How To: Hunt for Morel Mushrooms

There’s a fungus among us and, wow, does it taste good. In April, mouthwatering morel mushrooms begin popping up on forest floors across Missouri. Searching for them is nature’s version of an Easter egg hunt.

What to bring

• Lace up a pair of sturdy shoes or hiking boots.
• Wear light-colored long pants to make it easier to spot ticks.
• Spray insect repellent over your legs and arms.
• Bring a bag — maybe two or three if you’re feeling lucky — to carry the morels you find. Many mushroom hunters use a mesh bag. They believe this lets the picked mushrooms release spores (“seeds”) that will grow into future morels.

What to look for

Most mushroom hunters search for yellow (aka common) morels, but at least three kinds of morels grow in Missouri. All true morels have a hollow stem with a hollow, oval-shaped cap that looks like a sponge.

Beware! Never ever eat a mushroom unless a grown-up tells you it’s safe. Poisonous mushrooms called false morels look similar to true morels. With practice, most people can tell a true morel from a false morel. If you’re unsure, slice the mushroom down the center of its long side. True (edible) morels are hollow. False (poisonous) morels have chambers in their stems and caps.

Pro Tip: When you find your first morel, don’t pick it! Mark the location with a hat or bandana and look nearby to see if you can spot more. Once you find one morel, it’s funny how other ones suddenly become easier to see.

Where to go

Morels can be found nearly anywhere. Some people have even found them in their flower beds! But morels typically grow in the woods. Here are good places to look:

• Damp woods and river bottoms, especially on sun-dappled, south-facing slopes
• Under dead or dying elm trees
• Under living ash, cottonwood, oak, and hickory trees
• In old, overgrown orchards
• In woods and brushy fields that were recently burned 

When to go

Morels begin popping up in mid-April. They need warm, damp soil to grow. If you notice these clues, it’s time to hit the woods:

• Temperatures (especially at night) stay in the 50s for a few days in a row.
• A warm, gentle rain has soaked the ground. (Search the day after.)
• Mayapples are half-grown and shiny green.
• Oak leaves are about as big as a squirrel’s ear.

What to do with them

Cut big morels into bite-sized chunks. Soak them in clean water for a couple of hours to flush out any bugs living inside. Gently pat the mushrooms dry on paper towels. Dip them in egg wash and roll them in cornmeal, breadcrumbs, or crushed crackers. Fry the mushrooms in oil until they’re golden-brown and then season with salt. Enjoy!