"Usually in January, people start asking when we're gonna start getting morel mushrooms in," says Assistant Manager of Baesler's Market Casey Baesler.
If you don't pick your own, the produce section of Baesler's is typically a great place to find morels, but even they are out of stock right now.
That's due to the fact that areas of the country from which Baesler's imports morels at this time of year, like Washington state, are experiencing so much rain that they are unable to currently export the mushrooms.
Those same rainy and cold conditions here in the Valley are keeping folks from being able to begin their annual mushroom hunt.
"The general rule of thumb is 50 degree soil temperature," says Vigo Co. Parks Department Assistant Superintendent Adam Grossman. "When there's three inches of snow on the ground, that's hindering our mushroom season."
Mushroom hunters are advised to remember that just because the air temperature rises to the 50s and 60s, as it is supposed to later this week, that still doesn't necessarily mean the soil will be producing mushrooms.
"Soil takes longer to warm than air temperature," says Grossman. "Just cuz it's 60 degrees outside, doesn't mean that the soil temperature immediately warms to that 60 degrees. It's been cold outside, it's been snowing outside, so that soil temperature has to catch up to the air temperature."
But do not fear, mushroom hunters; Adam Grossman says that while springtime growth trend is a week or two behind right now, there is still hope.
"We have had moisture this spring, you need moisture for mushrooms, and we had a good freeze this winter, so when things do warm up, we have the potential for a good mushroom season," says Grossman.
Casey Baesler did say that he hoped to have a new shipment of morel mushrooms into the store within the next few days. He added that the mushrooms are pretty pricey, costing about $45 a pound to import.
