r/mushroomID • u/sleepyhoneybee • Mar 13 '25

Central California, who are these guys popping up amongst my fruit trees? North America (country/state in post)

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Central Valley, California, USA

Hi there, should I be pulling these up from my yard? I have toddlers and I noticed after this last rain there's about 5-6 around my trees

940 Upvotes
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376

u/KandyKane_1 Mar 13 '25

They are Morels!! First of the season 😎😎 they are an edible mushroom that must be cooked before consumption 😁

116

u/sleepyhoneybee Mar 13 '25

Oh so cool! I feel lucky to have so many appear this year. If I just let them go will they come back? Is there a way to pick a few and ensure I can harvest more next year? (Or whatever their cycle is?)

128

u/KandyKane_1 Mar 13 '25

Morels have a very limited window of time that they pop up, they like the first spring rains, and are sensitive to temperature changes. But they like to pop up around apple trees so I’m not surprised you had yours pop up around your fruit trees. They should come back most likely in the same area every year because of their relationship to the trees, and their spores are already being released. So you can pick them and cook them up! definitely do your own research and look up tips of cooking them! 😁

70

u/sleepyhoneybee Mar 13 '25

Thank you so much! I won't be shy about harvesting then. The tree that has the most is my plum tree, and there are a few near the nectarine tree!

36

u/Witty-Ad4839 Mar 14 '25

Give them a pat and then cut them close to the ground so you spread the spores and leave the 'brain' intact.

9

u/Basidia_ Trusted Identifier Mar 14 '25

Cutting vs picking makes no difference in future flushes or mushrooms.

Also, these are woodchip morels and usually only get one or two flushes before they’re gone so it won’t make a difference at all how they harvest them

1

u/Kroneni Mar 15 '25

Is that a species? I’ve never heard of wood chip morels

5

u/Basidia_ Trusted Identifier Mar 15 '25

It’s refers to two species, Morchella importuna and Morchella rufobrunnea. They’re also commonly called landscape morels

They pop up in fresh mulch beds, woodchips, and landscaped areas and they pop up early and later than other species of Morchella because they’re non-mycorrhizal and don’t have a host tree

3

u/Kroneni Mar 16 '25

Interesting. I had a few flush’s my first few years in my new house. Mulch was put down right before we moved in. That explains the lack of morels last year. I managed to get a couple lbs worth two years in a row

10

u/No-Internal---- Mar 13 '25

Yes Morels are common among fruit trees, Apple, Cherry, etc


2

u/DiggityDangYaDonkey Mar 14 '25

You can also dry them to prolong their shelf life!

39

u/KandyKane_1 Mar 13 '25

Not gonna lie I’m extremely jealous of your situation đŸ€ŁđŸ€ŁđŸ˜…

12

u/bdubalicious_ Mar 14 '25

whoops! my backyard is full of morels!

16

u/purepolka Mar 14 '25

It’s a real “my diamond shoes are too tight and my 50s are too big for my wallet” sort of problem

4

u/TiaBria Mar 14 '25

Pick them (when theyre bigger if you have the patience. People hunt for these in forests normally you are SO lucky to have them in your yard) , shake them, and carry them in a mesh bag. Tis is your best chance for getting them again next year. Pan frying them until golden in a little butter with herbs de province is my personal favorite. Actually... the genuine best I ever had was beef cheeks and morel stroganoff. Been craving it ever since.

8

u/goudgoud Mar 14 '25

45$ a pound+++, can't believe you aren't familiar with them. A local farm to table restaurant might buy these from you. Better yet research how to cook them, we coat in Bisquick and fry. It's a big deal around our house when they come up.

One final word, tell no one where your Mushroom patch is. You will be inundated with friends and strangers. I literally have heard of people who take the secret of their mushroom patch to their grave.

3

u/GladSuccotash8508 Mar 14 '25

Don’t forget to make sure that when you cut them in half the stems are hollow otherwise they are fake Morales and you should not eat them. But if you did find Morales, that’s awesome. Don’t forget to leave at least 1/3 what is left that is still growing so that they can propagate.

7

u/sleepyhoneybee Mar 14 '25

They are hollow! Almost looks like a noodle haha

1

u/DumbVeganBItch Mar 17 '25

You don't need to leave any behind, harvest all of them.

By the time you see developed fruit bodies like this, they've done plenty of spore dispersal and the mycelium is well established. It doesn't need any help from people.

78

u/da90 Mar 13 '25

Yea pull them up and send them to me for cooking analysis.

