Morel Mushroom

guywhofishes

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I think the hard science has since shown the mesh thing is BS - but mesh works good for other reasons. Those Spore Boys are maybe 15 yrs old. Hate their general functionality though - need to buy something with more of a classic basket function but forget until too late every year.
 


Dirty

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Spores are not spread by carrying your mushrooms in a mesh bag.
Most videos and forums you watch Or read about morels are about 50% accurate and 50% misinformation that gets passed around over the internet, and the spore spreading rumor is part of the pseudoscience.
Just a guess, But I have to believe at least some of the bugs held within the morels drop out with a mesh bag and they do probably keep your mushrooms in decent shape while you move around the woods. I agree that a basket type of carrying vessel would be best.

guywhofishes, I’m jealous. This is the worst year I’ve had by a long shot since I first started looking 15 years ago or so. My last 5 or 6 years were unreal to the point I’m surprised I didn’t get sick from eating morels three times a day for three weeks.
Did you guys get all the moisture we didn’t get this year perhaps? We’ve had like two or three showers here since March maybe.

I brought my grand total to 31 morels found in about 15 hours of searching this season, and about 1/3 of them were already to old and dried up...so much so that I probably could have put them in a mesh bag and spread spores with them!
 
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Davey Crockett

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So if you wait till they dry up and not edible the spores become active ? I've never eaten one but I see them around here once in a blue moon.
 

guywhofishes

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morels do emit spores while being carried - lay them on a black piece of paper for an hour or two - or better yet, watch the spores come pouring out like steam if you bake/broil them

so I think it does “spread spores” to some degree - but my theory is that the air has trillions of spores already - so acceptable habitat is going to get inoculated with or without my silly bag - ha ha

we worked almost entirely on snow melt moisture this year - all my spots had nearly no rain - like yours - that means get them before they dry out - and no “waiting for them to get bigger”

I do tend to think outside the box in years like this - it helps to check every spot - even those that haven’t yielded in years - mix it up
 

Dirty

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There is good info out there on how they spread spores when triggered by certain conditions. Also how they reproduce asexually and sexually...not what you think.

I definitely thought out of the box! Tried all of my spots...those that produce and those that don’t. Also tried a half dozen. Ew spots. Tried everything from sand to every kind of soil. I did NOT try my best spots where I normally camp because campsite was closed but I heard it was Lisa poor there too.
glad someone got into them. Next year has the makings of a bumper crop of the conditions are right.
 
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ndbwhunter

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Checked my best spot tonight and found 5 little ones. Found 12lbs by 5 trees in the same area last year. I'm not sure what to think now.
 

7mmMag

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The MeatEater podcast uploaded an episode yesterday and they were talking about morels. I personally hate mushrooms but I've never had a morel but I listened to the episode about it because it was pretty interesting. Disclaimer...I dont know if any of this is true but they talked like it is. Supposedly people are unable to grow morels in a controlled environment. They said nobody can figure out how to. But in 1982 a college student did figure out how to do it and he got a patent on the process. Well a short time after he got the patent he was murdered. They claim a botched robbery. They said he supposedly had a lucrative deal with dominos to sell them morels but maybe its all coincidence. Well he had the patent but its very vague so nobody can replicate it.

Also they say that the bag with the holes to release the spores doesn't do anything. They said that spores are everywhere already, they just need the right environmental conditions to grow. They said the bags are good so the morels don't get moldy like they would in a bag that doesn't have holes.

MeatEater has really a really good podcast, I suggest people check it out.
 

Kickemup

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I use the mesh bag I think it helps keep them dry after picked or helps dry them out when raining. It always seems like it's raining when I get to go. I didn't make it out this year and I only have 2 quart jars of dried ones left from last year. I'll have to eat them sparingly till next spring.
 

ndbwhunter

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I think my season was over before it started. Looked for a few hours and found 3 in my favorite spot.
 


guywhofishes

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4652F06A-0182-4913-A0C0-AC39FB0C6A72.jpg
SD

wtf
 

Maddog

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The MeatEater podcast uploaded an episode yesterday and they were talking about morels. I personally hate mushrooms but I've never had a morel but I listened to the episode about it because it was pretty interesting. Disclaimer...I dont know if any of this is true but they talked like it is. Supposedly people are unable to grow morels in a controlled environment. They said nobody can figure out how to. But in 1982 a college student did figure out how to do it and he got a patent on the process. Well a short time after he got the patent he was murdered. They claim a botched robbery. They said he supposedly had a lucrative deal with dominos to sell them morels but maybe its all coincidence. Well he had the patent but its very vague so nobody can replicate it.

Also they say that the bag with the holes to release the spores doesn't do anything. They said that spores are everywhere already, they just need the right environmental conditions to grow. They said the bags are good so the morels don't get moldy like they would in a bag that doesn't have holes.

MeatEater has really a really good podcast, I suggest people check it out.

I recently bought some spores from a place in CA. Will see in a month or so if anything grows.

A sucker born every minute ..... ?
 


ndbwhunter

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When do you think they will start popping up? Temps will be in the 60s and 70s this weekend. Sure wish we had gotten more moisture in the central and western half of the state. I think we'll be lucky to find any in this area this year.
 


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