Learning to forage and identify mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest takes time. I would like to share some of my favorite sites and apps to help speed up your learning. Even experienced mushroom foragers would likely find a few surprises in here. The best time to pick mushrooms Chanterelles, boletes, morels, and other edible mushrooms…
A group of us met up in the Lake Wenatchee area on Saturday to look for spring kings (Boletus rex-veris). Both morels and spring kings are found predominently in the eastern Cascades. Morels are the first to show up in early May and boletes later in the month and into June or even July at…
Overview One of the best places to search for morels is 1 year-old burn areas. This large 2021 burn is 20 miles west of Naches, WA. In the past week or two, low elevation areas around the burn finally started to fruit. Members are invited to meet up in the area this weekend (May 21-22)…
Bring on the morels! Low-elevation morels have been popping around the Pacific Northwest since early April however it’s still early season for much of the region or even possibly still covered with snow. Most of the mushrooms people are finding in the Salish Sea region are landscape morels or Morchella importuna. This are dark, conic-shaped…
A recording from the Apr 5 Spring Mushrooms talk and a high-res version of the morels species sheet
Are Morels Toxic When Consumed with Alcohol? What the evidence says about morels, wine, and adverse reactions This is one of the most common questions we hear during morel season. You’ve got a bag of fresh morels and a bottle of wine — should you be worried? The short answer: most people can safely eat…
June 19, 1806 – Lewis, Meriwether “Cruzatte (Cruzatte, Pierre) brought me several large morells which I roasted and eat without salt pepper or grease in this way I had for the first time the true taist of the morell which is truly an insippid taistless food. our stock of salt is now exhausted except two quarts which…
The Olympic Peninsula is a wonderful place to look for mushrooms due to the expansive forests and ease at finding mature forests in some breathtaking river valleys. It can be difficult to find the specific boundaries and rules for different types of public land. I hope this map helps. Here is a link to another…
I created a page dedicated to PNW morels which might make understanding our local morels a little easier. My understanding of morel species, descriptions, habitat and other important information continues to grow and there are certainly things I can improve here. Please send me a note if you have any suggestions on ways that I…
Packing for a foraging trip involves preparing for your safety, comfort, and pleasure. Much of this list is built around personal preference, length of trip, and local weather conditions. The basics What to wear Mushroom foraging is often in cool, damp forests. Dress for the weather, and be prepared for changing conditions. I typically wear:…
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