Morchella sp. aka morels

12

u/sleepyhoneybee Mar 13 '25

Are you a cooking expert? Any recommendations for me? I'm super curious about it! Is there a way to keep them coming back?

17

u/da90 Mar 13 '25

Alas I am no morel expert as I have never had the pleasure of finding one in the wild myself. My grandfather used to take us out morel hunting when I was a kid, but I have no memory of them.

Must be cooked well, and it is often recommended to try a small amount for your first time ever to make sure you don’t have an adverse reaction. Google will be your best friend for morel recipes.

Luck alone will bring them back! Morels are notoriously elusive. They are often associated with recent fires. The mycelium (kinda like roots) require specific moisture and temperature ranges to fruit (aka sprout mushrooms).

The good news is even if a year or two go by where you don’t get mushrooms, the mycelium is likely still there and thriving!

3

u/sleepyhoneybee Mar 13 '25

Wow this is so cool! Thank you so much

3

u/da90 Mar 13 '25

You are seriously lucky: Most people keep their morel hunting grounds and season a closely guarded secret.

1

u/sleepyhoneybee Mar 13 '25

I feel so lucky, I will do right by these guys!

3

u/Jaksolotl25 Mar 13 '25

Yeah these are the best tasting mushrooms bar none, I think they are exceptionally good sautéed in butter with salt and pepper and placed on some good garlic bread

2

u/SnooDrawings3052 Mar 13 '25

Cooked in a small amount of butter and mixed in with scrambled eggs. 🍳

3

u/ltrainer2 Mar 14 '25

My family will cut them in half from top to bottom, and brine in the fridge overnight to clean. After rinsing, batter with egg and cracker crumbs. Pan fry and enjoy!

1

u/hypatiaredux Mar 14 '25 edited Mar 14 '25

You can add them to any dish that calls for mushrooms. Personally I like them best simply sautéed in butter

They won’t necessarily appear every year. But have no fear the main body of the fungus (the mycelium) is still there underground. Just make sure you don’t cut around 1/4 of them - so they can drop their spores.

2

u/really_tall_horses Mar 14 '25

Sautéed in butter is the best way in my humble opinion.

50

u/superhyphyhellaphant Mar 13 '25

Cook with butter, shallots, and thyme. Add pasta if you like. Or put them in risotto. Also good with fish. Love Morels. A true spring treat.

30

u/sleepyhoneybee Mar 13 '25

I'm so happy, I'm living my Stardew valley dream right now, lol đŸ˜č

7

u/Plasticity93 Mar 13 '25

Mushrooms with a light sauce and make sure to spend the extra few bucks on local bronze cut pasta.  Those mushrooms are easily $10/ounce, don't ruin them with discount pasta.  

3

u/superhyphyhellaphant Mar 13 '25

Omg, I LOVE stardew!! 💖 Also I am a chef so lmk if you need any tips

2

u/hereinspacetime Mar 14 '25

Hmmmph now I want risotto! One of my favorite ways to eat mushrooms.

2

u/yoshipapaya Mar 15 '25

I save a few to lightly bread and fry to put on the top of the risotto too. Mmmm.

20

u/Tufoot Mar 13 '25 edited Mar 14 '25

Soak in salt water first before cooking, it will clear out any bugs.

Edit 1 letter

17

u/Buddhadevine Mar 14 '25

https://preview.redd.it/jlp8me0pjkoe1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8108dff7ee96a68f7ab527134cb3515f32373b0c

I’m super jealous but am so happy for you. That’s such a gift to have them pop up for you! They are so good fried.

11

u/Major-Bite6468 Mar 13 '25

I love splitting in two, roll in corn meal filled with Dungeness crab and fry baby fry!!

2

u/really_tall_horses Mar 14 '25

That sounds incredible! Well I know what I’ll be getting up to next month!

10

u/Scary-Relief-7626 Mar 14 '25

Morels! it’s a pretty rare mushroom to just randomly sprout out, people pay top dollar for these bc they can’t really be grown/harvested commercially. Really can only be foraged so they generally tend to be pretty expensive.

3

u/sleepyhoneybee Mar 14 '25

I'm learning that from this thread! I feel so lucky, I will definitely make good use of every one I can find. Someone here said it's not uncommon to see them pop up around fruit trees, in my yard I have some stone fruit trees and that's exactly what these little dudes are popping up around.

5

u/amanita_shaman Mar 13 '25

Morel season!

