topic Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time! in Among Friends

Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

cheriere — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:34:01 GMT

Tomorrow I plan on hunting for Hickory Chickens. Some of you might be more familiar with their technical name of Morel Mushrooms.🍄‍🟫

They're only in season for a very short time, usually from mid April until just around the first week or two in May. So, technically I guess I'll be hunting throughout these next few weeks whenever I get the chance.

We normally search down in the woods, in an area close to where a stream runs. But finding them sure isn't an easy task. They're few and far between. However, we have had good luck in the past. If you do go hunting, please take a knife. You must cut these off instead of pulling them up or they won't grow back in that spot.

Because of this, many consider them a delicacy. A couple nice restaurants in town will pay top dollar if you're willing to sell some to them. We never have, instead keeping what few messes we find for ourselves.

Hopefully, I'll find a few. I'll post what I'm able to find. I found this picture on the internet just in case I'm empty handed tomorrow lol.

Sometimes, they're more orange yellow than in this pic too

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

DSD2 — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 23:00:07 GMT

@cheriere I've never heard of "Hickory Chickens"!

I am like a Hobbit when it comes to mushrooms, always greedy for more

Happy hunting!

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

Sage04 — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 23:04:43 GMT

@cheriere I have never seen these before. About how many do you usually find and how are they prepared?

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

KingstonMom — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 23:12:12 GMT

They sure look ugly! LOL!

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

Sage04 — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 23:14:02 GMT

@cheriereI Googled it and it's available on Amazon for a lot of money. It's saying $199.99. I don't understand because it does not say the amount you get. Added 5 to my cart just for the fun of it and then added 10 and the price remains $199.99.

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

cheriere — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 23:17:57 GMT

@Sage04 wrote:
@cheriere I have never seen these before. About how many do you usually find and how are they prepared?

Well, it all depends as to how many you can find. Friends of ours has a nice flat field where they seem to sprout up like crazy! They actually do sell them to other neighbors.

We only usually find maybe two or three good messes. That's if we just hunt a little. Where we have to hunt is a long walk, so we don't hunt like before.

But, these mushrooms are quite big, so about 6 or 7 is enough to prepare for one meal. We'd get about 18-21.

Before preparing, most people soak them in water with a little salt. This is just to make sure the bugs are all out lol. Then, you slice them longways and bread with a little flour, salt and pepper. Then fry quickly in hot oil.

Theyre quite moist inside and delicious!😋🌸

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

cheriere — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:25:21 GMT

@KingstonMom wrote:
They sure look ugly! LOL!

LOL, they are quite funny looking! They can be huge sometimes too! I've found some 8 inches tall!

But, they do taste delicious if prepared right.😃🌸

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

cheriere — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:26:17 GMT

@Sage04 wrote:
@cheriereI Googled it and it's available on Amazon for a lot of money. It's saying $199.99. I don't understand because it does not say the amount you get. Added 5 to my cart just for the fun of it and then added 10 and the price remains $199.99.

Wow! That's odd that the price wouldn't change. I'm not sure how they'd sell online because they weigh such a little amount it's almost unbelievable, especially considering the size of some. Around here, people usually sell them by a small container like a pint, quart or gallon size.💝🌸

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

Sage04 — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 23:26:45 GMT

When I Googled it I thought they resembled sponge and after reading it, it says it's also called sponge mushroom.

This is so fascinating and you're correct it's expensive.

Happy hunting.

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

OneHappyHiker — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 23:31:02 GMT

@cheriere Thanks for providing the picture - I've never seen or had them BUT I'm ALWAYS up for a great tasting mushroom! I hope you find enough to be satisfied and extra to sell to those nice restaurants so they can prepare them for people who don't hunt them down (and you get a nice paycheck to boot!)

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

cheriere — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 23:38:32 GMT

@Sage04 wrote:
When I Googled it I thought they resembled sponge and after reading it, it says it's also called sponge mushroom.

This is so fascinating and you're correct it's expensive.

Happy hunting.

You're exactly right. They're in fact very spongy feeling. They taste great! I'm sure there's probably other ways to prepare them too, but I've only fried them.

I think they're so expensive because they are very hard to find and they're only here for such a short timeframe. Its been so warm here, I don't see any lasting longer than the end of the month. I should've actually started looking sooner this year. That's the tricky part. The weather totally effects how long they're out. I've known some years when two weeks was all the time you had to find them.

