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Morel conical is one of the earliest mushrooms that grow in coniferous or deciduous forests from late March to May.
This unusual, exotic mushroom has long been known as a delicacy. Even in ancient Rome, they were served at the table of emperors, and dishes for real gourmets are still prepared from morels.
Despite the high taste characteristics, this species is considered conditionally edible, so you need to know in what form it is eaten, what kind of processing should be done before use in order to get only benefit from eating.
Where do conical morels grow
To find conical morels, it is worth going to coniferous or deciduous forests in early spring. Mushrooms love warm, sandy and calcareous soils. From the end of March to May, they can be found in glades, landfills, parks, in places of former fires, in clearings. Knowledgeable mushroom pickers find them in wet places: floodplains, lowlands, swampy areas.
You can grow conical morels at home. They feel good in the garden, where there is carrion near the old apple trees. At the same time, the culture does not grow under berry bushes.
What do conical morels look like
Morel conical (Morchella conica) belongs to the Morel family, class Pecicomycetes. The mushroom has no particular taste or smell. It has an original appearance, so it is quite difficult to confuse it with others.
The hat of representatives of this variety of cellular structure, conical shape. Together with the leg, it forms a single whole. Inside the mushroom is hollow, its diameter is about 3 cm, height – 6 cm. The color can vary from gray to chocolate. The pulp is elastic, dries quickly. Spores are whitish-cream in color.
According to the photo and description, the conical morel has a stem, empty inside, cylindrical in shape, about 5 cm long and 1,5 cm thick. When it dries, it changes its whitish-yellowish color to gray. Grooves are located along the entire length of the legs. Their pulp is brittle, white, resembles wax in appearance, it has no smell.
Is it possible to eat morel conical
For many years, the conical morel has been classified as a group of conditionally edible mushrooms, i.e. before use, it must be subjected to special treatment, after having been cleaned of foliage, grass or earth, after washing and boiling for half an hour. After that, the water must be drained, and the mushrooms should be used as an addition to side dishes, as well as for soups, pickles and pickles. The product is quite suitable for drying.
There are several opinions about the preparation for processing. Many experts consider boiling unnecessary and impractical, since morels are absolutely harmless and do not contain gelvellic acid. Because of it, fruiting bodies were considered conditionally edible. But several decades ago, it was found that such a compound as gelvellic acid does not exist in nature. The only reason for the need for boiling is the possibility of confusing these representatives with lines that are very similar to them and really contain a poisonous substance – gyromitrin. Both mushrooms appear at the same time, often end up in the same basket, they can be sold in the markets under the guise of conical morels.
The taste of the fungus morel conical
Morel conical has a pulp of delicate texture. It is believed that in terms of its taste, it is in no way inferior to truffles. For more than two centuries, they have been harvested in European countries as a delicacy natural product. In our country, it belongs to the third group of mushrooms. According to this classification, the conical morel cannot be called poisonous, but it cannot be consumed without processing.
Benefits and harm to the body
Morels conical contain vitamins of groups B, C, PP, polysaccharides. Due to the chemical composition, mushrooms have a positive effect on the body:
- help to strengthen the eye muscles;
- increase appetite;
- remove toxins from the body;
- normalize blood circulation;
- increase immunity;
- have an antibacterial effect.
Contraindications for use are diseases:
- hepatitis;
- stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer;
- hyperacid gastritis.
False twins of conical morels
The double bears several names: common veselka, stinky morel, or gouty.
Its place of growth is Europe and the whole territory of Our Country.
The mushroom cap has a cellular structure, shaped like a bell. From above it is covered with mucus to attract insects. Its color is green. The leg is white, porous, empty inside.
During growth, a body first emerges from the ground in the form of a white egg. In this state, the mushroom is from several days to a month, after which it grows in 30 minutes, reaching a height of 30 cm.
This species emits a disgusting smell of rotten meat, attracting insects for reproduction, which can be felt for 20 m. After a couple of days, the false morel dies, turning into a puddle of mucus.
In France, the mushroom is considered a delicacy and is eaten raw in the egg phase or as soon as it has grown.
Rules for collecting conical morels
The popularity of conical morels is explained by the fact that their collection begins in the spring, when there are no mushrooms yet. Experts advise going out on a “quiet hunt” when it gets warm and earrings appear on aspens. It is quite difficult to find them in mixed forests, because they are skillfully camouflaged, and their bright hats are hardly noticeable in last year’s dry grass. If one mushroom is found, then several more will definitely be found nearby, but for this you should change the viewpoint.
It is much easier to find conical morels in clearings and burnt areas. Here they have a dark color, clearly visible. Mushrooms love to hide in heaps of brushwood and settle down there with whole families. Often they are found on the sides of roads, earthen dumps.
How to cook conical morels
It is customary to cook conical morels according to a certain algorithm:
- Mushrooms are thoroughly washed under running water, since sand is clogged into the folds and cells of the caps, which is quite difficult to remove from there.
- Pour water into a saucepan, salt it and bring to a boil.
- Morels are cut and immersed in boiling water.
- Boil for 30 min.
- Throw the mushrooms in a colander and wait for the water to drain from them.
Then they can be fried, salted, pickled, prepared salads, baked in pots, added to cereals.
Application in medicine
In addition to being used in cooking, conical morels have long been used in the form of decoctions, teas, and infusions in traditional oriental medicine. In India and China, the remedy was used to improve the functioning of the digestive system, increase immunity, and stop inflammatory processes.
In Our Country, morels have found their application for the treatment of eye pathologies – myopia, cataracts, age-related decline in the quality of vision. For this purpose, the mushrooms are dried, a powder is prepared from them and 1/2 dessert spoon is used twice a day.
Tincture for the treatment of blood is prepared from several copies, which are washed, crushed and poured into a glass of vodka. After a month, it is filtered and used for 1 hour. l. twice a day with juice or other acidic drink.
Conclusion
Morel conical – an excellent mushroom that has a good taste, does not require long preparation for cooking. It is used as an auxiliary remedy and as the basis of many dishes. Collecting this variety is interesting and not difficult, the main thing is to follow the rules. Then even beginners can easily find fruiting bodies, do not confuse them with false mushrooms and end up with wonderful dishes on their table.
