There can’t be a better problem than having too many morel mushrooms.

 

Sure, it is easy to find lots of people willing to share your burden of overabundance. Once word gets out, friends, neighbors and relatives will line up at your door, as nothing beats the flavor of fresh morels.

 

On rare occasion, I have been blessed with more mushrooms than I could initially eat.

 

Years ago, I found a great way to store them for later. It is a fast fix, and maintains the flavor of your hard-earned bounty.

 

I trim the dirt from the stems and split the mushrooms before soaking them in salt water. Once soaked, I rinse the pieces well and place them on wax paper on a cookie tray. Make sure the pieces aren’t touching, and put them into the freezer for a couple hours.

 

Once hard-frozen, store the mushrooms in plastic tubs, layering them between sheets of wax paper. Start with a layer of wax paper, then a layer of mushrooms and repeat. Put the storage tubs in the freezer – and handle them gently. When you are ready, open the tub and, using tongs, take a frozen mushroom, dip it in an egg wash and drop it into the dry dredge. Quickly coat the mushroom with dredge and drop it into hot oil. Work fast, and don’t let the remaining mushrooms thaw out.

 

Using this method, I have successfully kept mushrooms for more than two years. The only difficulty is saving your frozen bounty for a special occasion. Native plant sale at Mounds State Park Decorate your property with Indiana plants and wildflowers this year, with help from the ninth annual Friends of Mounds State Park native plant sale on May 13. The sale runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the visitor’s center lawn. Proceeds benefit the Friends of MoundsState Park group, which supports the park financially and through volunteerism.

 

The plants vary in price, with most being less than $10. There will be at least 80 different species available. Plants are available while supplies last, so get there early. May is the perfect time to plant. Native flowers attract butterflies and other wildlife, require less water, are hardier and can be planted in less-than-perfect soils. Plants include black cohosh, bergamot, Northern sea oats, big bluestem, New Jersey tea, Virginia bluebells and

bloodroot.

 

For more details about specific plants, or for questions about the sale, call 765-649-8128. The event is free, though standard park entrance fees of $7 per in-state vehicle and $9 per out-of-state vehicle apply. Mounds State Park is located at 4306 Mounds Rd., Anderson, IN 46017.

 

‘Let’s Camp, America!’ weekend Learn to pitch a tent, build a fire, cook outdoors and more during “Let’s Camp America!” weekend at Indiana state parks from May 5-7. Let’s Camp America! is a nationwide initiative of the National Assoc. of State Parks Directors.

 

The weekend is a chance for beginners to learn basic camping skills, and for experienced campers to get their equipment out for a spring weekend. Activities will take place at all 32 Indiana state parks properties and on social  media. The weekend celebrates all forms of camping, including tents, trailers, recreational vehicles and cabins. The weekend concludes with free admission for everyone – campers and day-users alike – on Sunday, in honor of Visit Indiana Week, sponsored by the Indiana Office of  Tourism Development.

 

The 32 properties owned and managed by Indiana state parks offer a combined 7,700 campsites, more than 150 cabins and nearly 700 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails.

 

Each state park and state reservoir  property will offer the usual educational talks and hikes with interpreters, along with a special camping skills program sometime during the weekend. Programs are listed at www.calendar.dnr.IN.govand will be posted later at www.stateparks.IN.gov/3282.htm

 

Topics vary from s’mores-making to fire building. “We really want to celebrate the joy of camping with family and friends whether you’re a seasoned veteran or new to the activity,” said Ginger Murphy, Indiana state parks deputy director.

 

“We have lots of folks who camp after Labor Day in the fall, but not as many  who camp in the spring. We encourage Hoosiers to start a new spring camping tradition when the wildflowers are blooming and everything is really greening up for summer.”

 

“Camping 101” programs at select properties offer 12 families who have never camped at a state park the opportunity to do so for free on Friday and Saturday. Participants will also receive free guidance with campsite setup as needed, and the use of essential gear for up to four people, including sleeping bags, pillows, a cooler, camp chairs, lantern and firewood, plus free gate admission for the weekend and a free one-day pass for future use.

 

Camping 101 tent-camping programs will be at Whitewater Memorial, Summit Lake, Potato Creek and Versailles state parks. Space is limited to three families at each of the four parks, and advance reservations are required.

 

If sleeping in a tent isn’t for you, Mississinewa Lake and Shakamak State Park will host Camping 101 programs with their camper cabins. The cabins are basically four-walled camping structures with simple bunks, a table and an outdoor fire ring.

 

Three cabins at each property are being held for first-time campers.

 

Participating families at Mississinewa and Shakamak will also receive use of the camping gear listed above, along with free gate admission for the weekend and a free one-day pass for future use.

 

For all Camping 101 programs, participants must bring their own food and an equipment deposit of $10 for tent camping and $15 for camper cabins is required.

 

The deposit will be returned after the campsite is used and gear is left in good condition.

 

To reserve a site for either tent-camping or camper-cabin use, contact Christie Sorrels at 317-233-6258 or csorrels@dnr.IN.gov

 

Sites will be provided on a first call (or email), first-served basis, and will include a check of the camping reservation system to make sure Individuals who seek a reservation haven’t camped there before.

 

The weekend also includes social media elements and giveaways on the Indiana state parks Facebook page at www.facebook.com/INdnrstateparksandreservoirs for all campers to enjoy:

 

•Share a photo of your favorite camping gadget on the page, tagged with #myfavcampgadget2017. You may do this whether or not you are camping during the weekend. Selected favorites will win a 2017 annual pass or camping gift card.

 

•Post your campsite photo, camping selfie or scenic spring image from the weekend and use #LetsCampAmerica-FunPix. Selected favorites will receive a 2017 annual pass or a camping gift card.

 

•Share your favorite camping story/memory using #mycampingstory. Selected favorites will receive a 2017 annual pass or camping gift card.

 

In addition, if you make and keep a camping reservation for the weekend, you’ll be entered in a drawing for one of two $50 camping gift cards to be presented for future use after Let’s Camp America! weekend has ended.

 

Each property will have up to 50 combination drink-plates to give away during the weekend. The combo plates, produced in partnership with Pioneer Plastics, allow you to hold onto your food and drink at the same time as you sit around the campfire in your lawn chair.

 

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments may contact Jack Spaulding by email at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.