The wicker basket is a nice touch too. For everyone looking to pick mushrooms, go for a container with holes. that way the spores spread as you walk, hopefully sowing more mushrooms next year.
They are really, really good. I've only had them once, it was 6 years ago when I was in college and I found them growing by my dorm, and I still remember them today.
My 3 year old son decided not to take a nap today and, instead, watched this video with me. He was so enamored by the mushrooms, Jon, and the outdoor cooking that he has insisted on watching it several more times. Now he wants me to find all of the videos of you cooking outside. I must say, I’m a proud mama. Thanks for the awesome (and family friendly) videos!
I’m genuinely sad because I have no child (yet) to share the magic of these videos with! I just proposed about 20 minutes ago (she said yes!!) so it’ll be another 10 or so years till we have kids that are mushroom hunting aged! Still, these videos calm my soul and warm my heart. I hope this channel is still active when we have little ones of our own!
In the video we can see him contemplating about whether or not he should add nutmeg, and then clearly realizing that there's not mushroom for it in his recipe.
I think it's a Hoosier thing. Here in Indiana, we don't have a lot going on. But catch us during mushroom hunting season, and we become VERY passionate about morels. 😅
Im from India & this mushroom is one the expensive ones if bought at the market, we call them 'Gucchi". They are widely grown around the states close to the upper Himalayan region during the monsoon season. My mom makes an amazing curry dish with these & a wicked chilli fry too. It was a pleasure to hear Jon talk about these mushrooms with so much enthusiasm.
My family has hunted these for generations. The salt bath removes bugs living in the mushrooms. Do it for minimum 20 to 30 minutes. You'll be surprised!
100% agree, very effective. The myth that you can't wash or soak mushrooms is totally false in my experience, for the vast majority of cooking methods, especially soup!
I remember searching for morels with my dad when I was a kid. He was fanatical about them and we would spend hours searching, but it was well worth it. I miss the old man, he taught me a lot.
Pass these precious memories to your sons or grandsons, keep these knowledgement alive for the next generations, and take a new trip to these places with them
Whether you know it or not you’ll have a big impact on the next generation. If you have kids, teach them all you know, spend time with them, and impart on them the kind of wisdom and knowledge that only a parent could know
@Black Pilled Son Returns OK, so what? The fact that you're watching a video on picking wild mushrooms hosted by a guy who's an 18th Century historical re-enactor says that you're a nerd as well.
I grew up in Indiana; Jon’s enthusiasm for morels is totally par for the course in the Midwest, at least among morel hunters. He’s dead on about the various superstitions/traditions/etc that folks have when picking. Frying in butter is an absolute must though. That’s not a superstition. It’s mandatory.
I have so many fond memories of morel mushrooms. My dad always used to take my little brother and I out and hunt for them in Indiana, even in his final days with cancer. We actually put a wooden morel mushroom carving in his coffin they were that important to the family. It's something I still do now at 30 years old, and when my son is old enough I plan on doing the same for him. It's such a fantastic way of learning about the forest and the importance of conservation. If you live in an area where morels, heck even other edible mushroom varieties are common, I definitely suggest going out at least once! Just be careful not to get on anyone's land, some people get a bit flustered about you stealing their gold haha.
@@patriciusvunkempen102 You should; I know other countries around you sell them internationally as well as locally. You guys have SO many mushrooms in Germany
One of my most cherished memories growing up was hunting morel mushrooms with my mother. We had a small forest near our house we would hunt at as a family. The taste of morels is like bottling up my childhood. Purely magical.
