Morel mushroom: description, types, edible or not, where it grows, can it be grown?

Morels (Morchella) are a genus of mushrooms of the morel family, which belong to the class of marsupial fungi or ascomycetes. It is important to distinguish a mushroom with a porous body from stitches, which are poisonous. About the features of appearance, how to distinguish morels from other mushrooms, about the benefits and harms, as well as methods of use and cultivation - later in the article.

Varieties of mushroom: description and when to collect

The two most common types in nature are:

true morel (Morchella esculenta);
conical morel (Morchella conica).

Real morel

It is easily recognized by its wrinkled cap, which in appearance resembles shrunken dried fruit or crumpled parchment paper. It is covered with diverse cells and delimited by deep partitions resembling honeycombs. Various small living creatures often find refuge in the cells - snails, ants and worms, and natural debris also gets stuck. Therefore, the cap must be thoroughly washed before use.

The shape of the cap of a real morel has the shape of an elongated egg, reaching a diameter of 3-8 cm. It is colored brown, ocher-brownish or gray-whitish. The inside of the cap is hollow. Its edges are tightly fused with the leg.

The leg has a cylindrical shape. It is smooth and slightly covered with “folds”, hollow inside. In young mushrooms it is white, but over time it acquires a yellowish tint. The height of the leg is from 3 to 10 cm, and the diameter is 3-5 cm. The pulp is white and fragile. Depending on the time when morels are collected, they have a different smell. If you pick them in April, the mushrooms are watery and smell like melt water; in May they become strong and acquire a pleasant mushroom aroma and taste.

The true morel grows in deciduous, mixed forests, on the edges, in mossy and sandy areas, and in cleared areas. Experienced mushroom pickers will definitely look at old burnt areas, look for them at the roots of fallen birches and hollow willows, on the southern slopes of steep ravines.

Conical morel

The mushroom differs from the real one in the shape of its cap. It has a conical shape with a diameter of 3-5 cm and a height of 3-6 cm. The olive-brown or red-brown cap has a mesh-mesh surface. Its edges also grow together with the stalk, which is covered with longitudinal grooves. The stem is waxy, hollow inside, the flesh is thin and brittle.

The conical morel is a medicinal plant that grows throughout the forest zone, including the tundra and mountains. He prefers to settle on sandy soil. Often found in clearings and among bushes. Like other representatives of morels, it bears fruit in the spring, from early April to mid-May.

Rarely seen morels

Rarer varieties include:

Morel (Morchella crassipes)

The largest representative of the morel family. The stem is hilly, can reach a height of 17 cm and a diameter of 8 cm. If you measure the height of the mushroom along with the cap, it is about 23 cm. The giant has a gray-yellow cap and a pale yellow stem.

The shape of the cap can be cylindrical or oval; in adult mushrooms, the edges of the cap can grow to the stem. Some experts believe that this is a type of common morel, only large in size.

It grows in forests that are “inhabited” with poplars, hornbeams and ash trees. The first fruits can be found in early spring, depending on the weather, in early April or May. They grow in groups, but you can also find a single specimen.

Steppe morel (Morchella steppicola)

Grows in dry steppes. It has a spherical cap of gray-brown color with a diameter of 2-15 cm and a miniature stalk, not exceeding 2 cm in height. There are also mushrooms of this species that have no stalk at all. But in weight it can reach 2 kg.

The pulp is light, even white, quite elastic. It is found in wormwood steppes, begins to bear fruit in April, and can be found even in June. It is recommended to cut such mushrooms with a knife to preserve the mycelium.

Semi-free morel (Morchella semilibera)

It has a conical cap, but it does not grow to the stem. The yellow-gray-brown cap has a cellular surface, diamond-shaped cells. The pulp of the fruit body is hollow, with an unpleasant aroma, yellowish or white. The mushroom can reach a height of 15 cm, but small specimens, 4-6 cm, are more common.

The mushroom grows in tall grass, nettles and in forests where birches, lindens, aspens and oaks grow. Active fruiting occurs in May. But this species is extremely rare.

Tall morel (Morchella elata)

The rarest type. The hat is elongated, colored olive-brown. With age it becomes darker. The cells are triangular and clearly defined. The height of the cap is 4–10 cm. The stalk of young mushrooms is white, and that of adults is yellowish. Externally, it is very similar to the conical morel, but darker in color and much larger, it can reach up to 30 cm.

It is usually found in the mountains, but sometimes grows in mixed forests. Fruits in April-May, sometimes found in June.

All of them belong to the conditionally edible mushrooms of the third category, that is, before consumption they must be thermally treated - boiled in several waters or scalded.

