate species including Morchella septentrionalis, M. conica, morchella agusticeps, and others. Like all the others, they’re great to eat. 

These are harvested commercially in the most quantity, due to the large amounts found after forest fires in Pacific Northwest.

Another type grows with stands of young aspen/popple in Northern Minnesota, and they may come a week earlier than greys and blondes. Those ones have a reputation for an-alcohol morel allergy, making some people sick if they consume alcohol with them. 

black morels

Black morels, the young ones can be a cream color before they develop their black ridges.

Look-a-Likes: Gyromitra and Verpa 

There are a few different species that can be confused with true morels, but mostly when you hear the words “false or fake morel” it’s going to refer to either gyromitras or verpas. All of these wild mushrooms, including every species of morel, can make people very sick if undercooked or eaten raw.

All of those mushrooms are traditional foods. But, Gyromitra are much more dangerous than morels if not handled properly, and they account for many wild mushroom poisonings every year during the season when both mushrooms appear. If you’re new to mushroom hunting, it’s probably best to leave them in the woods.

Gyromitra mushrooms or false morels

 Gyromitra brunnea, a false morel in late Spring.

Half-frees

Half-free morels (Morchella punctipes and others) are in the genus morchella so they’re a real morel. These are hollow on the inside but the cap is only half-attached to the stem. They’re ok, but brittle. These are often called early morels. 

half-free morels morchella punctipes

Half-frees.

Harvesting

The best mushrooms will be attractive looking, fresh and sturdy, without blemishes but I know people who will take old, buggy, discolored, wet or past-prime specimens. Sometimes I harvest older mushrooms too but I always dry them. Eating old mushrooms can make you sick.

Molding morels

Mold means these aren’t in very good condition. 

Cut vs Pull 

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. I always cut the mushrooms from the ground and clean them before putting in the basket as it only takes one dirty mushroom to ruin a meal with grit.

Picking morel mushrooms near a dead elm

Cut your mushrooms and they’ll stay clean. 

Spore bags 

Some claim you have to put mushrooms into a mesh bag to spread spores. This isn’t true. I can’t stand mesh bags as they don’t support the mushrooms, making them rub against each other, breaking them apart into crumbles. As the bags are see-through, they also give you away to hunters on state parks and public land. Plastic bags are no good either. 

Braised Pheasant Legs with Morel Mushroom Sauce

Braised pheasant legs with dry morels is a great way to enjoy them.  

Cooking 

Now the most fun part. These are some of the best eating mushrooms around, but there’s a few things to know:

  • Never eat morels raw
  • Large mushrooms I may cut into halves or dehydrate 
  • Browning will improve the flavor
  • If you find perfect young mushrooms, they can be cooked whole
  • A morel allergy isn’t uncommon-even if they’re cooked through

Should I soak morels in salt water to remove bugs?

Never. Soaking morels in salt water will ruin them, but some people still do it. I don’t care what your grandpappy said-it’s wrong.

Cleaning morel mushrooms with water

I clean them in cool water to remove grit.

The salt draws out natural water from inside the mushroom. When you remove them, they’ll be flaccid and limp. Hot water is no good either. If your mushrooms have worms in them, dry them. 

Very large Morels from Minnesota

Large, mature mushrooms are brittle. I Dry them. 

Drying 

These are one of the best mushrooms you can dry. I usually dry old or large mushrooms. To dry them, I put the mushrooms in a dehydrator at 145F and leave overnight until crisp. They’ll keep for years after dehydrating. 

Dried morel mushrooms from Minnesota

$200/lb for dried morels is common.

After the mushrooms are dried, they can be reconstituted by covering with cold water, stock or milk. Afterword they’re plumped up, they need to be swished in their liquid to remove dirt.

reconstituting dried morel mushrooms

Dried mushrooms awakening from their winter slumber.

After dirt is removed, just strain the liquid and recombine it with the mushrooms, then add them to whatever you like.

cream sauce with dried morels

Dried, they’re incredible in cream sauces.

How to clean 

I clean my mushrooms with water, but I don’t soak them. Below is a video outlining the process I taught to the cooks in my restaurants and have used at home since I started.

Fried or breaded morel mushrooms recipe

I cut in half or leave whole, swish in water to clean, then dry on paper towels.

