Forgaging Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Morel Mushrooms, River Music And A Pumpkin Drop, Inside Appalachia

Morel mushrooms are a forager’s delight, but don’t shortcut cleaning them.

As flood relief continues from Hurricane Helene — a musician raises money with a song inspired by West Virginia’s 2016 floods.

And, not every pumpkin gets to be a jack-o-lantern. Some are used in science experiments instead.

In This Episode:

More About Morels
Raising Flood Relief With A River Song
Smashing Pumpkins For Science!

More About Morels

A morel sliced lengthwise will resemble a gutted fish. Note its characteristic hollow stem, a final safety check on whether you have a true morel, and the reason for its nickname of “dry land fish.” Also note that unclean morels can house ants as well as snails. *Courtesy Adam Boring.*

Every spring, morel hunters head to the woods in search of mushrooms that look like little wrinkled Christmas trees. Some folks freeze them for later. And even add them to their holiday menus.

Folkways reporter Wendy Welch spoke with foragers and chefs in Virginia about how to safely harvest and prepare these beloved fungi.

Raising Flood Relief With A River Song

Four months after Haddox appeared on stage at the Southeast Regional Folk Alliance festival in Black Mountain, North Carolina, Hurricane Helene tore through the conference location, where recovery efforts are ongoing. Courtesy Chris Haddox.

In 2016, torrential rains resulted in one of the deadliest floods in West Virginia. It inspired songwriter Chris Haddox, called “O, This River.”

Since Hurricane Helene, Haddox has been using that song to raise money for people in North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene.

Folkways reporter Connie Bailey Kitts spoke with him about the story behind the song.

Smashing Pumpkins For Science!

The crowd looks on at a package with a parachute falls to the ground at the 35th Annual WVU Pumpkin Drop Oct. 25, 2024. *Photo Chris Schulz.*

Mason: Just because Halloween is over, doesn’t mean pumpkin season is done. At West Virginia University, the big orange gourds are part of an annual challenge that takes a lot of guts –pumpkin guts.

WVPB’s Chris Schulz had more.

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Christian Lopez, The Appalachian Road Show, Tim Bing, Caleb Caudle, Chris Haddox and John Inghram.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from folkways editor Nicole Musgrave.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and Twitter @InAppalachia. Or here on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Edible Mountain – Cordyceps: The Zombie Mushroom

Cordyceps, often called the zombie mushroom, is an elusive target for any mushroom hunter. Learn how to find this strange and valuable fungus with mushroom expert William Padilla-Brown!

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A parasitic mushroom that attacks the host insect, the cordyceps replaces its tissue with fungus and spores. It even takes over its host’s nervous system, controlling the insect and positioning it to distribute the spores. That’s how it gets its spooky nickname.

There are thousands of species of cordyceps associated with almost every insect. One commonly found in West Virginia is cordyceps militaris; it’s so successful because it can live on 32 different species of insects, including the sphinx moth seen in our video.

Padilla-Brown is mushroom grower, forager, and educator and entrepreneur.

“Cordyceps is like an energy tonic,” he said. “It’s also a powerful aphrodisiac, it’s great for respiratory health, it can help get more oxygen into your body, so it’s really good at fighting the effects of hypoxia”.

A self-taught mycologist, a biologist who studies fungi, Padilla-Brown will make thousands of clones in his laboratory of every cordycep he finds.

“There’s a lot more research coming out that shows that it has compounds effective against retroviruses like HIV, AIDS, and malaria, which has incredible potential,” Padilla-Brown said. “So there’s a lot more research that needs to be done”.

Edible Mountain is a bite-sized, digital series from WVPB that showcases some of Appalachia’s overlooked and underappreciated products of the forest while highlighting their mostly forgotten uses.

Disclaimer: Folks, we hope that you take caution when entering the forest. Please always be aware of your surroundings, while treading lightly, so as to not disturb the natural joy and wonder that our wilderness provides.

Although most of the flora or fauna described in Edible Mountain has been identified by experts in the field, it is critical to your health and safety that you properly identify any item in the forest before eating or touching it. If you are uncertain about anything, please leave it alone and ask for an expert’s advice. Many dangerous plants and fungi share similar properties, which make them easily confused with their nonlethal relatives.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) wants you to discover, protect and enjoy your natural surroundings. We do not want to see you harmed. Please harvest sustainably so that the bounty can be enjoyed by future generations.

The information contained within Edible Mountain is for general information purposes only. WVPB assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the contents on this service. WVPB make no guarantees as to the accuracy of the information presented, and any action you take upon the information in this program is strictly at your own risk.

In no event shall WVPB or contributors be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the service or the contents of the service. WVPB reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modification to the contents on the service at any time without prior notice.

