Morels can garner a price tag of at least $30 per pound and are often seen for much more (via Michigan State University), especially if they’re being shipped (via Northwest Wild Foods). Why are morel mushrooms so expensive ?
Another common query is “How much do edible mushrooms cost?”.
Edible Mushrooms / By John Stephens Morel mushrooms can be purchased dried for about $0.87 each (lowest price in 2020). Dried morels typically go for $25 per 2 ounces. You can also buy them fresh in the spring for $20-$35 a pound.
How much do morels cost?
Dried morels typically go for $25 per 2 ounces. You can also buy them fresh in the spring for $20-$35 a pound. Fresh morels are sold during the growing season from March through May. Dried morels can be bought online anytime. Sounds cheaper to buy them fresh?
This of course begs the question “How much do morels cost per pound?”
Fresh morels sell for $20 a pound in grocery stores. It takes about 25 morels to make a pound. Dried morels sell for $15-$20 per ounce and about $160 per pound. Cooked morels in dishes sold via a food truck or farmer’s market sell for up to $72 per pound minus the cost of the other items in the dish.
How long do morels last?
However, dried morels will last up to 12 months or longer so you have more time to sell them. Fresh morels only last 1-2 weeks when refrigerated so you’ll need to team with a grocery store or sell at a farmer’s market to get these out fast.
This of course begs the question “Should I try fresh or Dried morels?”
Another answer is we recommend you try both fresh morels from a store (like Whole Foods) in the Spring. Then try them dried. Obviously the fresh will have a vastly different taste. Use different recipes for fresh vs. dried. The nice thing about morels is that they aren’t easy to grow. A usable technique to grow them was only patented relatively recently in 1982.
Our answer is fresh morels are sold during the growing season from March through May. Dried morels can be bought online anytime. Sounds cheaper to buy them fresh?, and it isn’t. They lose a lot of weight while drying. We recommend you try both fresh morels from a store (like Whole Foods) in the Spring. Then try them dried.