I swish the mushrooms in cold water to remove grit, then I put them on paper towels to drain. If the mushrooms are from sandy soil or it’s rained recently, I’ll dehydrate them as they’re hard to clean.

Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Cleaning Morel Mushrooms

A simple breakdown of how I clean morels. I may leave them whole if they're small, larger ones will be cut in half. Notice that I do not soak the mushrooms in salt water, which is a crime against mushrooms.

Video

Recipes

French morel mushrooms with cream
French morilles a la creme.

  • Classic Fried morels 
  • Chef Andy’s Spaghetti with Morels and Ramps 
  • Crab-Stuffed Morels 
  • Morilles a la crème
  • Dried Morel Soup / Bisque 
  • Dried morel butter

More Morel Recipes

Related

35 Essential Wild Mushrooms Every Forager Should Know 

Resources and further reading 

Mushroom Expert

Half-Free Morels

Morels by Michael Kuo 

Related

Previous Post: « How to Cook with Candy Cap Mushrooms
Next Post: Ramps: Harvesting, Sustainability, Cooking and Recipes »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maybeth

    April 29, 2019 at 4:38 pm

    So if not soak morels, how do i clean them?

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      October 7, 2019 at 9:57 am

      Swish in cold water, then dry on towels. I have a video on you tube.

      Reply
      • Barbara

        March 8, 2021 at 3:54 pm

        5 stars
        Do you use this method for farm and wild morels?

        Reply
        • Alan Bergo

          March 8, 2021 at 5:45 pm

          I only harvest wild morels.

          Reply
  2. Peggy Drury

    May 5, 2019 at 3:23 pm

    What if wild morels are turning brown at the stem when u puck the are they still good

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      May 6, 2019 at 9:15 pm

      They can be, make sure they’re not soft and gooey at all. If they’re fresh and firm, they’re good. You can trim brown parts off too.

      Reply
  3. Joe Bower

    May 4, 2020 at 6:31 pm

    I dried mine and they turned nearly black. This was before I read not to soak them in salt water. I have been misinformed my whole life apparently. Are they still ok and do you feel this was from soaking too long and or using salt water. They were hung dry on mesh.

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      May 5, 2020 at 12:09 pm

      They’ll be fine, not great, but fine. Boil them or cook in broth to sterilize.

      Reply
  4. Shawn W

    May 5, 2020 at 2:38 pm

    Informative post, thank you!
    One question though: To make a compound butter using fresh black morels, do I need to steep them in hot/boiling water first, so as to not get sick from consuming the mushrooms raw once they’ve been pulverized into the compound butter?

    Cheers!

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      May 5, 2020 at 6:55 pm

      You would always cook mushrooms to make a compound butter, so raw mushroom consumption is a non-issue here. For a template for making fresh mushroom butter, see my recipe here: https://foragerchef.com/fresh-porcini-butter/
      Personally I prefer dried morels for butter since you get to use their liquid, see that recipe here: https://foragerchef.com/dried-morel-butter/

      A

      Reply
  5. Sally

    May 5, 2021 at 9:31 pm

    I let mine soak in warm salt water … only ment to for 4 mins but left house and it turned into 4 hours! Ahhh
    Kinda floppy now
    Still okay to cook and eat?

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      May 6, 2021 at 7:05 am

      Morels should never be soaked in water, or water with salt. Salted water will “cook” your mushrooms in a way, and make them a floppy mess. You can still cook them and eat, just make sure to cook them thoroughly.

      Reply
  6. Lisa

    May 12, 2021 at 7:35 pm

    5 stars
    If I find some wild morels and want to eat them the next day, what is best method of storage?

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      May 13, 2021 at 7:17 am

      Rinse or swish them in cold water to remove dirt or debris since it will stick if they’re allowed to dry out, then keep in a zip top bag with paper towels that will help keep in moisture.

      Reply
    • Brian

      April 8, 2022 at 8:52 pm

      I sometimes order dehydrated morels when I cannot hunt fresh. In order to rehydrate they recommend to soak them, I know this is not the preferred way to consume such a wonderful mushroom but this is the only way sometimes for me.
      Do you have any advice on how to work with dehydrated morels? Thanks in advance.

