Hello & thank u for your videos. I am new to Wa. & your videos have bin a big help when It comes to enjoying the outdoors. Keep em coming & thanks again.
The mushroom you have at 5:34 is what most guidebooks would call Gyromitra esculenta, but it's currently being argued about in scientific circles if what we have in the Pacific NW is actually that species. Common names are the calves brain mushroom or false morel. It contains a compound, gyromitrin, that your body metabolizes into monomethylhydrazine (a substance used for rocket fuel) and can be fatal if eaten raw. It is traditionally eaten around the world with very specific methods of preparation that help reduces this toxin, but I wouldn't recommend it. The mushroom at 7:52 is a related mushroom, called Gyromitra montana. It's common name is the snow morel. These are commonly eaten and have been tested fairly heavily and haven't been found to have the toxin I mentioned previously. But since they are related to a potentially deadly mushroom and can be difficult to tell apart (these mushrooms a lighter brown color and a thick, folded, brain-like stem while the poisonous relative has a slender mostly hollow stem and a dark brown to maroon color on the cap) it's still not recommended to eat these. You also mentioned the early morel, which is the common name for Verpa bohemica. They grow in association with cottonwood trees, have fluff filled stems and wrinkly thimble-like caps. Those need to be thoroughly cooked like morels or they'll make you sick and it seems more people than average are just allergic to them, so it's not recommended to feed them to large groups of people.
My mom always cooked all the mushrooms that we ate when I was younger. She's no longer with us so I can't learn from her on type and, preparation. When in doubt don't pick them.
