I was working in the garden the other day and was startled by what looked like a cluster of some strange type of alien creatures. I didn’t dare touch them for fear they would bite my hand off, or some equally insane incident, so I decided to leave them in peace while I did a little research.

Apparently they’re the best-tasting and safest to eat of all the wild mushrooms – Morel, is their name.

A spring-sprouting delicacy, morels can be found throughout regions of North America about the same time the trees start to bud and the trilliums start to bloom. Air and ground temperature along with rainfall amounts impact the growing cycle and crop bounty.

There are a number of varieties of morel – greys, yellows & creams (that’s what I’ve got), blacks and spikes and morel hunting seems to be a very common springtime adventure.

Lucky for me, I don’t have to venture any further than my back yard. And for now, I’m going to just leave them be and see what happens…just in case they really are alien Morels! But check out You Tube if you want to learn how to become a morel hunter. It’s quite interesting.

Oh…and they can sell for up to $60 per pound…wonder if I can increase my bounty?