Spring is a great time to find various edible mushrooms.

Mushrooms thrive in moist conditions and can often be found in wooded areas after rainfall.

Don’t limit yourself to likely places for morels, as they can be anywhere. I have a good friend who picks a nice batch of morels each spring sprouting out of his stoned driveway. The mycelia, the organism mushrooms sprout or bloom from, predominately feeds on the decaying roots of dead trees.

If you are hunting morels, ditch the plastic bread bag and get a tightly netted nylon bag to carry your mushrooms. The open pores of the bag will allow mushroom spores to fall to the ground as you walk; hopefully, seeding the area for future mushroom harvests.

Finding too many mushrooms doesn’t happen often, but it can. Should you be blessed with an overabundance, you can process and preserve your woodland fortune for future feasts.

Clean any dirt from the mushrooms, slice them in half and soak them overnight in a saltwater solution in the refrigerator. This will flush out any bugs and critters and get rid of any remaining dirt.

Rinse the mushroom pieces, pat dry with a paper towel and place them on a wax paper-covered cookie tray and put them in the freezer. Once frozen, remove the mushroom pieces and layer them between pieces of wax paper in a large, covered container and put it in the freezer.

I have kept mushrooms using this method for over three years, with only a little difference in taste and texture between fresh picked and fresh frozen. Still delicious!

To cook the mushrooms, simply heat some oil in a skillet to 320 to 350 degrees. Prepare a wet dredge and quickly take the frozen mushroom pieces from the container, dip them in the batter and directly into the hot oil. Work quickly so your big stash of mushrooms doesn’t thaw.

Or, if you’re inclined to share your woodland bounty…please don’t hesitate to contact me!

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