True Morels

True Morel, Morchella angusticeps

Day 194: About ten days ago, I posted a photo of the false Morel, Verpa bohemica (see below). It is easy to confuse with the true Morel, Morchella angusticeps (above). To the untrained eye or sometimes even to the under-informed novice, the distinction between "pits" (Morel) and "wrinkles" (Verpa) is a hard one to make, even when the pits of the Morel make a more or less radial pattern from the top of the cap. The easiest way to tell them apart is to observe how the cap is attached to the stipe. Note that in the cross-section of the true Morel, it is attached at the base. In Verpa, it hangs from the top like a lampshade.

While most people are able to eat properly-cooked Morels, Verpa (also considered edible) causes digestive distress in a greater number of individuals, but with any mushroom where that caution is given, it is advisable to only eat a small quantity until you have determined your tolerance for them. I can eat Morels, but have been hesitant to try Verpa after having had an unfavourable response to another purportedly edible-and-choice species (Hericium).

False Morel, Verpa bohemica

Edible And Choice

Day 205: Driving by at 55 MPH, I said, "That looked like Morels!" I pulled into my driveway less than five minutes later, hung the camera around my neck, grabbed a bag and a pocket knife, and headed back down the road on foot. Halfway to the site, I remarked aloud, "I'm going to get there and it's going to have been a whole bunch of little brown birds."

But they weren't birds. They weren't leaves. They were Morchella angusticeps, one of Spring's greatest treasures. Okay, maybe they aren't quite as prized as M. esculenta, but they run a very close second. Morels are an excellent species for neophytes to mushroom collecting because they are all edible. They fruit only in the spring, and are easy to identify by the deep, angular "pits" in the cap. I picked a dinner-sized selection of young caps, leaving older and immature specimens to propagate or grow into a second meal.

How do you prepare Morels? Soak them in water (salted or not) for ten to twenty minutes to remove any bugs that may be hiding in the folds, then cut them in half, removing the stems, and give them another short soak. Squeeze them firmly to remove excess water, then fry in butter with a little garlic powder. Add a splash of your favourite white wine when they are tender. Serve with salt and pepper to taste.