The Upper Lynn Canal is home to one of the best foraging resources for healthy eating: mushrooms. People are often surprised to learn that mushrooms are a nutrient-dense superfood, providing high levels of protein, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamins B and D, with very little fat. It is important to cook all mushrooms, both wild and cultivated. Heat breaks down the chitinous cell walls, making them easier to digest and their nutrients easier to absorb. 

Cooked mushrooms, especially some wild species, provide a savory, meat-like flavor.

Similar to how human skin produces vitamin D from sunlight, placing mushrooms in the sun before cooking increases their vitamin D content. Mushrooms contain ergosterol, which is converted to vitamin D when exposed to UV light, supporting bone and immune health. Our focus will be on two genera: morels (Morchella) and early morels (Verpa), the first edible mushrooms of the season.

Beware that these are not beginner species. Several look-alikes, including another spring fungus, the false morel (Gyromitra esculenta), are deadly. The hooded false morel (Gyromitra infula ), more common in the late summer and fall, also is poisonous. To the trained eye, these species differ. However, they have been confused by amateur mushroom hunters. Be sure to consult guidebooks, mushroom websites or with one of our local mushroom experts.

In the Interior and the Yukon — a few years after wildfires — morels fruit abundantly. Here, where forest fires are uncommon, our species, the gray morel (Morchella tomentosa), does not. It is found in unburned coniferous forests and along roads in the upper valley. The early morel (Verpa bohemica) though, is more common and widespread. Look for them under or near cottonwoods. 

Both species need to be cleaned, as their convoluted caps can hide soil and insects. Brushing is preferred to preserve texture and flavor. If a water rinse is used, it should be brief and done immediately before cooking to prevent the mushrooms from becoming waterlogged.

Pan-frying is my favorite way to prepare morels. Slice each one in half, and if you did soak or wash them, dry sauté (using no oil or butter) on high heat to evaporate the moisture. Then add oil (I prefer avocado oil), reduce the heat, stir and cook until the morels turn brown. At this point, you can add garlic, spices (fresh thyme, no salt seasoning, etc.), and continue to fry and stir. When they are almost ready to serve, add butter for flavor, although they are plenty tasty on their own. Adding butter too early can result in burning. Morels are prized for their intensely earthy and nutty flavor. Pair with steamed wild cucumber (Streptopus amplexifolius), salmon and a red wine such as a bordeaux or pinot noir.

Morels must be thoroughly cooked because they contain small amounts of hydrazine, which can cause gastrointestinal distress when eaten uncooked or undercooked. Cooking breaks down the toxin. It is best to first try a small amount, as some people may have an adverse reaction.

Finally, do not eat a mushroom if you are not 100% sure of your identification. When in doubt, throw it out.

Judy Hall Jacobson has lived in the Chilkat Valley for 27 years and in Southeast Alaska for 40. She is the author of “Native Plants of Southeast Alaska and Mushrooms and other Fungi of Alaska.” She enjoys gardening, fishing and foraging, wilderness exploration and music in her spare time.