The Do’s and Don’ts of Hunting For Morel Mushrooms

WVU Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences Dan Panaccione says,” The chemical that’s poisonous in the false morel is very close to rocket fuel- Monomethylhydrazene, and it damages your liver.”

But don’t be so afraid of eating the wrong mushroom, that you skip out on hunting them altogether.

Panaccione also says,”Most people know what they’re doing, and once you learn how to tell the difference, they’re pretty easy to distinguish from each other.”

You’ll probably just get sick to your stomach if you eat one or two. 

Once you have your mushrooms, and you’ve let them soak overnight in salt water to kill any insects inside, it will be time to cook them.  Most people just add some butter and flour, and fry them up in a skillet. 

Since the mushrooms come up in the same place each year, be sure and keep the place you find the most morels a secret- to keep away an unwanted hunters.

Also, you can dehydrate them, put them in a sealed plastic bag, and keep them for up to three years.  They revive quickly in warm water, and will still have all their flavor.

The “False Morel” has several species which carry scientific names such as Gyromitra esculenta, Verpa, Hellvella, and Disciotis. The Verpa and gyromitrin species are the most often mis-identified variety. The gyroomitrin is oten referred to as the “red mushroom”, the “beefsteak mushroom” or the “lorchel”. There are several true species of the false morel, and while some will say they can prepare and eat the false morel with no problem, others have a drastically opposite reaction to them. Hence, The Great Morel suggests that you do not attempt to digest this particular mushroom.

Research shows this species of the morel family is said to contain a toxic chemical called Gyromitrin, a toxic and possible carcinogenic chemical. There are white papers out on the internet that suggest this chemical can be removed from the morel by repeatedly boiling small cut up pieces in water. There are also shoomers who will tell you they have no ill side-effects from ingesting properly prepared false morels, yet evidence will point out that even ingesting small amounts of un-properly treated false morels can have serious side-effects. Even the preparation of the false morel in itself can be dangerous and may cause adverse reactions, thus avoid inhaling fumes and steam. Research also points out there are various species of false morels that grow around the world, and while some may not be as toxic as others, it is wise to understand this and to do your own research wisely.

Some of the known side effects are severe cases of diarrhea, severe headaches, vomiting, nausea, extreme dizziness, and YES even possible death. The Great Morel strongly suggests that you leave the false morel exactly where you found it. The Great Morel also suggests (as many others do) that even if you have no reaction yourself, not to offer the false morel to anyone else, especially to children and pregnant women.

With that said on the biological make-up of the false morel, let us take a look at and discuss some of the visual characteristics. Keep in mind as stated above, there are several species of false morel and this page is showing only one of those. As you look at the images below you can click on the thumbnails to view a larger image. Pay close attention to the physical characteristics which are about to be discussed, as it will help you determine whether you have indeed found the false morel.

Let’s start out with some basic characteristics which should tip you off right away. Notably is just how ugly they can appear, as can be seen in the picture above. The texture or makeup of the cap or head can typically have brain-like features, with folds in the caps, which some might describe as wrinkles, and are often brittle to the touch. The color will appear reddish or a brownish red, and will darken to almost a blackish red as the false morel ages. You can see some of this darkening beginning to take place on the image below. Sizes can vary from 2 inches to 10 inches.

One of the easiest ways of determining the false morel is by slicing it long ways. See the image below of a crosscut sectioning and note the meaty texture of the stem. False morels are not hollow, which is the most definite tip that you have stumbled up one of these ugly bad boys. The false morel shown in this image is also quite heavy as it is almost solid in the stem and meaty, and often referred to as “cottony”. Some expert mycologists go into greater detail in defining the relationship of the cap and the stem. You check out the links below for more photos and detail descriptions of the physical relationship between the cap or head and stem.

Now if you look at the two images above, they show what an edible morel looks like, and what the false morel looks like. The first is of a small yellow morel. Take a moment and compare it to the image above, you’ll see the notable difference in both the stem and how the cap is attached to the stem. The yellow and grey morel’s stem is hollow. If you think you may have eaten the wrong one – seek urgent medical attention.

Recipes for Mushrooms with Bill & Sheila

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