Sautéed Morel Mushrooms Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long should you cook morel mushrooms? ›

Heat vegetable shortening in a large skillet until very hot. Roll mushrooms in flour and tap off excess; gently lay mushrooms in the hot shortening. Pan-fry until golden brown and flour coating is crisp, 5 to 8 minutes, turning often. Drain morels on paper towels, salt to taste, and enjoy your treasures!

Kerner is partial to dipping his morels in an egg wash, dredging them with seasoned flour or breadcrumbs, and frying the morels in butter or cooking oil until they are golden brown and crispy. You can also sauté morels like you would other types of mushrooms, or pan-fry them without breading.

Soak the Morels in the hot salt water for about 4 minutes. Everyone will tell you that you need to soak them overnight, but don't believe them. This step is intended to kill and remove the bugs from the mushrooms. There are no forest bugs that can survive under hot salt water for 4 minutes.

While you will enjoy eating the morel stem, make sure you cook it, because it does contain toxic constituents that will break down when cooked (per Fungially).

Sauté morel mushrooms about five minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Buying and cleaning morel mushrooms

Never eat raw or undercooked morels, and avoid eating them when consuming alcohol, as morels contain small amounts of hydrazine toxins. These are destroyed when cooked, but can still cause issues in people with a sensitivity to mushrooms.

Look at each morel closely, and leave behind any that are soft and mushy. Don't worry about worms, as there will always be worms, but you will thwart them, my friend. If you see a patch of fuzzy white stuff in one of the 'shroomy crevices, don't worry about that either, as it's not mold but the sign of a worm.

Note the discoloration and decaying taking place along the stem and just under the cap. You also should be able to see the moldy white creaming texture setting in. This type of decay is not an uncommon trait on the yellow morels – another indication the morel is a bit sickly.

😅 For certain mushrooms, like Morels and Oysters, a *short* soak in water/saltwater is not going to harm their texture and will quickly draw out/kill bugs and larvae that may be inside. I would not suggest more than a couple tablespoons of salt per few cups of water, as the mushrooms may become too salty.

Resist the urge to hoard your morels; they are best eaten within four days of picking them. 4. Keep them fresh in a brown bag or a bowl with a damp paper towel over them in the fridge—if you don't use them in five days, they're history.

Can I leave morel mushrooms in water overnight? ›

The third way consists of storing the morel mushrooms as though one was going to cook them. You take the cleaned morel mushrooms and soak them in salty water overnight and place them in the fridge. Rinse them to remove the salt water and any dirt. Cut them into appropriate sizes and let them drip.

To cook morels, start by searing them in oil over high heat to brown them, just as you would other mushrooms. The morels will soften and brown. Some recipes have you cook morels from start to finish in butter, but we find that the butter will burn before the morels are sufficiently browned.

There are several reasons why morel mushrooms are so expensive. Firstly, they are difficult to find and harvest, as they grow wild and are often located in remote areas. Secondly, the growing season for morel mushrooms is relatively short, typically only a few weeks in the spring.

Cook morels thoroughly before eating.

Cooking likely reduces toxin levels present in the mushrooms. Consuming raw or partially cooked morels may lead to varying degrees of GI illness, or even death.

Morels are not to be eaten raw or consumed in large quantities because they contain a mildly toxic substance, which is destroyed in cooking. It is possible for some people to have an allergic reaction to morels. As with all new food, if you are consuming it for the first time a moderate amount is recommended.

If you have picked fresh morels (the most exciting way to own them), and want to eat immediately; Cutting morel in half is recommended as natural insects may be inside!