Morel Mushroom Hunting: Getting Outdoors and Enjoying Spring

A Special Guest Column by John Flynn

Spring in the Washington DC region comes in familiar waves. After a long cold Winter, it is exciting to see the daffodils return. The famous cherry blossoms dominate the Spring conversation for several weeks as visitors pour into the city to experience the spectacle of the returning blossoms and perhaps pretend for a moment they have been transported to ancient Kyoto, Japan. But when the dogwoods and tulips finally make their appearance, it is time for a special annual hunt for some of the area's woodland delicacies.

I spent a recent Saturday with my friend Mike to try my hand at foraging for a delicate and elusive gourmet prize – the morel mushroom. We focused our hunt on some public park land in Howard County Maryland along the scenic Patapsco River with grand notions of bringing home the bacon to Chef Kara.

Leaving our cars at a local railroad crossing we headed up the tracks to make our way out to some of Mike’s favorite spots. I surely picked the wrong day to leave my Fitbit on the nightstand. Oh, the steps I missed. Minding the gaps between the railroad ties, we took in the beautiful views of the Patapsco River and sounds of the rushing waters. Passing the occasional mountain bikers and hikers and even some artifact hunters exploring nearby cave shelters once used by the native peoples, we left the railroad tracks and entered the woods and began our hunt.

Morels grow wild in the woods and forests in late Spring, and they are found across large parts of the world. They are a type of wild mushroom with an earthy, nutty flavor. They have a meaty texture, unlike the slimier texture of other mushroom varieties. These mushrooms are a highly desired ingredient among chefs and mushroom enthusiasts. The reason? They are only grown in the wild, unlike farmed mushrooms you will find in the grocery store (shitake, portobello, etc.).

Morel hunters walk the woods seeking out large mature poplar trees to scout around the base and the trunks. Poplar trees can grow to an enormous size and standing beneath their towering canopies makes you feel like you are in a cathedral. It is awe inspiring to walk among these massive trees. Spotting the morels takes some practice. I am an experienced outdoorsman, and my eyes are sharp. But I struggled to spot the morels on my first outing. My friend Mike is an experienced morel hunter on the other hand, and his ability to see the fungi was impressive. We laughed and I cried, as Mike challenged me to find two morels in a small patch of ground he had just found. I never did spot them right under my nose. Hell, I might still be out there looking. But once you get a few under your belt you begin to recognize your quarry and the distinctive textures of the morel. Be ready for some false alarms as the various colored leaves on the forest floor occasionally trick your eyes into seeing things. You are sure you have found one only to cuss and laugh under your breath for being tricked again.

When you find the morels, harvest them with a small pocketknife, cutting the mushroom at the base close to the soil. Mike carries a small mesh bag to hold the morels. The conditions of the mushrooms can vary. Some seem newly bloomed and fresh looking. These are “perfect specimens.” Others are past their prime and may even show signs of nibbling from mice or slugs. We passed on those specimens.

When one is out poking around in the woods you find all kinds of things. On this recent outing the forest floor was speckled with purple and yellow color from the carpet of spring wildflowers. Mike pointed out a species of native Maryland orchid known as the Showy Orchid. We also came across another edible mushroom called the Oyster Mushroom.

Other things we saw on our walkabout in April: a vacant box turtle shell, a deer skull, coyote poop, and a pile of wild turkey feathers proving the struggles in the circle of life are alive and well along the banks of the Patapsco River in Maryland.

With our morels in hand and rain closing in we headed back to the cars with 8-10 morels in tow. We decided to celebrate our success with a burger and beverage at the Woodstock Inn. After a couple of hours, hiking, choking on pollen dust and dodging ticks it was a welcome relief to cool off and quench our thirst.

Time with good friends is always time well spent. Mike and I have been friends since college, and we keep finding ways to keep the fun going. Fishing, gardening, and hunting are some of our shared interests. I thoroughly enjoyed our recent outing learning the tricks of the trade for morel hunting. So, with my bag of morels, I headed for home thinking of recipes to incorporate the mushrooms in. A fan favorite in our household is Ina Garten and her chicken and morels dish. Of course, Kara was already ahead of me.

I refrigerated the morels in a bowl with a damp paper towel covering the fungi overnight. I found a great deal of useful information on YouTube on the cleaning, handling, and preparation of the shrooms. It is recommended to soak the morel before cooking to remove any unwanted soil, sand, and insects. I found several differing techniques mentioned while researching but all agree to soak just prior to cooking because the mushrooms will absorb water and will not store well once wet. After a thorough cleaning I dried the morels, shaking off any excess water, patting dry with a paper towel. I cut the morels into smaller pieces to prepare them for sautéing.

It was truly a pleasure to enjoy a dish that largely came about from my own efforts to forage for it! I’m hoping to do more of this in the future.