Morel mushrooms' distinctive flavor is as prized as truffles. While truffles are best used raw, morels need to be cooked or they can cause digestive issues.
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Taste
Morel mushrooms taste slightly sweet, toasted, and nutty (like hazelnuts and walnuts). When cooked, they can smell like freshly baked bread. They are also very savory (umami), containing high amounts of specific nucleotides that are enhance flavor more than even MSG.
Alan Bergo from Forager Chef polled other chefs to find their favorite mushrooms and this one topped the list.
"With their rich flavor everyone seems to love and unmistakable meaty texture, morel mushrooms are literally at the top of the list. One of the most famous mushrooms in the world, they were mentioned by every single chef I spoke to. If given the choice, many of my friends would take them over all other mushrooms." - Forager Chef
Texture
Another unique characteristic is their texture. It is firm and meaty, but delicate. Morels retain tenderness in the center when cooked, but firm on the outside.
Because of their honeycomb shape, morels are uniquely suited to soaking up saucy dishes. However, they should be used in delicately-flavored recipes to allow their flavor to come through. Morels have a rich, deep, distinctive taste, but it isn't strong enough to overpower bold-flavors.
Seasonality
Fresh morels are elusive - they have a short season and their location in the wild is a bit unpredictable. Foragers that have found reliable locations guard them as closely as buried treasure!
Most mushroom varieties show up in fall, but morels are one of the earliest signs of spring. They can be found just as the ground warms up, around the same time asparagus sprouts peek out of the soil.
On top of that, they are notoriously finicky in cultivated growing conditions. Some groups are making headway, though no one has managed it at a large scale.
Even with the limited success, it's worth noting that most mushrooms taste better when plucked from the wild rather than from sterile growing conditions. Keep that in mind when assessing the purchase price.
Where to buy morels
Because they aren't commercially grown for the mass markets (yet!), fresh morels are near impossible to find outside of farmers markets or festivals. Foraged has them for sale when they are in season in spring - and you can join the waitlist until they show up.
If you buy from Foraged, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. I have not ordered morel mushrooms from them yet, but hope to this next season so I can personally let you know how they arrive and taste.
Dried morels can be purchased online and sometimes at specialty markets.
They are incredibly expensive, with fresh morels starting around $50-$60 per pound. The vendor at my farmers market said their forager source in Michigan sells them for $90 a pound.
Dried morels are more expensive by weight (because the water is removed, making them lighter). Dried morel mushrooms sell for $12-$16 per ounce ($200-$250 per pound).
How to cook morel mushrooms
Since morels are so prized, they are often simply sauteed in butter or added to a pasta dish with a delicate cream sauce. Their honeycomb shape holds onto all the butter and sauce it sits in. It's delicious!
That said, they can stand up to any type of recipe. The "Wild Mushrooms" cookbook authors tell us:
"They are favored in egg, pasta, and risotto dishes and do well when combined with cream, butter, or cheese sauces. You will find many folks in the Midwest stuffing and deep frying each mushroom to create a delicious bite. They stand up well in soups and baked dishes. Morels are versatile little beauties!"
Morels should be cooked thoroughly to safely eat them. They contain toxins that cause digestive issues and even more serious problems. The Montana government website explains, "Cooking likely reduces toxin levels present in the mushrooms. Consuming raw or partially cooked morels may lead to varying degrees of gastrointestinal illness, or even death."
Fresh morel recipes
Fresh morels are hard to find, so I'm excited for you if you've gotten your hands on some. Here are some recipes to try out.
Sauteed morel mushrooms
Small morel mushrooms can be sauteed whole, while larger ones are usually cut in half. Saute them in butter or cream - whatever you use will cling to all of the craggy surfaces and holes.
- Sauteed morels in garlic-thyme butter - recipe from Beyond the Chicken Coop
- Grilled steak with red-wine sauteed morel mushrooms - recipe from Prairie Farmland
- Toasts with sauteed morel mushrooms - recipe from Serious Eats
- Sauteed asparagus with morels - from Simply Recipes (or cook it in rendered bacon fat, like in this recipe from Silver Oak)
- Fried eggs, bacon, & morels sauteed in bacon fat - recipe from Serious Eats
Fried morels
It seems crazy to me that frying such a rare mushroom would ever make sense. But then I came across a recipe from Hunt, Gather, Cook that made a case for deep frying morels:
"I looked down on fried morels for a long time… until I finally had some. I was wrong. Simple? You bet. But so, so good.
