It’s The Last Hurrah For Morel Mushroom Hunting In Oklahoma

As we gently ease into warmer days and prime severe weather season across Oklahoma, it's worth hitting the trails to find the last of the Sooner State's favorite fungi—the humble and delicious morel.

If you've never had one, it's almost mandatory that you at least try one. My buddies always seem to come up with sacks of these mushrooms every spring, and while they describe them as "meaty" and "smoky," it does typically vary for everyone.

Personally, I think they taste like dirt... but I'm also cursed with that trait where cilantro tastes like soapy chemicals. No biggie, parsley goes on Mexican food just as well. If only finding a good mushroom were so easy.

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Morels are a love/hate food. If you like mushrooms, odds are you'll enjoy the nutty umami flavors of this fungus. And if you don't, you won't, but at least you'll know.

Where to find morels.

I really wish it was as simple as "in the woods," but it's not. Morels are mainly prized because of their general rarity. When people find morels, they tend to keep their mouths shut about it too, but there is a small community that likes to share the information around.

Across Oklahoma, they're almost exclusively found in the wooded areas where all sorts of mushrooms grow anyway. Morels are easily found in Eastern Oklahoma from border to border. With so much state and public land, you can wander just about anywhere to find them.

As you come West across the state, where the Great Plains begin, you'd think it's nearly impossible to find them, yet people in Western Oklahoma seem to have their honey holes.

I can't blame them for keeping their secrets, I'd never tell you where I get my wild sand plums every year.

What to look for.

Even though wildfires are dreaded, burned areas can usually produce the best morels. Fire is cleansing and a natural part of the turnover in wooded areas. If you've had a wildfire near, start there.

They can be found in small trees around lakes, rivers, ponds, creeks, etc... Especially those with excellent and thick ground cover. Lingering piles of last year's leaves feed and nourish morel growth.

Locally, the Wichita Mountains have been a solid producer of morels so far this spring. We've even stopped and grabbed a few that were growing along the roadway.

Beware of lookalikes.

Apparently, because nature is nature, some mushrooms can look enough like morels the uninitiated could potentially eat something poisonous.

The easiest way to check is to cut one in half longways. If it's hollow throughout the entire stump up to the tip, odds are you're good.

Also, washing your morels won't "wash the flavor off." They say the earthy flavor disappears in hot water, probably because it is covered in dirt.

There are a ton of recipes online. Many people like them chicken-fried while others prefer a gentle saute. You won't know until you try it.

Take advantage, this might be the last weekend of morels until the redbuds bloom next March.

If you're curious about exploring for morels, it's worth checking out OklahomaFungi.com. It's a wealth of knowledge.