As the words on the sweatshirt say, "Anyone foolish enough to ask a morel picker where they found them, is foolish enough to believe the answer," or something to that effect. Morels are highly prized wild mushrooms, that have until recently resisted efforts at large scale commercial cultivation.
Morels are highly sought after as food. Wild-collected specimens are seasonably available and command premium prices in up-scale grocery stores or in local markets. Dried morel mushrooms can be found packaged for sale in small quantities and are available year round.
Although they are fine edibles, morels are mildly toxic to many people if consumed raw. Morels should always be cooked before eating. Cooking destroys heat-labile toxins in the mushrooms that can cause gastric distress.
Biology of the Genus Morchella
The morels comprise a genus of fungi in the division Ascomycota. Morels do not have caps and gills of the type found on most other commonly seen mushrooms. The stems are hollow and the caps are spongy and honeycomb-like, with numerous fissures or "pits". The spores are white.
Morels can be found just about anywhere including mixed woods, conifer and hardwood forests, under junipers (especially in Texas), in fields, along roadsides, or even in yards. In most parts of the United States, notably in the the North and Midwest, morels are known as springtime fungi. They appear after rains when the weather begins to warm. In more southern climes, they may appear in the fall as well.
Yellow Morels
Morchella esculenta is known as the yellow morel. As the name suggests the conical tops caps are usually some shade of yellow. In some specimens the color would be best described as golden or light brown. The spore bearing pits are irregularly shaped but quite variable.
White Morels
Morchella deliciosa, is commonly called the white morel. This species is similar to the yellow morel but usually has a paler-colored top and is generally smaller in stature. The pits tend to be more more elongated and larger as well.
Black Morels
The black morel is Morchella elata. Although the tops are not purely black, they are darker than the tops of the other species of morels.The pits tend to be arranged in rows, unlike the pits of the yellows and whites which are more randomly arranged. The black morel is more likely to be found under conifers then the yellow or white morels, and shows up commonly in disturbed areas, especially in forests recently burned by fire.
Other Fungi Mistaken for Morels
Inexperienced collectors will sometimes pick species of Gyromitra, Helvella, or Verpa, in the mistaken belief that they are morels. These fungi do superficially resemble the true morels; however, a careful mushroom hunter should be able to tell the difference. These non-morel species have more brain-like or folded tops than the honey-combed morels, and the tops are not connected throughout their length to the stem as is the case with true morels.
Growing Morels
There have been many attempts to unlock the secret of commercial morel cultivation. Most of these attempts have resulted in methods that are unreliable or simply don't work. Some hobbyists have occasional success with small mushroom patches started in yards, but this is not a commercially viable approach.
Mycologist Gary Mills has developed a procedure that is suitable for small scale culture and the method is in the public domain. Stewart Miller, who believed morels are mycorrhizal, has patented a method for establishing morel culture in association with the roots of elm trees.
Commercial cultivation has recently been achieved by a secretive company in Canada, although with the proliferation of information on the internet, it seems like anyone with the time and inclination should be able to grow them. A key step in cultivation is the formation of sclerotia,which are hard clumps of mycelium that act as resting bodies for the fungus. Once sclerotia form, a cold shock can initiate mushroom formation.
Medicinal Uses of Morel Mushrooms
Morel mushrooms do not usually appear at the top of any lists of medicinal mushrooms. They are about as nutritious as other mushrooms, offering a source of protein and vitamins. However, morels have found use in traditional Chinese medicine.
- Morels have been used to treat indigestion, croup, and shortness of breath.
- This fungus has also been used to reduce phlegm.
- Morel mycelium has been reported to contain compounds with anti-tumor, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity.
- Limited research suggests morels may stimulate the immune system.
References
Anonymous, Morchella esculenta (common morel), Kew Gardens, Plants and Fungi (accessed January 31, 2010)
Arora, David, 1986, Mushrooms Demystified (2nd Edition), Ten Speed Press, Olympia, WA
Stamets, Paul, 1993, Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, Ten Speed Press, Olympia, WA
Philip McIntosh - The author holds a B.Sc. in Botany and Chemistry and an M.A in Biology and he has thirty + years of experience in science and industry.
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