General description of the classification of the morels

• Division: Ascomycota
• Class: Pezizomycetes
• Order: Pezizales
• Family: Morchellaceae
• Gender: Morchella
• Common species: Morchella esculenta, Morchella elata, Morchella deliciosa, etc

There is something undeniably fascinating in mushrooms in the spring. As the forest wake up from their winter lethargy and come back to life, a mushroom, in particular, emerges as the star of the season. Either by the transience of its short season, his earthy scent crackling in a pan with butter, or how their hats in the form of a honeycomb emerge from the ground of the woods, morels have a mystique of its own.

With its distinctive appearance, its nutty flavor and its extremely elusive, the morels keep you alert to the pickers, inspired chefs and excited to micófilos when you are lucky enough to find a plot.

In honor of the Month of the Morels, we celebrate with a quick guide about them. From tips for sorting and picking up his crop and fun facts about the fungus, here is all you need to know about these treasures fungal season.

Classification and identification of fungi, morels

Sometimes called “Mushroom Sponge”, the morels have a hat badge, ribbed and chopped that stands out in the nature. But do not be fooled by the nickname, are much better in a pan fregándolas. These mushrooms have many names, regional, such as “Fish Dry”, “Chickens Walnut”, “Merkels” and “Miracles”. Whatever you call them, the morels are still some of the wild mushrooms most sought after, prized for its rich flavor and excitement of searching for them. Remember: always should be cooked well before eating.

The morels are instantly recognizable by their hats with honeycomb, which have dimples and ridges deep that give them their characteristic texture. Its colour varies from golden yellow to dark brown or black, depending on the species and the environment.

The Latin binomial for one of the species of morels most common is Morchella esculenta . Morchella derived from the German morchel, which means fungus, while esculenta comes from Latin and means “edible” or “fit to eat”, a very appropriate name for this exquisite culinary.

Where to find morels

The morilla is an expert at evasion. These elusive fungi tend to emerge between April and may, and may appear only a few days in a certain place before disappearing.

How and where to find them? The morels tend to thrive in places with a unique and sometimes surprising, as apple orchards, abandoned, at the foot of elm trees dead or dying, around poplar, oak, and poplar trees live along the banks of the rivers, and even soils disturbed areas affected by forest fires.

Natural disasters seem to be the conditions favourite of the morels for their growth. Mycologists still ask for their ability to thrive in environments such as arid, especially in the burned-out remains of forest fires. When the greater part of life is retracted, the morels re-emerged. In fact, after the massive fires in Yellowstone in 1988, the food gatherers reported one of the fructificaciones more abundant in recent history.

The book of Paul Stamets, ” Mushroom growing Gourmet and Medicinal” documents a series of events, legendary, in which the morels emerged in abundance unexpected after natural disturbances. This is one of many fascinating ideas that you will find on the morels and hundreds of other fungi fascinating throughout the book.

The life cycle of the fungus morilla

For the morilla, life is not a marathon, but a strategic race marked by periods of rapid growth followed by periods of patience underground. Their spores germinate quickly in mycelium, which can spread through the environment to an impressive speed of up to 10 cm per day. But this boom of underground activity is not infinite. When the mycelium is facing difficult terrain, lack of nutrients or environmental disturbances, changes direction. Instead of continuing to expand, it goes into conservation mode, forming a structure of survival strengthened known as esclerocio.

The sclerotia are as underground bunkers for the mushrooms: mass compact and rich in nutrients that allow the morels to take shelter and wait for the opportune moment to return. Invisible to the naked eye, these sturdy structures play a fundamental role in the cycle of life of the morels. When the conditions line up, such as after a forest fire or drastic changes in the soil, these sclerotia is activated, triggering the appearance of fruiting bodies on the surface.

Different species are different types of sclerotia. For example, the morilla yellow (Morchella esculenta) is dense and similar to a walnut, while the morilla black (Morchella angusticeps) has a light texture and sandy. Often they are formed by thousands in just a cubic foot of earth. These formations underground can be discrete, but they are also a key factor for the morels to resist extreme environmental conditions and bear fruit unexpected at the right time.

How to grow mushrooms morels?

Can you grow morels? The short answer is yes but the long answer is a little more complicated. While morels grow rapidly in the nature, to recreate the same conditions in indoor or under control has been far more difficult.

It was not until 1982 that the controlled cultivation of morels experienced a big breakthrough. The merit is of the mycologist Ron Ower, who, thanks to an accident of laboratory and an ingenious experimentation, he made the morels fructificaran using a method of two phases, which involves the formation of sclerotia and the activation of environmental.

The process, patented in his time and now in the public domain, mimics nature by introducing a phase rich in nutrients followed by a phase poor in them, which makes the fungus settle in the sclerotia. With time, water, and suitable environmental conditions, fungi can emerge.

While the commercial cultivation remains a highly specialized activity, many home growers continue to experiment with techniques ranging from beds of ground up wood chips and plots controlled outdoor. With a little patience (and a lot of trial and error), the elusive morilla could repay your efforts.

Similar to the morels

To identify the true morels, is not only about luck, but of succeeding. While morels are a treasured find for cooking, they also have some imitations that can be harmful if consumed. These “false morels” they may seem similar at first glance, but may contain toxic compounds such as the monometilhidrazina, a chemical that is also found in rocket fuel. Its ingestion can have serious health consequences.

One of the easiest ways to know if you've found a morilla authentic is to open from top to bottom. A morilla authentic will be completely hollow on the inside, from the tip of the hat to the base of the stem. In contrast, the majority of the morels false have an interior cottony, with cameras or fill.

Even the gatherers experienced make mistakes, so if ever you're not sure: when in doubt, leave it out.

Examples of species similar to Morel:

1. False Morel ( Gyromitra esculenta )
   • Often wrinkled or lobed, not in the form of a honeycomb.
   • The lid tends to resemble a brain instead of having holes.
   • The interior usually is not hollow.
   • It can be deadly due to the giromitrina, a toxin that is metabolized in monometilhidrazina, a chemical that is also found in rocket fuel.

1. Morilla fake large red ( Gyromitra caroliniana )
   • Large and red, with a hat bulky.
   • Stem thickness and interior fill.
   • Sometimes confused with the morels black of the beginning of the season.
2. Morilla false (early Verpa bohemica )
   • Have a hat crumpled attached only at the top of the stem (the morels real hats attached all along the stem).
   • The stem is usually cottony or fill.

1. Verpa conical spring (Morilla bell )
   • Hat small, bell-shaped and smooth or wrinkled.
   • The hat hangs freely from the stem (is not attached as the morels true).
   • Less commonly toxic, but it's still not recommended.

Whether you're watching your first hat of the season or keeping a secret so dear, to hunt morels is a matter of skill, luck, and always exciting. So celebrate the Month of the Morels as it should be done: put on your boots, don't lose sight of the forest and enjoy the moment. Happy collection!