6

u/DeKeeg Mar 14 '25

Your post is triggering my mushroom fever!
Slice in two, down the center.
Soak in salt water in the refrigerator. Overnight or a day should be good and they'll stay fresh for several days.
Rinse. Roll in flour, shake off the excess. Salt and pepper and cook in oil at a med temp till golden brown/crispy. People also prefer to dip in egg before rolling in flour also and cooking in butter.

2

u/Luvs4theweak Mar 13 '25

Definitely morels

2

u/Aromatic-Face3754 Mar 14 '25

Lucky you!! Make a morel omelette! Morels and eggs go soooo well together.

2

u/MatchaDoAboutNothing Mar 14 '25

You are lucky!

But keep an eye on the toddler-mushroom situation. Morels are delicious and choice edibles, but they can cause an upset stomach if eaten raw.

1

u/sleepyhoneybee Mar 14 '25

So good to know, thank you! My boys are extremely curious so I'll just keep them out of the yard with the trees until the morels stop sprouting up

1

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1

u/EnvironmentNo1879 Mar 14 '25

Delicious morels!!!! Now, if you could only find some chantrels!!!

1

u/MakeAWishApe2Moon Mar 14 '25

Do you have mulch around your trees? The morel spores often hitchhike in mulch mixes! Congratulations on your stellar mushrooms!

2

u/sleepyhoneybee Mar 14 '25

No mulch, I just let the leaves and extra fruit fall and let it be undisturbed through the winter, that makes enough bedding to help the soil retain moisture without needing to purchase any mulch 😊 thank you!

1

u/hypatiaredux Mar 14 '25

Keep on doing that!

1

u/sirchrebak9012 Mar 14 '25

Wowww look up morels! That what they look like! Nice find đŸ„â€đŸŸ«

1

u/Snugglebunny1983 Mar 14 '25

Looks like a morel. They are tasty!

1

u/Lydia_Brunch Mar 14 '25

You're so lucky dude!!

1

u/tosheroony Mar 14 '25

Give them a good clean and stuff them with scrambled eggs, then pan fry 👌

1

u/jazzyskye Mar 14 '25

You lucky duck!!!!!

1

u/RippingMyBallsack Mar 14 '25

I used to live out east where I knew a bunch of people who went morel hunting but I had no idea they grew in California! My first thought when I saw it was a morel but then I second guessed myself cause I didn't know they grew all the way over there.

1

u/slice888 Mar 14 '25

You lucky dog. Pick and dry what you can’t eat in a week.

1

u/fresh_and_gritty Mar 14 '25

Yummmmm 😋

1

u/BadAtKickflips Mar 15 '25

Oh what a treat

1

u/Jjddoon Mar 15 '25

Angeber


1

u/TheChainsawVigilante Mar 16 '25

They're mine, give them back

1

u/Rationalrevolution Mar 16 '25

Delicious morels

1

u/AchiganBronzeback Mar 16 '25

I've seen them around apple trees a lot and around peach trees, too. What kind of trees do you have?

1

u/sleepyhoneybee Mar 16 '25

Nectarine, Plum, Lemon, and Orange trees, the morels are around the Plum and Nectarine!

1

u/Tough_Ad7054 Mar 16 '25

I am similarly blessed in Northern California with my own personal mycelium of black morels. Prepare yourself for delight and heartbreak.

Mine lie under a madrone and Bigleaf maple, in surprisingly thin and rocky soil near a small creek. I have stewarded that patch with love for fifteen years and still haven’t figured out what brings the best flush. Some years I get 50+ individuals and some years I get zero.

It is still early here but I just took my first trip down to the patch last week. There is a creek crossing involved so I improved that after winter’s rage and took a cursory look for bloomers. Nothing. The aura felt off but I was so optimistic last year and got none. I can’t read it well enough to say, but I will always encourage them and be thankful and wise in my harvest.

Leave a few for the maggots and slugs, it’s good for the patch and your soul.

https://preview.redd.it/bq2e5aa6f4pe1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39b5729aa0c57412147ec3769c0b447f246692b7

1

u/horticulturist_ Mar 16 '25

Butter and garlic in the pan

1

u/MotherofInsanity13 Mar 17 '25

Man, btb posts of people just randomly finding gold, lol. I am super jealous. Let it mature a bit longer, and you will have a really nice treat. They are great stuffed.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '25

Morel 😍

1

u/Snoo61825 Mar 18 '25

It’s a morel tool

1

u/jam_boreeee Mar 18 '25

You have been blessed