Hunting season for mushrooms that is. For those of you who don't know about the mushroom hunter's world, I'll give you a little insight from a non-mushroom hunter living with a mushroom hunter's perspective. First off, the mushrooms in question are Morel mushrooms. Their are many varieties of mushrooms found in the woods, all are not edible and can be very dangerous. The Morel has a distinct shape. It is easily recognizable so mistaking it for a poisonous one is next to impossible unless you are a moron. Then anything is possible. Hunting mushrooms is a lot like hunting of any kind. Let's discuss the similarities.
Mushroom Hunting season is around the end of April, first week of May. You can hunt later if you go to Michigan. The season is different than deer hunting season so there is less of a chance you will get shot by a game hunter. Tools required are a mesh bag and a hat. No guns are involved (that's why I don't go). The mesh bag is to collect your shrooms in, plus spores from the shrooms will fall through the mesh to set root for next years crop. The hat is to protect your head from branches. Most people hunt with their heads down so consequently they run into low hanging branches. Maybe that doesn't happen to most people but it sure happened to me the few times I have gone. Maybe I should have worn a helmet. Die hard shroom hunters never give away their hunting locations for fear someone will encroach on their territory, much like that of deer hunters. The debris left after shroom hunting is bugs, mushroom scraps, flour and grease. The debris left after deer hunting however is a lot messier. I found a frozen lung in the driveway one time. GROSS! The other similarity is that you should always get permission to hunt on someone else's property. Joe found that out when someone called the cops on him for trespassing. He was let go after a thorough body cavity search.
Next, it's time to prepare your trophies. Apparently most shroomers have a preferred way of fixing them. The recipes that I have come across involve flour and lots of butter and or cream. Not for the diet conscience. Bread up the mushrooms with flour and then fry them in about 2 lbs. of butter. Call me cynical but I'm pretty sure if you floured up a tennis shoe and fried it in butter it might not be half bad either. They don't taste good raw and sauteing makes them a little chewy. Don't get me wrong, they do have a pretty good flavor for a mushroom but I really don't understand their appeal. I certainly wouldn't pay $80.00 a pound for them. If the truth be told, I think that it's more the hunt that's fun and rewarding than the actual product. It's the tales that are told about the big find that keeps the true mushroom hunters forever on the trail of the elusive Morel.
Oh, remember the Smurf's cartoon? I'm convinced that their houses are Morel mushrooms. They look just like them in a cartoon sort of way. Plus how else would you explain the photo above. Because of Joe there are homeless Smurf's out there. Poor little guys. In my opinion they need to pick a different type of mushroom home anyway. Who would want to live in a house shaped like a penis?
2 comments:
Plus Dr. O is a very selfish with his mushrooms. I surprised he lets the little smurfs live with them. In all the years I have known him, not once and I mean NOT ONCE has he shared his stash. PLUS I find it odd he like to eat food that looks like a penis, what do you make of that!!
Karen
I don't think I want to go there. That's a scary thought.
I think one reason he doesn't share is that he never really gets enough. Although we do still have some in the freezer from last year. We probably should get those eaten.
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