Outdoor Tales and Trails Spring Forage Month continues. This week’s special guest? Clap your hands together and give a shout out for Wisconsin’s springtime gold: the morel mushroom. In a world that seems to be moving away from simpler times, the morel mushroom season gives us a view of what a foraging lifestyle is like. 

If you haven’t been out looking yet, put the paper down now and hit the woods because you never know how long the season is going to last. A semi-educated guess is about 30 days but that fluctuates with the weather. If the rains persists, the season may last longer but if it turns dry, the season will end sooner.

As a public service announcement and to continue on with the forage month theme, here is the 411 on morel mushrooms.  

What is a morel mushroom? The quick and easy answer is that it’s an edible fungus. It’s scientific name is Morchella and on a guess, somewhere along the way it was shortened to morel.

Where do you find 'em? That answer depends on when you ask the question. Early season spots tend to be the areas that get the most sun. In other words, southsides early and northsides late. No matter what time of the season, seek out dying elm trees but always keep on eye on the forest floor because they can appear out of nowhere.

How do you prepare morel mushrooms? There seems to be two schools of thought:  one side of the fence is the sauté in butter crowd and on the other side of the fence is the coat in flour/breading and sauté in butter crowd. Either way, cook them for 6-8 minutes. The one thing that both sides agree on is salt to taste.

What do morel mushrooms taste like? Earthy, nutty and woodsy are words used but the type of batter will also influence the taste with the texture being a little meaty. For the record, I like them a lot, but after two or three meals I am good. Maybe that’s the key? If they were available all year round there wouldn’t be a Wisconsin spring gold rush.

Lastly, there is only one DO NOT rule that you must abide by: DO NOT tell anyone about your morel mushroom hunting spots. It’s a surefire way to burn your spot and your friendships. Remember that loose lips sink ships and snitches get stiches.

Didn’t get enough Dave this week? Visit “Outdoor Trails and Tales with Dave Beck” on Facebook for photos and video of Dave’s adventures. You can share your own photos and video with him there as well, or by emailing him at dave@piercecountyjournal.news Also, check out OTT content on Instagram @thepiercecountyjournal