Shroomin

This time of year, there comes a special season to us Okies.

It's Shroom Season!

These are Morel Mushrooms.

They grow wild in most parts of the United States.

They are very sought after and are even sold is specialty gourmet stores for over $40.00 per pound.

They grow in our front and back yard!

Yep, we are lucky!

Actually, they grow in most creeks and low shaded areas, where the air and ground temperature is perfect and there is a proper amount of light.

The growing season is very short.

 Morel colors range from light blonde to dark gray.

They must be harvested within a day or so of them sprouting or they will dry and shrivel to nothing or burst open.

There are Morel Hunting Clubs, Morel Websites and even Morel Cookbooks.

These things are a delicacy and a chefs dream!

People even have their own secret "honey holes" they find these little sponge type Christmas tree looking things!

Some folks think us shroomers are crazy.

They are afraid of eating them and say they will make you sick.

But if you are a shroomer, you know what you are looking for and you know how appetizing these allusive things are.

Each year, when I find the first one,

 I send out a message to the Big Kids.

Drewman isn't a shroom fan.

The Big Boy has hunted them his entire life.

Papa took him when he was a baby.

When the Big Boy started dating Our Girl in college, he brought her home to shroom.

It's a family thing!

My Sissy and her husband even come home to hunt.

Although, they found shrooms growing next to their garden, after spending an entire afternoon tromping through the creeks and brush and finding nothing.

The Big Boy came home for Mother's Day and hit the creek searching!

He comes in, as I was cleaning and organizing,

"Do you have a bag?"

I knew he found a mess!

"Let me put on my shoes!"

I tell him.

We head back out and find two brown bags full!

I take them into the house to start washing them.

He continues searching and finds another plastic bag full.

All together, he has found more than 5 gallons of Morels!

The specialty gourmet stores that sell Morels normally sell them in dried form.

 I have found a way to preserve them, other than dehydrating them.

Most of the time, I don't have a chance to put any away, because they are eaten within a day or so of being harvested.

I cut the ends off the stems and soak them in cold water.

Transferring them from one side of the sink to the next several times,

using the spray nozzle on the faucet to spay out all the crevasses and creases of the Morel.

Then I cut them in half and repeat the washing process.

Making sure to cut out out all the brown or discolored areas.

Then they are placed on a towel to dry.

I whisk up a few dozen of Drew's EGGcelent EGGs,

Dip them,

Then place them in a seasoned flour mixture,

Putting them on a baking sheet,

And pop them in the freezer.

Once they are frozen, I place them in a gallon size freezer bag, putting them back in the freezer, until we are ready to use them in a recipe.

Deep fried is the best way to eat them!

It's not healthy but it darn sure is good eating!

We have sauteed them, stuffed them and even made some fritters.

There is still a little time left in Morel Season.

So get out there and go SHROOMIN!!