You can tell how passionate Jon is about this dish from the way he talks about it. Never seen him put such emphasis nor criticize the older recipes as sacrilegious. Got me hyped up for these mushrooms lol
I discovered these “Townsends” videos about a month ago (from the date of this comment 20th November 2021 - yes I’m a Brit). Each video is so very interesting and well produced. I did notice the mention of not using nutmeg, I was wondering if the mention of nutmeg would occur. In this video and others Jon refers to other countries and areas where the same ingredients, such as the Morel mushrooms, are also found and how recipes have been adopted and possible adaptions. I like Jon’s comment about the use of only the best when frying and using Kerrygold Butter, there is a little bit of Irish blood in me so 👍 on that Jon. I’m very glad that such good channels such as this are on RU-vid and not on TV and here is why: My Television set broke nearly 4 years ago, although I replaced a few parts it still wouldn’t work, although there were a few programmes that I initially missed, I soon discovered a lot of interesting videos on RU-vid. The Tv is still broken so I save the cost of the annual TV licence (now UK £159) to watch or record ANY programme, from ANY source (terrestrial, cable, satellite or internet) on ANY device (phone, tablet or PC) as it being broadcast at that time by ANY television broadcaster in and from ANY country. The UK TV license solely funds the BBC! RU-vid channels, with exceptions were “live” tv is being shown, such as this one are ok . I’m still finding more of Townsend videos so I’m happy, keep up the good work. Best wishes to All from Oxfordshire UK.
My great-grandmother absolutely LOVED these things. I was only around 5-6 when she died, but I still remember going around and hunting for these for her with my grandparents and great-grandfather when she was really sick.
They’re called “Dry land fish” around here. It’s interesting that you’ll usually find a big bagful of morels when you hunt for them, and all it takes is some flour, salt and butter to make a very good meal for a family. Add in some wild greens in a salad and you definitely won’t go hungry
I love mushrooms, and I love fresh fish, like in I caught it 3 hours earlier. Interesting you mention dry land fish. That's probably a good description of these even though I've never had them. Truly fresh fish has a distinct sweet flavor that is not experienced unless you caught it earlier that day. I imagine that's what these mushrooms umpff factor is.
Since my teens, I have always loved a bowl of mushrooms and onions with a creamery butter, a slice of homemade bread and considered myself 'well-fed.' Knowing we had access to meat and fish of all varieties, it is now my comfort food during the Fall/Winter. Alas, it is tricky to hunt fresh non-poisonous mushrooms, and men/women need protein and other vitamins/minerals, so I now consider it a special treat, and a highly appreciated 'share of knowledge' to younger generations here in America. Thank you for the upload!
All the morels in my usual spots were stunted here by the cold weather in lower Michigan. It's too bad, it was going to be a great year for them before a few freezes hit between the 80 degree days.
Same in WI. Over a month of great weather and rainfall prep'd the morel season to be a boom. At least if it keeps up the hen/chantrelle/chicken season should be great.
Northern Michigander here... John is absolutely spot on about how rare and delicious these little forest gems are. If you're thinking to yourself, "surely he's exaggerating," I can assure you, no, he is not, and he cooked them as one should - a hot pan and good butter with a bit of flour and salt and pepper. That's all you need.
A friend here in Oregon who grows organic cherries was frustrated by a fungal infection in his orchard. He mowed it for years. Long story short, they were true morels. He burnt his prunings in windrows between the trees, yielding hundreds of pounds per acre of organic morels. He made more from mushrooms by far than from cherries.
I wouldn't call myself a morel hunter, but I come across one or two once in awhile. Since I don't usually find enough to do a sizable fry, my favorite way to do them is in an omelet. I saute them in a little butter, and fold them in "French" style. A lovely way to start the day for sure.
I adore mushrooms in brown sauce with rice. This is the only exception to your version in my mind. Wouldn't do a morel this way, though. Never had one, but anything more than salt, pepper, and butter would ruin a treasure!
I prefer chives over garlic, but to each their own allium. However: If you don't have enough mushrooms to be the entire meal and need a side - bread based dumplings are popular with mushrooms where I live - a dash of white wine and/or cream to create a sauce can greatly enhance the meal. When there's a sauce the dumplings get infused with the mushroom flavour, which - in my opinion at least - is a much better experience than having mushrooms on one side of the plate and a dumpling on the other.
Morels are delicious, I usually pan fry them with a little bit of olive oil until they’re crispy and then add salt and pepper. Also if you’d like a bit of unsolicited advice for picking them you should try to avoid uprooting the base that’s below the dirt; if you leave that in they’re more likely to propagate back up. Also, when you pick them, blow into the base to cause the spores to spread around; that also helps them regrow there. They are porous so they catch wind and spread spores
Took a class on mushrooms forever ago. Most of the mushroom fungus are root like runs that cover large areas eating up decomposing matter. The mushroom part we are familiar with is the "flower" or sexual organ that creates spores for reproduction.