      Reply
      • Joe

        April 9, 2022 at 9:52 am

        I don’t advise soaking them personally. The texture is completely different and the spores seep put staining the morel as well. I just take the dried morel and add it directly to a recipe. Diced and added to a sauce is very good. They pair well with red sauce from my experience. I have a jar of diced morels just for things like this.

        Reply
        • Alan Bergo

          April 9, 2022 at 10:12 am

          Yes but you have to make sure the mushrooms are very clean. One mushroom growing in a sandy patch, or a mushroom that was splashed by dirt in the rain can ruin a whole dish.

          Reply
          • Joe

            April 9, 2022 at 10:34 am

            That’s very true. I suppose I was only considering the ones I pick, process and dry myself. If you buy them you never know if they were cleaned to your specifications.
            If you ever had clams, one can attest how sand can ruin a meal.

      • Alan Bergo

        April 9, 2022 at 10:09 am

        Lots of people cook with dried morels, and they’re one of the best dried mushrooms. Dried morels you buy at a store are typically pretty clean, so, some people add them directly to recipes without soaking. This can work, but there can occasionally be some grit if the mushrooms aren’t perfectly clean before they’re dried, which is why packages of mushrooms will instruct you to soak many of them. Wild mushrooms I harvest myself I almost always soak for a bit in water to cover, stirring them around a few times during the process to try and remove any grit. But, some species are easier to clean than others-lobster mushrooms are a good example as they can be trimmed more easily, so I might use them as a seasoning ground to a powder since there’s no worrying about crunchy dirt getting into the food.

        Reply

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Alan Bergo
I liked the staff meal I made for Mondays shoot so I liked the staff meal I made for Mondays shoot so much we filmed it instead of the original dish I’d planned. 

Cooked natural wild rice (not the black shiny stuff) is great hot, cold, sweet or savory. It’s a perfect, filling lunch for a long day of berry picking. 

I make them with whatever I have on hand. Mushrooms will fade into the background a little here, so I use a bunch of them, along with lots of herbs and hickory nut oil + dill flowers. 

I’m eating the leftovers today back up in the barrens (hopefully) getting some more bluebs for another shoot this week w @wild.fed 

#wilwilwice #wildrice #chanterelles #campfood #castironcooking
Baby’s first homegrown mushrooms! Backyard wine Baby’s first homegrown mushrooms! Backyard wine caps on hardwood sawdust from my lumberjack buddy.

Next up blewits. Spawn from @northsporemushrooms

#winecaps #strophariaaeruginosa #allthemushroomtags
It’s wild cherry season. I’ll be picking from It’s wild cherry season. I’ll be picking from my favorite spot tomorrow a.m. and have room for a couple helpers. It’s at an event on a farm just south of St. Cloud. 

If you’re interested send me a message and I’ll raffle off the spots. Plenty of cherries to go around. I’ll be leading a short plant walk around the farm too. 

#chokecherries #foraging #prunusvirginiana #summervibes
Special thanks to the beach in Ashland for hooking Special thanks to the beach in Ashland for hooking it up with on-site garnishes. Beach pea flowers taste strong and leguminous, similar to vetch, or like a rich tasting pea shoot. 

#lathyrusjaponicus #beachpeas #peaflower #foraging #northshore #bts
Great, long day of filming in near the south shore Great, long day of filming in near the south shore of Lake Superior yesterday. 

Blueberries were sparse, and some kind of blight seems to be affecting the serviceberries. Chanterelles weren’t as good as 2020, but they were there. 

Quick dip in the Lake Superior after we broke set was a bonus. 

W/ @barebonesliving  @misterberndt @jesseroesler

#barebonesliving #foraging #lakesuperiorrocks #serviceberries #chanterelles #bts
Green ramp seed make a great lactoferment. Just pu Green ramp seed make a great lactoferment. Just put the green seeds in brine in a jar, leave for 2 weeks. 

After they’re sour they can be water bath processed, although I’ve stored them at room temp without an issue too. 

Finished product is great minced or puréed into places where you’d like garlic, capers, or both. 

Makes a great tzatziki with a little crumbled, dried bee balm. 

#tzatziki #ramps #rampseeds #foraging #fermentation
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