Morel

Where it grows

True morels fruit in spring, usually for a few weeks between late March and May depending on latitude and altitude. They favour disturbed ground — burn sites, recently logged areas, riverbanks, and the leaf litter of old orchards. Many species form mycorrhizal partnerships with ash, elm, and apple.

How to recognise it

The honeycombed cap is the giveaway: a network of irregular pits and ridges rather than gills or pores. Crucially, the bottom of the cap is fully attached to the top of the stem, and a vertical cut reveals one continuous hollow chamber from cap tip to stem base.

Edibility & cautions

A choice edible — but never eat raw. Raw morels contain hydrazine toxins that cause severe stomach upset; thorough cooking destroys them. The dangerous look-alike is the False Morel (Gyromitra esculenta), which has a brain-like wrinkled cap and a chambered cottony stem, and which can be deadly.

Culinary use

Sliced morels are excellent simmered in cream with shallots, or paired with chicken, eggs, or asparagus.