GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — This time of year, forests across Michigan turn into gold mines - both literally and figuratively as I'll show you - but that’s only if you know where to look and what you’re looking for.
I am talking about morel mushroom hunting.
A time-honored, and heavily guarded Michigan foraging tradition that kicks off in late April and typically runs through June, depending on the location and species of morel you are looking for.
"Morels just have a distinct flavor, and they are just not easy to find," said Certified Wild Mushroom Forager and Nurse Tabitha Corlett.
That – for many Michiganders – is why morel mushrooms are so sought after. Sometimes growing everywhere from hiking trails to backyards, other times... you might have just as much luck finding Sasquatch.
It's a good thing Tabitha has an eye for fungi.
"I kind of look for the dandelions to come out because the soil temps they like 45 to 50 degrees soil temp, air temp about 60," Tabitha told me.
Like everything, morels have a symbiotic relationship with their surroundings. So, if you're on the hunt, it helps to look for trees like elms, ashes, cottonwoods, oaks, and cherry trees.
"Live trees will form a symbiotic mutual relationship where the trees won't grow without the mushrooms and the mushrooms won't grow without the trees and when the trees shift into more of a dying or death mode that's when our mushrooms start breaking down that woody debris," Tabitha told me.
Burn sites are also a good place to start too, with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources posting a great map of those on their website.
And even though the morel is one of the easiest wild mushrooms to identify, there are some toxic knockoffs out there.
"They don't connect at the bottom they connect all at the top and they're very cottony versus the real morel has a stipe or stem and is connected at the bottom and once you see it, it's really easy for beginner mushroomers to notice the difference," explains Tabitha. "And then the Gyromitra species that I mentioned otherwise known as beefsteaks look more brainy they don't have the pits and ridges that morels have, and their coloring is a little different. It's more reddish brown.
As far as equipment is concerned, you won’t need much to get started.
A mesh bag, some bug spray, and a little bit of help should do it... If you want to share your spot. And you might want to think twice about that if you find a real honey-hole.
The price per pound for morels in Michigan can reach as high as $100 for a seller licensed by the state, according to Tabitha.
But for most of us, the real reward is spending time in the great outdoors with the ones we love looking for a food we can't get enough of.
"For me, it's, you know, it was such a fun activity growing up with my dad and him showing me so if you can get out with your family and do it, it's just it's just a fun time," Tabitha told me with a smile.
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