Morels

morels Morel Mushrooms - Morels are hunted by thousands of people every year simply for their taste and the joy of the hunt.

Morels are a feature of many cuisines, including Provençal. Their unique flavor is prized by cooks worldwide, with recipes and preparation methods designed to highlight and preserve it. As with most edible fungi, they are best when collected or bought fresh.

One of the best and simplest ways to enjoy morels is by gently sauteeing them in butter, cracking pepper on top and sprinkling with salt. Others soak the mushrooms in an egg batter and lightly bread them with saltine crackers or flour before frying them.

They can best be 'flash frozen' by simply running under cold water or putting them in a bucket to soak for a few minutes, then place on a cookie sheet or pizza pan and place into a freezer. After freezing they keep very fresh with the frozen glaze for a long time in tupperware containers.

Drying is a popular and effective method of long-term storage for morels, and they are readily available commercially in this form; dried morels can be reconstituted by soaking in warm water or milk. They may also be frozen after steaming or frying.

Instructions: Soak in lukewarm water for 15 minutes. Drain, then dip in boiling water for another 10 minutes. Place in colander and rinse thoroughly.

1 oz dried morels will become approximately 8 oz. It depends on the moisture content of the morels and temperature.