Edible Mountain – How To Make Dandelion Jelly

Don’t weed those dandelions out of your yard, make them into a tasty treat instead!

Melissa Rebholz from Public Market in Wheeling shows us how to make dandelion jelly, and shares her recipe with us.

Dandelion jelly only uses the blooms, but every part of the dandelion is edible and a rich source of vitamins A, C and K. It also contains high levels of iron, calcium and potassium.

Dandelions are also an important part of the food chain for bees and other pollinators. It’s another great reason to let them grow instead of mowing them down or treating your lawn.

The flavor of the dandelion starts slightly bitter, but the sweetness in jelly balances it out wonderfully. Try making a batch and soon you’ll spreading it on your toast thick in no time!

Edible Mountain is a bite-sized, digital series from WVPB that showcases some of Appalachia’s overlooked and underappreciated products of the forest while highlighting their mostly forgotten uses.

Dandelion Jelly Recipe From Melissa Rebholz

3 cups dandelion blooms (yellow petals only)
4 cups water
1 Box Pomona’s Low Sugar Pectin
2 cups sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 or 1/4 pint canning jars

Bring 4 cups water to a gentle boil. Pour the water over the dandelion blooms in a heat resistant container (a half gallon Ball jar works great). Steep the blooms as you would a tea for 24 hours at room temperature or 48 hours in the fridge.
Drain the tea removing the blossoms into a small stock pot.
Follow the directions in the Pomona’s pouch to make calcium water and set aside.
Combine sugar and 4 tablespoons of pectin in a small bowl and whisk to combine well. Set aside.
Add the juice of 1 lemon and 4 tablespoons of calcium water to the dandelion tea. Bring to gentle boil over heat. Slowly whisk in the pectin/sugar while the tea is boiling. Boil the tea with sugar/pectin for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
<li “=””>Immediately pour into a pitcher to begin filling jars while liquid is very hot. As you fill each jar to about ¼ inch from the top, put the lid on and invert the jar. When all the jars are full and inverted, wait 5 minutes and turn them right side up.
Let the jars cool and remain in the same place for 12 hours to properly seal. If a jar doesn’t seal it can be stored in the fridge and used within 30 days.

Disclaimer: Folks, we hope that you take caution when entering the forest. Please always be aware of your surroundings, while treading lightly, so as to not disturb the natural joy and wonder that our wilderness provides.

Edible Mountain – How To Create A Yard Salad

One person’s weeds are another one’s lunch. Your own yard may have a bounty of wild plants that are both edible and tasty. Learn how to make a yard salad with Barbara Volk!

The wise woman tradition of Appalachia has been passing down the knowledge of native plants for many generations, identifying which ones can be used as food and medicine. Here’s just a small taste of what might be growing in your neighborhood. You may be inspired to step outside and create your own salad.

Caution: Some plants can be dangerous if eaten. Consult a field guide or an expert’s advice before picking and eating any plant that can not be completely identified and confirmed.

Edible Mountain is a bite-sized, digital series from WVPB that showcases some of Appalachia’s overlooked and underappreciated products of the forest while highlighting their mostly forgotten uses.

Edible Mountain – How To Make Sassafras Tea

Sassafras root makes an excellent tea. Learn the right way to do it from naturalist Bill Beatty!

Edible Mountain is a bite-sized, digital series from WVPB that showcases some of Appalachia’s overlooked and underappreciated products of the forest, while highlighting their mostly forgotten uses.

The series features experts, from botanists to conservationists, who provide insight on how to sustainably forage these delicacies. It also explores the preparation of these amazing delectables, something that many could achieve in the home kitchen.

You can find more information about Bill Beatty and his adventures in the wilds as well as a wonderful cook book for foragers at https://wvbirder.wordpress.com

Disclaimer: Folks. We hope that you take caution when entering the forest. Please, always be aware of your surroundings, while treading lightly, so as to not disturb the natural joy and wonder that our wilderness provides.

While most of the flora or fauna described in Edible Mountain has been identified by experts in the field, it is critical to your health and safety that you properly ID any item in the forest before eating it, let alone touching it. If you are uncertain about anything, then please leave it alone and ask for an expert’s advice. Many dangerous plants and fungi share similar properties which make them easily confused with their non-lethal relatives.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) wants you to discover, protect, and enjoy your natural surroundings. We do not want to see you harmed. Please harvest sustainably so that the bounty can be enjoyed by future generations.

The information contained within Edible Mountain is for general information purposes only. WVPB assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the contents on this Service. WVPB make no guarantees as to the accuracy of the information presented, and any action you take upon the information in this program is strictly at your own risk.

In no event shall WVPB or contributors be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Service or the contents of the Service. WVPB reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modification to the contents on the Service at any time without prior notice.

Have fun and explore.