Castanet

I went looking the other day around the fintry area near the fires but couldn't find any does anyone know where there's a good spot? I'm not interested in selling I just enjoy them its a prairie tradition in my family

Thanks

11090163A wrote:I went looking the other day around the fintry area near the fires but couldn't find any does anyone know where there's a good spot? I'm not interested in selling I just enjoy them its a prairie tradition in my family

Thanks

Are those the ones that are cone shaped and look like a sea sponge?
If so, they tend to show up where there has been a forest fire.

OKanagan Mountain Park used to have lots.......particularly in the first years after the fire.

Also they can sometimes be found in old growth orchards. Years ago we picked loads of them in Winfield (I think the year before there HAD been some forest fires but not in the Winfield area specifically - I think heard that the spores can travel a long distance ???).
We found that we'd always find more right after a fresh rain - tomorrow might be a good day for them to pop up.

DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL - Morel hunters do not share the location of their hunting areas. Don't ask them, it's considered quite rude.

See: http://www.ehow.com/how_2250597_morel-mushrooms.html

Pssst. There was a fire in Glenrosa last summer...
Actually, it's surprising that you didn't find any in Fintry. Maybe it's just too early.

What do Morel mushrooms sell for now, about 30 or 40 dollars a pound was the price the last time I bought them on a trip down south. Man, I had them in a sauce on Pheasant and it blew my mind. I would love to find some fresh ones. Right now the hunting for asparagus is fantastic. Cream of asparagus soup, just cant get enough.

My Dad would have been with NAB on this one, do not under any circumstances reveal your wild mushroom haunt. Or kill the person you just told, just to be safe.

I think its too early. Seems to me they are later in the summer .Hubby and a friend got a haul from the OK muntain fire area ,but that was in the summer

Still too cool and has been too dry. Another few weeks I'd expect. A friend directed me to a spot after the Ok mountain fire and we could have filled barrels, but only brought a few grocery bags. The ground was black with them, and it was a long hard drive up a very nasty road so we never went back. We did get enough for several good feeds. Layed them on a sheet of plywood in the garage with a small fan blowing across them to dry and then kept them in plastic jars with tight lids.

It's not just anywhere but the type of terrain too.

I talked to a few French Canadians last summer who were making $180 a day picking cherries which I thought was good money until they told me they can make over $1000 a day picking Morel mushrooms! They said it's a big business, GPS, float planes, hunting at night with lights but added it's been really poor picking for the past four years in BC. So I doubt anyone is going to reveal their spot!

11090163A wrote:I went looking the other day around the fintry area near the fires but couldn't find any does anyone know where there's a good spot? I'm not interested in selling I just enjoy them its a prairie tradition in my family

Thanks

Probably too dry. As soon as overnight temps stay above freezing they will show up if there is moisture.

NAB wrote:DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL - Morel hunters do not share the location of their hunting areas. Don't ask them, it's considered quite rude.

See: http://www.ehow.com/how_2250597_morel-mushrooms.html

Oh PULLLLEaazzzze!

kompili wrote:What do Morel mushrooms sell for now, about 30 or 40 dollars a pound was the price the last time I bought them on a trip down south. Man, I had them in a sauce on Pheasant and it blew my mind. I would love to find some fresh ones. Right now the hunting for asparagus is fantastic. Cream of asparagus soup, just cant get enough.

If you buy them yea. Pickers only get $5-7 a lb from wholesalers. Some years you can get more depending on supply/demand. With all the fires last year I suspect there will be no shortage of supply.

bobbie2 wrote:Still too cool and has been too dry. Another few weeks I'd expect. A friend directed me to a spot after the Ok mountain fire and we could have filled barrels, but only brought a few grocery bags. The ground was black with them, and it was a long hard drive up a very nasty road so we never went back. We did get enough for several good feeds. Layed them on a sheet of plywood in the garage with a small fan blowing across them to dry and then kept them in plastic jars with tight lids.

It's not just anywhere but the type of terrain too.

I must have picked over a hundred pounds up there that year. Next year there was nothing! I was eating dried Morels for years.

Apparently the fire sterilizes the ground which encourages the spores to grow. The actual spores are everywhere.