Diary 5/7/11

Found three morel mushrooms while gathering firewood on our property.  It has to be just the right combination of moisture and warmth. I wasn't really looking for them, but I have developed an eye for seeing these "gnome's caps" rising above the forest floor.  Just three, but still fun. We ate some a couple weeks ago from forest fire area.  That is the best place to look; where a fire was the year before.  It sterilizes the ground and eliminates the competition so that the tender morels can come up. It is best to soak them in a little salt water to get rid of any mites.  The three I picked today are super fresh, but I will still soak them ~