Saturday, April 24, 2010

New Spot!


Every successful morel hunter has a repertoire of known mushroom-producing locations. Mine are committed to memory, and most have nick-names. Of course I won't share those nick-names with you, as they may give you clues as to where they are. My brother recently told me I was more paranoid than a musky guide with regard to my morel spots. Probably true.

With the known spots in mind, the season typically progresses like this: check known spots; when morels appear, begin scouting for new spots. New spots are hard to come by. You may find it surprising that after close to a decade foraging in my state, I really only have four good spots for morels. That is...until last night.

Last night I was scouring some open wooded areas, half searching for ramps. It was nearly dark, and I somehow managed to spot four decent sized grey morels. No, there weren't a forest of them. No burlap bags full, but it is a brand-new spot. This also marks the first time I've ever found morels in wooded areas in Minnesota.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Bicycles and Morels


Why did it take me so long to figure out that bikes were a great foraging resource? We have been covering many miles, easily and quickly getting back into the harder to reach areas.

Garlic Mustard


We found a literal carpet of garlic mustard not far from my house. This plant is actually considered an invasive species here in Minnesota. If you crush a leaf, you can smell a garlic-like aroma. These early spring plants can be eaten raw in a salad, or cooked down like any other green. I may try a nice salad with garlic mustard, violets, and sorrel.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

First Find 2010





Found our first morels of the year. Its been a warm spring but I didn't expect these large yellow specimens on April 22.