It's important to determine that you are eating a real morel. There are many different types of mushrooms and some are dangerous. So, be careful. To help you figure out which mushroom you are looking at, I've developed these rules. Rules to Ensure that you are Eating Real Morel Mushroom

Know your supplier or pick them yourself. If you are not 100 percent sure your mushroom is a morel, why would you even think about eating it? If it is not hollow, I recommend you do not swallow! Morels are hollow. Slice open a black, yellow, or half-free morel from top to bottom, and you will find only air (and bugs, if you haven't cleaned it). Slice open a false morel, and you'll find mushroom flesh. Sometimes the flesh of a false morel is interspersed with air pockets, creating a "chambered" effect -- but there is flesh present. Consequently, false morels weigh more than morels. If it is wavy, I suggest you be wary. The caps of false morels are often wavy, rather than pitted. On very close inspection, the pits on morels are not symmetrical, but are very regular when compared to the lobed, wavy, brain-like structure of the false morel cap. A side-note: We encounter a problem with some of the common names for morels: "brain mushrooms" and "sponge mushrooms." Do not rely on what you picture from these common names! False morels are better described as "brain-like" than morels, and either kind of mushroom could conceivably be described as "sponge-like." If it's red, it could possibly make you dead! False morels frequently (though not always!) have reddish brown shades. I have seen yellow morels develop red stains when they are grown under pine trees or as they age (the stain usually begins as a stripe on the stem and then grows). So, this rule might eliminate some good-eating morels. But it is more likely to eliminate false morels. Don't rely on this rule (or any of the rules, for that matter) alone!

MATC Home / Food Service Courses / Culinary Courses / Culinary Program / Baking & Pastry Arts Program / Recipes For more information, email mhill@matcmadison.edu Last modified : Thursday, October 3, 2002