Morels (wild mushroom)

Has anyone ever gone “hunting” for morels? (Type of wild mushroom for those who don’t know) I have never gone, but it seems like a quite popular thing where I live. Does anyone else know more about their properties? I am thinking of going up into the mountains to look for some, but I would love to hear anyone else’s knowledge about them! Thank you! (:

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Be sure you can positively identify the mushrooms you find. There are many deaths resulting from people consuming toxic mushrooms accidentally. For the properties i know they have an earthy flavor and go well with a tomato based sauce. They can be used as offerings. As far as i know they are treated mostly as food and less as a medicinal/magical ingrediant. There are plenty of mushrooms with more prominent magical properties such as the fly agaric, which are sometimes used in shamanistic rituals due to their hallucinogenic properties.

You should never pick mushrooms from the wild, without the help of someone who is old enough and recognizes their subtle differences. Many edible mushrooms have very poisonous doubles. The most poisonous will kill you within 30 hours, if you only have eaten just one cap. The most common route they kill is by the inhibition of the production of mRNA synthesis in the liver, which then stops the synthesis of most proteins in the said organ. Without the RNA polymerase II, no gene copying can take place and no proteins can be produced, so no poison can be neutralized. When the liver has failed to do the task, the body desperately will try to circulate the poison to next poison neutralizing and excreting organs, which are the kidneys. However, kidneys are not able to do it, so they will suffer and send it back to liver. Eventually, the liver would fail and your kidneys as well, which spells a death sentence. Make no mistake many mushrooms are deadly. Some have the ability to alter the ways your brain works, and some type of fungi have the abilities to alter turn insects in zombies.

Morels(true morchella genus) are specific case. On their own they are not considered very toxic, if eaten cooked because the hydrazine they contain is destroyed via cooking. You should never eat them raw, and you should never mix them with alcohol. They will cause vomiting and stomach pain, if mixed in alcohol in most people. Having typed that, never just go and eat large portion of them cooked, if you never ate them before. They still are known to cause upset stomach in some individuals, and some people turn to be allergic to them. Additionally, some people collect them from cultivated orchards, which are sprayed regularly with pesticides, and the toxins had the time to build up in the mushrooms.Morels are one of these types you have to watch your step. They are not like the shitaki or oyster ones.

I have never collected them, and I will not even attempt. We were taught to collect only a specific type that have very pink underside, so you cannot mistake them for any poisonous ones. Other than that my parents taught me to leave the wild ones alone.

Mushrooms belong to the fungi kingdom. Fungi are one of the oldest organisms on the planet. And they are very odd in any sense. They are neither plants and neither animals. They might look more like plants, but genetically they are closer to animals. People are more familiar with their fruiting bodies, which grow above the ground, but the biggest past of the organism grows in the soil in the form of mycelium. It looks like very long whitish network of connected fibers. In nature, they play very interesting roles in the forests. They grow recycling the decaying trees and matter on the forest floor, but they also create a network between the hub trees and all trees in the forest. The trees use the mycelium network to pass sugars to struggling younger trees, and they aid the fungi in the process. It is a symbiotic connection between plants and the mushrooms. This is clearly reflected into their physical form. The fruiting bodies have the shape of a tower and they spread the spores, but the underground part is the network/messenger system. This biological network is self-organised and reflects the ability of matter to self-organize in orer to be able to transport things from one realm to another (soil/underground and sky/air above ground). In way the fungi are between creatures. They create bridge between realms/kingdoms and play the role of messengers, transporters between things. This is why they have always been associated with the native shamans, which play same roles in human society and human kingdoms/societies. They are also associated with the fairy and spiritual realms.

I am very familiar with them I have hunted them since I was three . My grandpa taught me how as a young child . Hard part is finding the first one of the season . Once you spot one do not move stare at it for a good minute or so then look around you and you will now perceive that they are all around you and you just could not see them but now you are tuned in . My person vibe on them would be old wisdom and elusive and mysterious and physic properties

Wild mushroom can be veryharmful as it is known as a halucinogen

Only a few wild mushrooms are hallucinogenic. Some mushrooms will make you sick, a few will kill you. Morels are delicious and are a popular variety to eat.

But I would never,recommend eating any mushrooms you find in the wild unless you are absolutely certain the ones you picked are edible varieties.

Mushroom hunting is one of the many things I do as I hike however I do not harvest any for I do not currently need them to survive. Leaving them in place for other beings to find that actually need them to survive and allowing them to be so they can reproduce is the environmentalist in me shinning through. I have however eaten all sorts of wild mushrooms over the years that were hunted and harvested by some of the best mushroom hunters I know. It is true that once you find a mushroom taking a step back and connecting with the ecosystem allows you to see what you didn't before. Find one and all of a sudden you will be surrounded for you will see them everywhere. For some great information specifically about Morels please visit the link below : )

May your hunts always be Blessed!

https://untamedfeast.com/morel-mushrooms