This is my first year to hunt morels and I'm wondering how long they stay fresh if refrigerated. I'd like to keep them refrigerated for a week or longer, in order to give them to friends and relatives when they visit. Will appreciate your advice.

-- Sandra Metzger (sjmsjd@earthlink.net), April 24, 2001

Answers

Response to How long do morel mushrooms stay fresh if refrigerated?

I have kept them that long by putting them in a ziplock bag filled with enough water to cover the mushrooms. That keeps them from drying out.

-- Wendy (weiskids@yahoo.com), April 24, 2001.

Sandra, we wash ours well after soaking a few hours in salt water to drive out the little critters that love them so dearly also. Drain a couple of minutes in a collander gently tossing a couple of times and then put in a good baggy in the refrigerator. Have kept over a week that way.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), April 24, 2001.

I am not sure about refridgerating, as we tend to either eat them all or freeze some. Problem with freezing is that they will get soggy upon thawing. The flavor is still great, though.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), April 24, 2001.

We like to eat what we are able to and dry the rest. Nothing better than chicken soup with morels in the dead of winter. Yum. Chicken ramen is excellent with morels in it too. Woodburner food is just better somehow with morels..... :) Just make sure you don't wander onto someone else's property to hunt! You may be hunted instead!! :)

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), April 24, 2001.

And lets not forget the chicken fried venison steaks with wild morel gravy and homemade bisquits!!

-- cowgirl (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), April 24, 2001.

Cut and prepare, Salt water soak for 30 minutes. Bread them and very lightly brown them in oil. Drain the oil off well and then freeze them. Finish cooking when you need them. Works pretty well for keeping them.

-- John in S. IN (jsmengel@hotmail.com), April 24, 2001.

Thanks to all of you who responded. I appreciate your help.

-- Sandy (sjmsjd@earthlink.net), April 24, 2001.

hi sandra, I have kept maorels in the fridge for about a week. All I do is gently brush them off to clean, and put them in heavy paper shopping bag. Check to see if they are drying out to much. Also, friends have kept them in cool basement in covered cardboard box. Hope this helps.

-- sherrie in wa. (sdunkling@aol.com), April 25, 2001.

It's best to string them on thread & dry them. Reconstitute with water - as good as fresh.

-- Elizabeth Quintana (rockshelter@webtv.com), November 02, 2001.

I buy hunhreds of pounds of raw Morels each year. Refrigerator storage time is limited to the moisture content, age of the shroom, care after picking, type of Morel and ventilation. I prefer to pick and place the shrooms in paper ASAP. When at the car they go into a cool-a-tron. At home, new cardborad fruit cartons lined with clean noncolored news paper. This method has stored Morels for one week but you must inspect and remove any shrooms "turning". Try cooking till water is driven off, add a chicken base ot cover, boil, cool and freeze. This will work at home. Can't tell you my commercial process.

-- Steven W. Smith (lostyank54751@yahoo.com), March 16, 2002.