Morels Move On
Even up in Vermont we have arrived at the tail end of morel season. I am still spotting plenty of morels, but they are bloated and waterlogged, the neglected victims of slugs, snails, heat, and torrential rain.
It may be too late to harvest morels for the table, but now is the time to lay first claim to undiscovered spots for next year. The rugged remains of blacks and yellows can reach epic proportions, sometimes swelling to more than a foot tall and serving as “flags”. For a brief window, these typically compact and concealed creatures are unusually vulnerable to being spotted by foragers.
It can be frustrating to reel in a massive catch only to find it dead on the line, but you will be thankful next spring when you know exactly where to start your search. Even prime spots may take a year or two fruiting hiatus, but insider knowledge of the morel landscape is crucial if you want to have the earliest, freshest, and heftiest finds.
If you’re lucky, some of your spots may unexpectedly multiply. Just two days after the first warm rains this spring, I returned to a patch where I had found a dozen morels last year. I managed to spot several barely visible mini-morels that I never would have seen unless I knew exactly where to look. I was already a satisfied forager, but when I returned two days later I found myself staring at a hundred-strong harvest that seemed to know no limits. Just another day in the life of a forager…
In other news, the soils are soaking as the southern part of the region gears up for chanterelle season. King stropharias are fruiting uncontrollably, devouring mulch and leaving fluffy earth in their wake. Oysters are popping out of poplar as leathery Dryad’s saddle flushes wither and are forgotten. Meanwhile, in dark hemlock groves baby reishi are developing their signature glossy red varnish, their tender white growing tips at the perfect stage for a healing and savory sauté. I even spotted a crown-tipped coral mushroom in Burlington, which means chicken-of-the-woods, giant puffballs, and scaber-stalk boletes can’t be far behind.
Some spots may currently be too wet for mushrooms, which is practically unheard of. The mycelium must feel like it is taking a nice long bath. I wouldn’t bet my morels on it, but I have a feeling this foraging season is going to put last year’s to shame.
ForageCast for the next two weeks!
