But the place we've been luckiest is...up in the mountains...where there aren't many bushes or shrubs…that's a little shady and cool. Basically, that’s it. Oh, and they’re always on the ground… :)
Items to take when morel hunting:
1. Basket that’s easy to carry. That way, when you carry your morels to and fro throughout the forest, you will distribute morel spores everywhere (so next spring, you might find morels again in the same place).
2. Little pocketknife. I've learned that I should always cut a morel from the ground and not be way over-excited and yank it out. Right then and there you can trim the end and leave morel dirt and spores where you found them (refer to #1) and they are a lot easier to clean when you get them home..
3. Hat with a brim (to keep the sun, branches and stuff out of your hair).
4. Extra plastic bags, in case you find awesome green moss that you might want to use later to dye yarn; or pinecones you want to take home so you can grow your own tamarack trees, etc., etc.
5. Snacks & water. Today we spent from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. in the forest (we explored the most adorable little trails) and those snacks came in very handy.
6. Camera. The forest wildflowers are…I don’t know how to explain them, except that they are exquisitely beautiful; you just must see them for yourself.
When you get the morels home, I recommend soaking them for a short period of time (not overnight - they get mushy) in cold salt water, and then allow them to dry on a clean dish towel. Some people don't wash them, but I've seen stuff crawl out of them and I prefer not to eat it (I don't care of it is extra protein).
My favorite way to cook morels is sliced and sauteed in butter with fresh garlic. From there, the sky's the limit -- beef, chicken, omelets... Delicious!
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