It’s another reason we love The Ozarks! Conditions are finally right to get out in the woods and gather some of Mother Natures very best treats…morel mushrooms! I’m a member of the Missouri Morel Mushroom Hunting group on Facebook and over the last few days there have been several members showing off their finds.

There’s a lot written about where to find them. If you ask those that hit the woods every spring and ask “which trees are best to look around?”, you’re likely to get several different answers. One of the best places to start is around dead trees, specifically elms, ashes, cottonwoods, and domesticated apple trees. Other traditional hot sports are areas impacted by recent floods, fires and logging activity.

There is some guess work however, morel mushrooms are most likely to appear when daytime temperatures are in the low 70’s and lows overnight in the 50’s. Soil temperatures are critical as well. Ideally, mushrooms prefer soil temperatures between 45-50 degrees. Another tip to remember is “morels peak when lilacs bloom!”

Enough about tips, it takes effort to get out and walk, at times for hours, to find the suckers. But when you do and fry up a batch, you’ll know for sure it was well worth the effort!