Mushroom season in the Midwest

[Dexter Morgan]

Well, we're at the peak of mushroom season. Every year for 2 to 3 weeks in April/May, people are on the hunt for the elusive Morel mushroom. People spend hours on end climbing hills, and poking around in wooded areas. There is good money to be made selling the mushrooms to the highest bidder. Since it's only once a year, people are willing to pay almost any price, to get some mushrooms. Right now, in my area they're going for $30 a pound. In Iowa, they are getting up to $50 a pound. The weather hindered the start of the season. Mushrooms have to have moisture and warmth. Our late cold snap has shortened the season this year.

As a child I went mushrooming faithfully every year with my Grandparents. I never could spot them. If it would have been hanging off the end of my nose, I still wouldn't  have seen it. Same with Easter Egg hunts... but we won't go there LOL!!

This thread is for mushroom info and story swapping. I know everybody probably has a mushroom story. Let's hear them guys!!! 

[Sandy Eggo]

Are you talking about the cooking or psychedelic kind?

Growing up, mom used to take me deep into the woods to hunt for mushrooms. I didn't realize that it was a short season. I don't remember ever not being able to go get mushrooms when we wanted them...w/exception to winter, but I was a kid and had no concept of the calender really.

I still have NO idea what type of mushroom we picked. I just know that we stayed away from the red ones and the ones w/white bottoms. If they had "milk" inside, we didn't want those.

Mom used to roll them in flour, salt, pepper and fry them. To this day, I still love mushrooms, prepared just about any way you wanna cook them, but especially on the grill. YUM!

[Dexter Morgan]

Are you talking about the cooking or psychedelic kind?

Growing up, mom used to take me deep into the woods to hunt for mushrooms. I didn't realize that it was a short season. I don't remember ever not being able to go get mushrooms when we wanted them...w/exception to winter, but I was a kid and had no concept of the calender really.

I still have NO idea what type of mushroom we picked. I just know that we stayed away from the red ones and the ones w/white bottoms. If they had "milk" inside, we didn't want those.

Mom used to roll them in flour, salt, pepper and fry them. To this day, I still love mushrooms, prepared just about any way you wanna cook them, but especially on the grill. YUM!

We're talkin' Morel mushrooms not shroons LOL!!  Maybe some areas have them year round. We have a small window of time. I think 3 weeks may even be pushing it here. You have to be real careful not to get the poisonous ones. Jack in the Pulpits are extremely poisonous. My husband had eaten Morels his entire life. One year somebody gave us some. They weren't poisonous or anything, but Hubby had an allergic reaction from them, and got deathly sick. He kept vomiting ,and had diarrhea. He went to work the next day ,and he called me, and said he was going to the ER, because he was having chest pains, and thought he might be having a heart attack. He didn't have a heart attack, he had a severe allergic reaction to the mushrooms. The doctor told him don't ever eat them again, because it could kill him. Needless to say neither one of us ever ate them again. 

[Dexter Morgan]

So, has anybody found any mushrooms?? I've heard they are up now. A customer of mine said she bought some for $20 a pound. We don't eat them anymore, but I sure would love to go out, and hunt for some.    Like I've got time for that LOL!!!