Thank you for wishing me luck. I'll need it AND a BIG BOTTLE of OFF! It's tick central in those woods lol.😃🌸🍄‍🟫

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

cheriere — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 23:45:53 GMT

@OneHappyHiker wrote:
@cheriere Thanks for providing the picture - I've never seen or had them BUT I'm ALWAYS up for a great tasting mushroom! I hope you find enough to be satisfied and extra to sell to those nice restaurants so they can prepare them for people who don't hunt them down (and you get a nice paycheck to boot!)

If I have good luck, I'd sure send you some to try if I could.🌸🍄‍🟫

I wish I felt well enough to REALLY hunt like I used to. I'll probably just spend a few hours looking in the place where I know some are likely to be. Even if I do well, there will just be enough for us to have a few times here. Sadly, I don't anticipate running upon enough to get to sell. It would sure be nice though.😃

Im envious of people who can find them in easy to get to places. I have quite a walk. But I need it lol.

Thank you for responding to this thread. I really wanted to share this with my forum friends.💝🌸

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

Natureluvr — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:12:15 GMT

Good luck @cheriere !! I love mushrooms and live near one of the biggest mushroom capitals in the US…Kennett Square, PA. I’ve seen morels at the store and had to do a double take when I saw the price tag! If you find some, enjoy! 😋

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

cheriere — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:16:21 GMT

@Natureluvr wrote:
Good luck @cheriere !! I love mushrooms and live near one of the biggest mushroom capitals in the US…Kennett Square, PA. I’ve seen morels at the store and had to do a double take when I saw the price tag! If you find some, enjoy! 😋

Thank you so much.💝🌸

I'll be happy if I can just get enough to fix once with some nice steaks.

Ive never sold any, but I can't imagine what they'd cost at the store!🍄‍🟫

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

SaveTheTurtles — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:27:31 GMT

@cheriere 🤔 here I thought you were going chicken hunting or something. Bah....I don't know. Good thing you clarified that they are mushrooms. YUM! I hope you won't be picking anything poisonous on accident. You sound like a mushroom picking expert.😉

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

cheriere — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:30:18 GMT

@DSD2 wrote:
@cheriere I've never heard of "Hickory Chickens"!

I am like a Hobbit when it comes to mushrooms, always greedy for more

Happy hunting!

I wondered if anyone else here hunted for them. That's what got me to post this while it was on my mind lol. They sure are good, but hard to find. I've read where some towns have Morel or Hickory Chicken Festivals in the Spring.

Im not sure where all they grow. There could be some right where you live.😃💝🍄‍🟫

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

CatsyCline — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:33:14 GMT

@cheriere there are "False Morels" as well as Morels. some may not be aware of the differences.

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

cheriere — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:34:19 GMT

@SaveTheTurtles wrote:
@cheriere 🤔 here I thought you were going chicken hunting or something. Bah....I don't know. Good thing you clarified that they are mushrooms. YUM! I hope you won't be picking anything poisonous on accident. You sound like a mushroom picking expert.😉

Lol 😂 if I were to go chicken hunting I'd never eat lol.

The thing about these mushrooms is there's Absolutely NO Mistaking them...or I'd never try to hunt them. They grow very big and tall, nothing like a regular mushroom. I hope I can find some to show you all.🌸🍄‍🟫🍄‍🟫🍄‍🟫🍄‍🟫🍄‍🟫

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

cheriere — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:38:02 GMT

@CatsyCline wrote:
@cheriere there are "False Morels" as well as Morels. some may not be aware of the differences.

Yes, the heads aren't attached the same and you can tell them when you see them. Thanks for mentioning that in case others are looking.💝🌸

The others won't kill you, but might give you a belly ache depending on how sensitive you are.

Re: Hickory Chicken Huntin’ Time!

CatsyCline — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 01:06:58 GMT

@cheriere False Morels can be highly toxic. not a good idea to just go out hunting mushrooms to eat unless very experienced in identifying those which are edible and not poisonous.

When my son was little, i got him a mushroom field guide. we collected mushrooms and took spore prints by placing the mushroom cap on white paper under a glass for several days. the color of the spore was one way to identify the type of mushroom and safety. We did not eat any of them. we did this purely for educational purposes. My son loves mushrooms, and he scared me to death once by eating little ones growing in the back yard. hence the mushroom field guide.