BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...

Subject: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Bobert
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 08:45 PM

Well, I don't know what folks do elsewhere but at this time of the year veryone and his uncle is out huntin' and tryin' to out-hunt everyone them morel mushrooms that grow here in the mountains of Virginia...

Folks 'round therse parts, just like back in Wes Ginny, call 'um "mergals" for some reason an', hey, I call 'um mergals, too, even tho I know they are morels...

Okay, we went huntin' yesterday and brought home 'bout 7... We were huntin' with a very experienced hunter who by herself found a dozen 'er so...

So, how's the 'shroom huntin' in yer area???

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 09:25 PM

I like the ones that grow in cow pies!

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Rapparee
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 09:34 PM

Too early here in Idaho, Bobert. But it'll come.

(Try lookin' around the edges of Mayapple beds.)

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Alice
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 09:45 PM

http://fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors/HTML/articles/2004/Morels.htm Click here

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 10:14 PM

Ho ho ho. All I have in Wyo that I can find is toadstools. Just too damn dry.

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: heric
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 10:21 PM

I blasted fiftten of'm with a Savage Model 24, the 20 ga / 22LR combo (with the rifle barrel of course!!) and my friend nailed eight with a ruger red label 20 ga. bitchin.

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: frogprince
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 12:15 AM

Damned kill-crazy hunters...

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: greg stephens
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 05:31 AM

English mushrooms(the normal breakfast kind) don't come till the end of summer, so I haven't been enjoying the chase yet this year. Your hunt sounds fun, Bobert, does it involve shooting these mergals or just crawling up and hitting them on the head?

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: GUEST, Topsie
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 05:44 AM

greg, you could look out for St George's mushrooms at this time of year. Several years ago there were lots of morels around here (north-east Hampshire), even in my front garden, but they haven't appeared since. I suppose the plants lurk underground and just appear when conditions are right.

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: michaelr
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 01:11 PM

Be darned sure you know what you're picking. Here in California, people die every year from eating the wrong ones and having their livers turned into mush.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Donuel
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 02:26 PM

We have chicken of the woods here.
I also found psylocybe indiginous of Europe in the park

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Rapparee
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 03:29 PM

I bet I know what was going on in THAT park!

Back in Illinois we used to wait in trees and when we'd spot a morel jump out and cut its throat. This seems awful, but they're nasty little critters but don't bleed much.

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 08:34 PM

Is this a safe thread to post to?

Some of the other ones are getting really scary.

However, I see that this one also deals with morals and I supose it could also spin otta control.

I prefere chanterelles!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Bobert
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 09:47 PM

No, Greg...

Ya don't have to sneak up on the buggers... And they don't run from ya neither...

Bring Kate over next spring an we'll take you all on a real "mergal" hunt... They things is purdy good eatin', too...

Yeah, I know that we own you a visit but ain't no way I'm ever gonna get the P-Vine on another airplane...

Bobert

p.s. If you liked our last place, you'll absolutely love the new one...

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Sorcha
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 09:54 PM

Had what I think was a black morel in the front lawn last year. Just one. It looked just awful, and I wasn't sure it was edible. Looked like Darth Vader's spawn so I lefti it alone.

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Metchosin
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 10:19 PM

Had one large morel in our front yard a couple of weeks ago too, but the worms discovered it before I did. The last time I saw some in the yard was over 20 years ago. They've not been very common, so I'm hoping because we didn't disturb it, that we might get some more, if I can remember to check out the spot next year. Perhaps they are popping up because we've had way more rain these past couple of winters, than we have had for a very long time.

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Rapparee
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 10:31 PM

Pick 'em and as soon as you get home soak 'em in salt water to kill   any bugs, etc. Once they're clean you can string 'em by using a needle and heavy thread to let them dry or just slice 'em and saute (that's French for "fry") them in some good butter.

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 07:12 AM

Never had much luck locating the right places to look for morels (I can find wheelbarrow loads of Orange Birch Boletus in October). I could never decide if local area has wrong sort of soil conditions, if I was looking in the wrong type of woodland or just unlucky?
THEN last spring about 3 of the little blighters appeared in the wood chip underneath the kids climbing frame. I think they must have followed me home...
No sign of them so far this year.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 07:24 AM

Underneath my posting on the thread there were two of those "Google Ads" . They were mushroom related so I clicked out of very idle curiousity.
Both were for web sites selling dried mushrooms. One USA and the other UK. Dried Morels in a quantity of approximately 1/4lb weight. Price for US was about 40 Dollars price from London was about 40 Pounds. Exchange rate is currently about 2 US Dollars to one GB Pound. Strange how everything in Britain costs twice what the rest of the world pay.
Anyway, at that price, I'll wait to see if the climbing frame brings me any for free.
Quack!
Geoff.

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 10:33 AM

Anyone in the midwest familiar with Big Laughing Jim?

It grows on wood.

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 10:35 AM

Jim http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/apr2005.html

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 10:44 AM

As you know morels require a fire to leave ashes for the morel mycellium to flourish. As a result it is a very hard to get morels consistently.
The Chinese people aroung here ambitiously harvest tree fungi.

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Sorcha
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 03:08 PM

Ya know, the fungi are just so beautiful and look so good. I wish I could eat them. Tried many kinds, and I just don't care for them. More for you guys.

Subject: RE: BS: Mushroom season on the Blue Ridge...
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 04:07 PM

Georgia's huge fire should produce a lot of Morels next year.

I don't eat them either. They are a calorie free food in the sense that it takes as much energy to digest as they deliver. Chiles are a more fun food than mushrooms.

I have seen the angel of death. Pure white and dainty with a wispy skirt. If someone ate one they would feel a bit queasy a day or two later, followed by feeling fine for up to 2 weeks when suddenly their kidneys and liver disolve.