When I lived in Michigan a friend had land where Morels grew in abundance. Morels with some grated onion (grated, not diced) in broth gravy is a gastronomic delight. I have served Morels in beef broth gravy over wild rice (which is really a grass seed) and I received many compliments. Great video (as always). 👍😋
My dad is from the Dalmatia region in Croatia and his family has been hunting morels for generations.The locals there fry them with scrambled eggs and season with a little salt and pepper.
A woodland poem to the love between a man and a mushroom. Beautiful camera work, delicious fungus, and the kind of whether that makes me want to eat in front of a fire. Maybe your most heartfelt work. Great job!
Interesting thing about the different varieties; all cap and stem mushrooms do this. Imagine it like a fruit tree. Under the ground there is a network of thin filaments, like mushroom roots, called mycelium. The mycelium grows from spores weeks before the actual fruiting begins. Once the season is right and the rains come, the root will sprout its fruit. The fruit will appear differently depending on the conditions. So, early in the season, the roots put out the best fruit they can at that time; the spike variety. Those get picked, eaten, die, and are gone. The roots put out fruit continuously, but halfway through the season the conditions are different, so the fruit will be different. Ditto late season, and that's why you have the different mushrooms coming up at different times from the same spots.
This is such a great video, I spent all last late summer/early autumn, taking a woodland walk to work, picking birch boletes, puffball and parasol mushroom, such a great activity, highly recommended with 100% caution.
When my sons were young, we'd visit family in southern Indiana. We'd forage for morels. They were WONDERFUL. Some years were better than others, but we adored them. Thank you for bringing back memories. My family has passed on, and we haven't been back to Indiana for years. I miss those days.
When the problems in the world are overwhelming and i see myself becoming what i dont like things like this remind me to be humble and appreciate the simple things in life
So incredibly jealous of The morels!! As a kid here in Tennessee- we’d hunt them and get massive amounts each year and my favourite way of cooking was fried. I had NO idea till I became an adult that these were expensive mushrooms 😂 We enjoyed them as seasonal treat much like we did poke salad or creek greens in bacon grease & vinegar we called a salad. (water cress as I now know) Gosh you made me 🥰 when you said there’s no other way to cook them but fried!!! I will say maybe now that I’m an adult- I’d go for a freshly grated horseradish with mayo for about every 5th bite just to go zinnnnng! The texture of a morel is also just *chefs 😘 kiss*
@@truthreigns3465 In the case of mushrooms it sometimes goes a little differently. You die and the people who saw what you ate learn from the experience
I learned that during Medieval times entire families would be found dead in their home due to them accidentally eating poisonous mushrooms during a meal.
@@riproar11 And the bad thing about mushroom poisoning is that it doesn't just make you drop dead in your sleep. Usually it's paired with agony and multiple organ failure
@@tolga1cool Yes. In 1997 I read a major article how the wine maker billionaire family Sebastiani lost their eldest son Sam. He frequently went mushroom gathering and ate a Death Cap mushroom. He suffered an agonizing death while waiting 7 days for a liver transplant.
That calls for some bread toasted with butter in the fond left by the mushrooms, and then just stack it on the toast - also a fine glass of red wine, heaven.
Both sets of my grandparents prepared morels by 1st parboiling them, then draining them; then cooking them lightly in cream with a wee bit of chopped dill weed. They were both from Ukraine.
That is how the Finns prepare the false morel, the poisonous ones. Apparently you can eat them if you boil and change the water, but the American ones are a bit stronger so it is better to boil them twice.
@@Warhammered frying them that way most certainly isn't bland. Boiling them would destroy the flavor and adding dill would cover it up lol. These mushrooms have a beautiful subtle flavor that can be easily lost in the mix. As stated above, that is the way Europeans would prepare the false verpa mushrooms.
I once heard this little story: You're at home, and grab an orange from the fridge. A plant specialist runs in and says "STOP THAT'S NOT AN ORANGE. IT'S POISON!". But you know it's an orange and eat it anyway. THAT'S how sure you need to be before you go foraging for food.
