Morels?

[AllenOK]

By the way, Allen, we have rat snakes and chicken snakes on our property, and we co-exist with them, as they, along with the red tail hawk, really help control the field mice.

Living out in the sticks like we do, yes, field mice are a concern. Therefore, I can live in harmony with rat snakes and chicken snakes. Any non-venomous snake in my backyard, I'll leave it alone, at least until my MIL finds out about it. Then I'll probably have to remove it.

Since we do have kids, any venomous snake that gets in the backyard is toast. If I was out in the woods somewhere, I'd leave it alone, but the backyard is no place for venomous snakes.

 

[mozart]

In Michigan, false Morels look a lot like some other Morels.

Morel mushroom Identification page - Michigan Morels .Com

Mt parents use to live in the upper western part of the lower peninsula and we would visit every May for the Morel Festival. They were mainly the safe larger and longer kinds we found. Some years you could get a grocery bag full and some years an entire day and only one or two.

One year I remember we were out all day and had only 3 or 4 between us. We got home and were sitting on the front porch with a beer lamenting our luck and my brother spotted about 20 of them right in my parent's front yard. I sware they were not there the day before.

And, no, we never found any after that year in the yard

Dusted in flour and fried in butter was my favorite way to fix em.

 

[Loprraine]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep them, other than drying them? Virginia seems to be having a great morel year, he bought 4 lbs of them yesterday. Thx.

 

[Leolady]

Rat snakes, bull snakes, chicken snakes, copperheads, garter, moccasins, whatever! They are all the same to me!

If I have time to try to figure out what they are, I have been there far too long and now am probably dead of fright!

They are $25 a pound here, and when they come in the deli will call me. I will probably buy 8 lbs in 4 two lbs batches.

I have very successfully frozen the things by first a egg wash and a coating of cracker crumbs. Then I fry them about half way done and drain them. On a baking sheet I freeze the morels until solid and then bag them up in zip lock bags.

When I want some, I put them [still frozen] on a sheet pan and bake them at medium heat til they finish browning and crisp up. It only takes a few minutes.

 

[MIOguy]

Leolady: I hope I remember your thoughts on freezing the morels for next year. I will certainl y try your method. I've never found a method of freezing them that works to my satisfaction.

We have lived with snakes all of my life though they still startle the ^%^* out of me sometimes. I found a rattlesnake in the barn last year...first one I had ever even seen on this property in more than 10 years. I didn't kill it and it slithered away...I suppose if it shows back up I will dispose of it. Kids and grandkids don't need to be rattlesnake bit.

Still, isn't it exciting and wonderful to live in a world with copperheads, rattlesnakes, coyotes, bobcats, bears, wolves and mountain lions? I think it is, at any rate.

Oh my gosh, I forgot to mention living in a world with morels.

 

[Loprraine]

Thanks, Leolady. He paid $235.00 a lb also. Yesterday he got a few more lbs for $20.00.