"The secret is the coating on the mushroom. A good breading or batter will not only give you a nice crunch, but it will protect the morel inside, which will cook not by contact with the hot oil, but by steaming from within. Few other methods really highlight the actual flavor and texture of morel mushrooms."
If you deep fry morels, make sure they are fully cooked! Raw and undercooked morels are not safe to eat, because they cause intestinal and digestive problems.
Pasta & risotto
Fresh morels make an incredible pasta and only need help from a few herbs, maybe some cream or cheese. Try some of these recipes when you get fresh morels in spring.
Pasta recipes:
- Spring ramp & morel spaghetti - from Forager Chef
- Lemon-herbed pasta with morel mushrooms, crème fraîche, and goat cheese - from Vermont Creamery
- Pasta with morel & pea cream sauce - recipe from Southern Living
- Homemade morel mushroom ravioli - from Skovkaer, Nordic Foraging
Risotto recipes:
- Morel mushroom risotto - recipe from Hunt, Gather, Cook
- Wild garlic & morel risotto - recipe from Great British Chefs
- Spring pea & morel risotto - from Andrew Zimmern
Stuffed morels
Morels are hollow inside, so naturally they need to be stuffed, right? Once stuffed, they can be baked or fried.
- Crab stuffed morels - recipe from Forager Chef
- Stuffed morels with shiitake pate, on garlic-chive pasta - recipe from Robin Asbell
- Deep-fried lemon-ricotta stuffed morels - from Wild Vegan Flower
Morel mushroom sauce
If you like a good mushroom sauce or gravy, try making one with morels. Their exceptional flavor adds depth and richness.
- Classic morel mushroom sauce - from Skovkaer, Nordic Foraging
- Morel & red wine sauce - recipe from Skovkaer, Nordic Foraging
- Filet mignon with morel sauce - from The Gourmet Gourmand
Other fresh morel recipes
I always keep an eye out for unique recipes and have found a few worth sharing. I'll let them speak for themselves.
- Baked morels, rolled like snails - from Forager Chef
- Morel mushroom chili - from Mother Earth News
- Morel mushroom compound butter with cabernet, tarragon, and black peppercorns - from Jordan Winery
Dried morel recipes
Most of the time I can only find dried morels. Whole ones can be rehydrated and the soaking liquid is often saved to flavor a sauce or soup. Dried morel powders are also available to flavor any mushroom dish.
Pasta & risotto
The dried morels, parmesan cheese, and thyme all work together in this pasta. The dried morels are soaked in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, and the soaking liquid is used to flavor the creamy sauce.
Get the recipe from With Spice (pictured above).
You can also rehydrate whole morel mushrooms to make any risotto recipe. This recipe from Side Chef uses farro instead of arborio rice, and adds in spring's favorite vegetable - asparagus.
Morel mushroom & quinoa salad
Another recipe where dried, whole morel mushrooms are rehydrated. The soaking liquid is used to flavor the quinoa this time. Garlic, shallots, thyme, arugula, pine nuts, and goat cheese make up the rest of the salad.
Get the recipe from The Sophisticated Caveman, who is a certified mushroom forager.
Morel-crusted tenderloin
This is probably my favorite recipe that I found. Dried morels are ground into a powder, then rubbed over a pork tenderloin, like you would for other herbs. Then cook it in a pan in butter, browning the dried mushrooms.
Get the recipe from Forager Chef along with a few of his tips. For example, he explains that using butter is gentler than frying in oil, which can more easily burn the mushroom crust.
Gravy & other sauces
Make a gravy with your smallest dried mushrooms - a tip shared by Forager Chef. The idea is they are small enough to fit on a gravy spoon in bite-sized pieces. Get the recipe from Forager Chef.
Dried morels make a delicious compound butter than you can use on mushroom toast, pasta, or seafood. Try this recipe from Forager Chef.
Chili crunch sauces are enjoying the spotlight. It's not surprising considering how tasty they are. I found a recipe that uses dried morel powder and it looks incredible. I'll definitely be making it soon.
The recipe is from Meat Eater and in addition to the morels, it also includes crushed guajillo peppers, sesame seeds, and ginger.
Try this recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It's a fun way to expose guests to rare ingredients and make for a fun dinner conversation.
How to dry morel mushrooms
It's almost a crime to let fresh morel mushrooms go bad. Dehydrate them before that happens.
You can use a dehydrator or an oven. Beyond the Chicken Coop outlines the instructions for using a food dehydrator. For oven drying, follow the instructions from Edible Madison magazine.
More resources
If you're wondering what else is currently in season, check out my calendars to see what produce is in season each month (and coming up soon).
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