Morel

Morel – an ascigerous mushroom with a beautiful hat of ovoid rounded shape, a yellowish-brown color and the small cells resembling bee cells superficially. The leg is hollow, a cylindrical form, hats are several tones lighter. At a morel the white pulp having pleasant aroma and taste.

In the nature there are three types of morels:

• Ordinary or edible (Morchella esculenta);
• Morchella conica;
• Cap or smorchkovy hat (Verpa bohemica Schroet).

The hat at a mushroom grows to 10 centimeters in the diameter and to 15 – in height. The leg can reach 5 centimeters in thickness.

History and distribution

Morels are very ancient mushrooms. The first references of them can be met in Teofrast's works, the Ancient Greek scientist relating in the 4th century B.C. In ancient Rome these mushrooms were considered as a delicacy therefore preparation of morels was not trusted simple servants, and gave to a table them in the most expensive and refined ware.

Still in many countries of the world treat morels with big respect. In America, for example, they carry the status of "royal mushrooms". From the middle of the 19th century in France and Germany they are grown up in gardens and parks under apple-trees. In Russia morels grow in wild conditions everywhere, being born at the end of April – the beginning of May. Prefer mushrooms the mixed and broad-leaved woods, love mossy ditches and edges, edges of fields and cutting down, waste grounds and old big fires. In the south of Russia they can be met even on lawns, front gardens and kitchen gardens.

It was noticed that morels prefer not to grow on the same place, but botanists still guess in what way the mycelium of morels "moves" to other place, and sometimes at all disappears completely.

How to distinguish a false morel from the present?

True morels are tasty edible mushrooms, and here false morels are poisonous. Fortunately, they can be distinguished easily from each other. It becomes by a slit along a mushroom body. At a false morel the hat is not tied to a leg, and a leg wadded and dense whereas at true mushrooms a leg hollow, and the hat merges with it.

Use of morels in cookery

In Russia morels consider conditional edible mushrooms and according to flavoring data refer them to the third category in spite of the fact that in their Europe it is considered to be a delicacy. In America, for example, at the annual banquet devoted to a congress of the American mycologists without fail give boiled morels.

Before the use this mushroom should be boiled, and to merge broth. Only after that it is possible to start preparation of morels, to extinguish them, to fry or add to soup. Morels in a stewed look or in sauces are especially tasty. As a separate dish it is possible to give morels, stewed with sour cream, it is also possible to use them as a stuffing for pies. Morels do not salt and do not pickle, dry them, and in food use only three months later after drying. It is necessary to consider that dried mushrooms absorb moisture therefore it is necessary to store them in the dry place in cardboard boxes or paper packages, otherwise they will dampen and will grow mouldy.

Use of morels in traditional medicine

For a long time morels use for treatment of short-sightedness and far-sightedness, and also at rheumatism and various diseases of joints. They are shown for immunity strengthening.

In the medical purposes mushrooms recommend to use regularly for half a year. Before the use mushrooms clean, presoak for one hour in water then boil and wash out under flowing water.

Structure and caloric content of morels

Fresh morels contain about 3% of nitrogenous substances, it is a lot of aromatic substances and 1% of sugar. There is at them a polysaccharide under the name FD4. In 100 g of a morel 2,9 g of proteins, 2 g of carbohydrates and 0,4 g of fats contain.

Caloric content makes it about 23 kcal on 100 g of a product.

Contraindications

Because of high content of toxins before preparation the morel needs to be dried or boiled. At the correct use harm for an organism from mushrooms will not be.