What is it for? The morel contains a toxic substance - gyromitrin, the concentration of which depends on the location of the mushrooms and weather conditions. This toxin dissolves quickly in hot water, making the mushrooms safe. When dried, it also collapses, so they are prepared for future use only this way. Dried morels are ready for consumption after 3 months.

The third category includes mushrooms that have low nutritional value and are inferior in taste to mushrooms of the first and second categories.

Useful tips

Tip #1

To improve the taste of morels, after soaking, you can add sauerkraut brine. The mushrooms are left in the liquid for 1 – 2 hours. They are kept in a container covered with a lid and stirred every half hour.

Tip #2

You cannot collect mushrooms in a bag. They will wrinkle, break, and get mixed up during transportation. And if there is a poisonous line among them, then poisoning is guaranteed. It is better to use a basket or box for collection.

Tip #3

It is recommended to use dried morels for food after 3 months of storage. Place the mushrooms in glass jars and close the lids tightly. For storage, choose a dark place with a temperature of 10° - 18°C.

Nutritional value of morels

The nutritional value of morels is only 20 kcal per 100 g.

Fresh mushroom (100 g) contains:

2.9 g protein;
2 g carbohydrate;
0.4 g fat.

The main share is water - 92 g; it also contains dietary fiber - 0.7 g. Of the minerals, it contains potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, iron and vitamins C, B1, B2, PP, D.

Morels are the first spring mushrooms that are harvested in April–May.

Lines where to grow in 2022?

Years go by, but the gathering places do not change. Like morels, stitches can be found in almost any forested area, plantings of birch and aspens, open fields and meadows. Less commonly, mushrooms are found near swamps and rivers, where water nourishes the soil, maintaining high humidity for several weeks longer.

In Crimea and Kuban

Like morels, morels sprout in different places, depending on the variety. Some prefer pine forests, coniferous plantings and clearings. This applies in particular to the giant line. But the “autumn” one prefers deciduous and mixed zones, open areas adjacent to the river mouth.

Can morels be grown at home?

Morels are delicious mushrooms that are considered a delicacy in European countries. Therefore, attempts have been made more than once to grow mushrooms at home.

German mushroom pickers suggested simply sowing pieces of morels into the ground and covering them with ash. In the fall, the top area is covered with straw or leaves, and in the spring, mushrooms are already found. It was also noticed that morels grow well in those places where fallen, rotting apples remain. That's why the French make beds on which they scatter pieces of mushrooms. In autumn, the ground is watered with apple pomace. In the spring the harvest is harvested.

Morel mycelium can be purchased at a specialty store and planted in the garden. Morels are planted in the spring. To do this, select a “mushroom” place on it near deciduous trees. It should be darkened. In the selected area, 15 cm of the top layer is removed.

Prepare the soil mixture:

3 parts sawdust;
1 part leaves;
1 part wood ash;
6 parts garden soil.

All components are mixed and poured into the prepared hole and watered. The mycelium is laid on top of the soil and covered with removed soil. Water again and cover the bed with leaves. In the summer they look after it, do not let the soil dry out and fertilize it with wood ash. In autumn, they are covered with natural materials - straw, branches, leaves. In the spring, after the snow melts, the cover is removed. The first mushrooms will appear in 2 weeks. The mycelium bears fruit for 3-5 years.

Recipes

After proper preparation, you can prepare real culinary masterpieces from morels. One of these is a delicious creamy spinach soup. It is prepared according to this plan:

After soaking and boiling twice, 300 g of mushrooms are left in a colander.
1 leek, chopped into thin rings. It is fried in a frying pan with olive oil (2 tablespoons) until soft.
Mushrooms are poured with 500 ml of water, the foam is removed, and boiled for half an hour.
Add 500 g of broccoli to them (washed in advance, do not disassemble into inflorescences), cook for another 30 minutes.
The broth is salted and peppered (to taste).
Place the broccoli in a bowl and add the onion there too. The ingredients are crushed with a blender.
The puree is diluted with broth and 100 g of natural yogurt (without additives), a little low-fat sour cream.
Mushrooms are fried in 2 tbsp. l. olive oil, add a little soy sauce.

Broccoli and morel soup

Pour puree soup into a plate, add a few morels, add a few drops of a mixture of soy sauce and olive oil (in which the mushrooms were fried), and garnish with herbs.

Pasta with morels

Easy to prepare, tasty and satisfying, pasta with mushrooms is a popular, gourmet dish. It is prepared like this:

The water for the pasta is set to boil. When boiling, send the pasta nests into the boiling water.
Chop 1 onion into half rings and fry in olive oil until soft.
After preparation (soaking, boiling), 300 g of mushrooms are added to the onion and fried for 5 minutes.
Vegetables pour 4 tbsp. l. white wine, simmer for 10 minutes.
Add 2 tbsp. l. soy sauce, 250 ml cream, sweet paprika powder. Simmer covered for 10 minutes.
The paste is taken out when it becomes elastic (not raw, but not soft either).

