Apr 14, 2013 By Ben Moyer for The 5 min read

Warm temperatures and rain in April mean one thing to a lot of outdoor types around here — and it’s not May flowers, although spring wildflowers, justifiably, have their own devoted following. In the next few weeks, thousands of woods-attuned southwestern Pennsylvanians will stalk through the forests in search of morels, the choicest of all wild fungi.

Morels are odd-looking wild mushrooms of spring. They resemble a cone-shaped, car-washing sponge on a pedestal. They send up their edible fruiting bodies in woodlands all across our mountains and lowlands, anytime from mid-April through the first week in May. For many, morel hunting holds as much allure as deer season or trout fishing. Some local outdoorsmen combine a search for morels with their spring turkey hunting; it’s a natural fit.

Morels also hold a nostalgic draw for me. I first learned about them many springs ago when my grandfather took me on May morning walks through the hills in search of his wayward Herefords. Sometimes he’d temporarily lose interest in the lost cattle, dig out his big, hand-worn, Barlow pocketknife and a sack he’d stashed in a pocket. He’d tell me to scan the ground, and then he’d ask what I’d seen. All I could detect were mayapples and brown leaves. Finally, he’d bend over and cut the stem of a big cream-colored morel that had been growing before my eyes.

My grandfather called them “murgles,” a term I haven’t heard elsewhere. From what I’ve determined, the name has cultural roots in the southern Appalachians and somehow filtered far enough northward along the ridges to influence some speech in western Pennsylvania.

Morel hunting has grown in popularity in recent years, possibly due to a wider emphasis on gourmet foods — which morels certainly are.

“We estimate that a million people in this state hunt morels,” said John Plischke of Greensburg and a member of the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club (WPMC). “It’s about the same number as hunt deer so it’s a significant outdoor event, though not so obvious.”

“Morel hunters are secretive. Some go the extent of wearing camouflage, and they carry a camo bag for their morels. If they see someone else, they’ll drop the bag and no one will know what they’re up to,” said Dick Dougall, a WPMC past-president from Glenshaw, Allegheny County.

Not everyone is as fortunate as I to have a family member introduce them to wild fungi. For those without a woods-wise grandfather, The Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club holds frequent outings, seminars and field forays where mycological experts teach beginners to identify the safe and choice mushroom species. Several fungi outings are planned across Greene and Washington counties in coming weeks. For a schedule of events visit www.wpamushroomclub.org.

Neither Plischke nor Dougall, though, claim their club is the only avenue to morel knowledge. They see their club and its events as introductions to an aspect of nature best enjoyed with loved ones or close friends.

“Morels are an attraction to go the woods now in a time when we are losing other connections to nature,” Plischke said. “A lot of people got interested in morels through family experience, and it’s still a wonderful ritual. When I was a boy my father and uncles took me into the woods on their shoulders, then they put me down and would say, ‘You’re closer to them (morels) so you can see them better.’ We would have a glorious time.”

Both men advise learning edible fungi from knowledgeable mentors. A morel mentor doesn’t necessarily need to be a professional mycologist, because morels are unmistakable once their basic traits are learned, but there are cautions. “There are some fungi, like the false morels, that are dangerous and look superficially like morels,” Dougall explained. “One thing to be aware of is that people are so eager to find morels that they sometimes let their own mind fool them.”

Morels like the rich woodland soil on north-facing slopes, but they can show up almost anywhere in the woods. Many experienced pickers first look for clues in the woods, and begin their earnest search there.

“It’s all about looking for signs; it’s a broader way of seeing nature,” Dougall said. “One of the things we teach beginners is to look for certain trees, then search around them. Tulip poplar, old apple trees and elms, especially dying elms, are the best guides in the woods. If you find a dead elm at the stage where the bark is sloughing off, look closely around its base.”

Morels are delicious just sliced up and fried in butter — the simpler the better. They’re also a wonderful complement to scrambled eggs, or a nice venison steak you may have saved from last fall. But their versatility nearly equals their rich, woodsy taste. Morels can also be made into mushroom soup or they can substitute for any domestic mushroom recipe.

There’s now a way to sample the gourmet goodness of morels without first tramping the woods. The National Road Heritage Corridor is holding its inaugural Ramp, Morel and Dandelion Festival on April 27, highlighted by a 6:00 p.m. dinner at Caleigh’s Restaurant featuring morels in many of the courses. Call (724) 437-9877 or email info@nationalroadpa.org for tickets.

Besides their fine flavor, the best benefit of morels may be that they help you learn to “see” in the woods. To eyes accustomed to interior walls and carpets, morels can seem to “hide” in plain view. My grandfather taught me to stop, and truly look at the forest floor around me. Eventually, morels would come into focus and I’d spot others I’d nearly stepped on in my approach. It was a lesson I have always valued.