Every spring the mountains of West Virginia provide residents with an abundance of local delicacies. From ramps to wild garlic, these hills have a lot to offer, if one knows where to find them.
Perhaps one of the most delicious, yet elusive, treats found in these mountains is a wild mushroom known as the morel.
For generations, West Virginians have been eating morels. But, more often than not, those who wish to enjoy one of spring’s best offerings, known for their nutty taste and meaty texture, must rely on a family member or friend to provide them with the tasty treat.
According to Josh Peplowski, agriculture and natural resource agent at the Greenbrier County WVU Extension Service, seasoned morel hunters know where to look to find an abundance of the wild mushroom, but they rarely make that information public. For this reason, the novice morel hunter can sometimes return home with nothing to offer.
With a little guidance, though, those who wish to enjoy a morel can begin their adventure.
To begin the hunt, one must know what a wild morel looks like.
The morel is a bit odd-looking with conical caps that resemble honeycombs. A typical morel is about 1-3 inches tall, but Peplowski said he has seen morels as big as a 20 oz. soda bottle.
“There are about four or five different varieties of morel,” Peplowski explained. “The first to appear in spring is the black morel, also called the snakehead morel.”
As the season progresses, morels can be found in colors ranging from the gray-black of the snakehead morel to a soft yellow color.
“Morels are pretty distinct in that they are a hollow mushroom with an attached cap,” Peplowski noted. “There is a false morel that can be found, but those have a solid center.”
“Anytime you think you have found a morel, look for that hollow center,” Peplowski added. “If it doesn’t have one, it is not a morel.”
Peplowski explained that morels are the fruiting body of underground mycorrhizal fungi, meaning they get nutrients from tree roots.
Because this type of fungus has a symbiotic relationship with trees, the best place to start looking for morels is under trees.
“Morels seem to like specific trees, so popular thickets are good places to look, as are old apple orchards, underneath ash trees, and occasionally they can be found within pine thickets,” Peplowski said.
The best time of year to begin searching under trees for morels typically begins in early April when the underground fungus begins to flush.
“When the forsythias start blooming, look for morels,” Peplowski said.
To put it more scientifically, Peplowski continued, morels start appearing when the soil temperature stays around 55 degrees. In colder seasons, like 2020, morels may be found all the way through late May.
“You might walk through an area and not see anything, but you can come back to that same area a couple of days later, and you might pick 20 mushrooms,” Peplowski noted.
Once a person has found a patch of morels, they are most likely all produced by the same underground fungal body.
“So, when you see just one morel, you need to stop and look around. Most likely, there will be more in the surrounding area,” Peplowski continued. “It’s like an adult Easter egg hunt.”
When a morel patch has been found, one must be careful to not destroy the underground fungus, Peplowski said. To harvest morels, use a sharp knife and cut the morel at ground level.
“Do not pull on the morel, because you might destroy the mycelium underneath. That is what will ensure the fungus will flush every year,” Peplowski said.
After the morel has been cut, it should be placed in a mesh bag that will allow the spores to fall out of the sack and reseed for future mushrooms.
Now that a person has found their “secret spot,” Peplowski said the next goal is to get those morels home and figure out how to store them.
“The best long-term storage for morels is dehydration, but they can be frozen as long as they are frozen in a ready-to-cook state — meaning they are battered, breaded and then frozen, so they can be taken out of the freezer and popped into a deep fryer or skillet,” Peplowski said.
There are numerous websites that offer morel recipes, Peplowski added. One of the ways he enjoys eating them is on a pizza. However, many people enjoy morels coated in a batter, deep-fried, and dipped in a sauce.
Because there is always the possibility of naturally occurring toxins in morels, they cannot be sold in stores or at farmers markets, Peplowski explained. Also, because of these toxins, people should not eat a lot of morels in one sitting.
“Mushrooms are something that people can have sensitivity to, so if you have never eaten morels, you don’t want to go and eat a whole plateful right off the bat.”
Lastly, Peplowski wanted to remind everyone to stay off private land while searching for morels.
“Make sure you have the property owners permission to search for morels on their land,” Peplowski said.
Also, before hunting for morels on state or national parks, notify a ranger, as many locations have strict regulations regarding what can and cannot be harvested.
As always, one should be mindful of their surroundings while hunting morels. If proper safety guidelines are followed, it increases the chance that one will have a pleasant experience searching for their tasty delicacy.