The nests are laid out on a dish and topped with mushroom sauce.

A classic casserole with mushrooms, potatoes and cheese will satisfy your hunger for a long time and delight your taste buds:

The finished mushrooms are cut into strips.
Place potatoes (5 pieces), cut into rings, salt and pepper on a baking dish greased with olive oil.
Next comes a layer of onion rings (1 piece).
Then lay out the mushrooms (500 - 700 g).
The last layer is 100 g of sour cream and grated cheese.
Bake for 40 minutes at 180°C.

The finished dish is sprinkled with chopped herbs.

Pickled morels

Morels are very tasty in marinade. To test this, cook them according to the following recipe:

After standard preparation, the mushrooms are boiled 3 times. To do this, pour 2 kg of product with water to cover, add salt (2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water), 6 bay leaves, 8 peppercorns, 8 dill umbrellas, 6 - 7 pcs. carnation
After boiling, add 1 tsp to the pan. sugar, after 10 minutes - ½ tbsp. l. vinegar, stir.
The mushrooms are placed in pre-sterilized jars and sealed.

The jars are turned upside down, insulated, and left to cool. Preservation is stored in the cellar. You can try it a day after preparation, but it will taste better after a few weeks.

Application and processing

Dried morels are used to make mushroom powder, which is a natural flavoring agent. It is added to various dishes. Dried mushrooms quickly absorb moisture, so they are stored in paper bags or cardboard boxes in a dry place, otherwise they will become moldy. They are not salted or pickled.

Morel processing:

mushrooms are cleaned and washed thoroughly;
soak in water for 1 hour;
boil in water - 30 minutes;
washed with hot water;
The mushroom is ready for use or consumption.

Morels are the first spring mushrooms, which, despite their low nutritional value, are very tasty. They should not be used by people who have individual intolerance, children under 12 years of age, pregnant and lactating women, as well as people with severe cardiovascular diseases.

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What's being cooked

Treatment

All mushrooms are prepared before cooking. To speed up the cleaning process, dirty spots are trimmed off morels during harvesting. Soak the fruits in a basin, first in a large amount of water. They should stay well there. After a couple of hours, they are transferred to another basin and filled again.
Mushrooms should be poured and settled until there is no sand left at the bottom of the basin. It is better to pre-salt the water. It washes out sand well.
Before cooking, morels must be boiled. They are cut into 2 parts and filled with cold water. Cook for at least 30 minutes after boiling. The foam is constantly removed to prevent it from appearing in abundance.
After the first cycle, the water is not completely drained. Usually, after such treatment, sand may still remain. Remove the mushrooms using a slotted spoon, fill them again with clean water and cook for 20 minutes.

Video:

Morels, like primroses, appear earlier than other mushrooms. Their usefulness, taste and aroma distinguish the morel family among forest products, making the crop a delicacy and valuable for use in both cooking and medicine. Based on their pulp, medicinal companies produce dietary supplements that are useful for cataracts and blood diseases. And restaurants and experienced chefs do not miss the chance to prepare dishes with excellent qualities.

If you want to learn more about indoor flowers and plants, visit the helpful website Rastenievod.com . Here you can find descriptions and rules for growing a wide variety of plants, including the rarest species.

Mycologist's opinion

M. Vishnevsky, who heads the Union of Mushroom Pickers of Russia, gives his advice on when it is best to go for morels.

He claims that if there are no problems with the weather, mushrooms will begin to appear from April 10 to 15. But this year there was a cold snap, and therefore 2-3 weeks must be counted from the indicated period.

Some morels, he said, are already visible in the Moscow region. However, due to the cold weather, they went into hibernation. As soon as it warms up again, they will continue to grow. The mycologist says that to resume the development of morels, a temperature of +3 degrees Celsius at night or higher is required.

In addition, the head of the Mushroom Pickers Union shared information about what the current season will be like for mushroom pickers. Each year has its own characteristics, and therefore mushrooms react to what is happening differently, as the specialist notes. Vishnevsky states that 2019 in the Moscow region produced an average mushroom harvest. But it was not morels that grew most actively, but oyster mushrooms and rows.

Edibility

Morels are quite edible and quite tasty; they grow alone, so mushroom pickers usually fail to collect large harvests. From a scientific point of view, the morel is a conditionally edible mushroom , which is included in category 3, since in small quantities it contains hydrozine, which is toxic to the human body. These mushrooms can be eaten only after they have undergone heat treatment for 10 minutes.

Important! During the drying process, toxic hydrozine evaporates, so when dried, morels are quite safe to eat.