Kinda true, I have done tons of foraging. And when you are introduced to new plant / species risk of mistakes is highest. I have almost gotten poisoned 3 times because that. 1 or 2 Times makes you careful.
only time i got sick from foraging is eating my fill of beefsteak mushrooms once you get sick off them dont try to eat them again is the best advice you will ever get
So I don't like mushrooms, but you've convinced me to try this recipe 😂 Your energy and enthusiasm for morels is just too dang contagious. Plus I think it's good for me to give mushrooms another chance. Since recently I've discovered that the reason I haven't liked certain ingredients is simply because I haven't had them prepared the right way.
In my experience, people who say they don't like mushrooms have only ever tried one kind of mushroom. It's like saying you don't like vegetables because you tried cabbage once. Every type of mushroom has its own flavor and texture. Morels are nothing like portobellos.
my family was in Rochester Minnesota around 8 years ago. we were on a lakeside walk when my mother found a morel mushroom about 6" tall and 3" wide. looked like it weighed 1 pound... long story short she identified it as edible she fried it up and it fed all 6 of us. best mushroom ive ever tasted, only seasoning was a dash of salt and pepper. 👍🍄
One of my grandpa's close friends was a great mushroom hunter. Me and my grandpa when into Wal-Mart once and he stayed in the car and 10 minutes later we came out and he had this Wal-Mart sack ful of them. He was just like, well i saw this dogwood and just went over there, and there they were.
I remember when I was little, we were always in the forest with babushka and dedushka picking all types of mushrooms, after that we dried most of them and prepared some soup with the rest. Good times.
I had a Bohemian grandmother and we did exactly the same. My father used to fry a few fresh ones in butter with onion, caraway, eggs and parsley, we had soup, and the other ones were cut in slivers and dried on newspaper in the attic.
I was picking morels once on some other guy's "turf." (he had no rights to the actual location) He flashed a gun. Morel hunters are wacky serious sometimes.
@@diogeneslantern18 well some people are just crazy assholes. But they are good, and rare. They take time, dedication, know how, and positivity to catch. Yes, i said catch.
Cooking morel mushrooms in a bit of white wine (and a schalot if available) is also absolutely delicious. They just have such stringent environment requirements though. Usually you just luck into a zone where they grow and that's your go to zone for years
If you can get them, try ramp(like mild wild shallots) and fiddleheads(taste like mild asparagus) with it, They're actually called "The spring trinity" in a lot of places.
Wow, here in Ukraine we`ve had morel season just 2 or 3 weeks ago, depending on region. For me - its cool to see that not just button mushrooms connect different continents in cooking :)
My dad's family's cabin is in Oregon. There's morels all over the mountain, but everybody and their dog knows that, so they're kind of hard to get. We mostly have the grays. They're so good with just some butter, salt, and pepper!
He wasn't joking about the right clothes and a mushroom stick. For some ventures in life you need to fully respect the local spirits or you flat out won't get results. But if you do...
Me: "Man, Jon talks about morels the way he talks about nutmeg." Jon: "If there's one dish that doesn't need nutmeg, it's this one!" Me: :surprised pikachu:
6:30 The mushrooms are different because of the mycelium that is fruiting the mushrooms. As the mycelium network in the ground starts to run out of nutrients from the area it has colonized, it produces the spore-releasing bodies that we know as mushrooms in order to find more nutrients. The mycelium puts all the nutrients it has stored into these fruits, and can do it multiple times over the course of time. As the mycelium runs lower and lower on nutrients it will produce different mushrooms, often larger and less of them. This is why you find different varieties of the same mushroom as time goes on; unfortunately Morel mushrooms are not unique in this respect!
Yes! What we call mushrooms are actually the reproductive organs of fungus. The organism is out of sight, beneath the earth/plants. It sends up these organs to fertilize and spore.
Oh my, never saw you so passionate before! Funny thing is, I walked by my garden this morning and saw several morels which I have never seen before, then came in and saw your video! I'm heading back out to pick them now.
Can confirm, they are found in Sweden too! These morels you have are considered the true morel, and I’m used to another closely related mushroom we call ‘stone morel’. Actually highly poisonous but if boiled several times, most of the poison is gone. My mom would serve us these whenever she could!
My grandparents are from Indiana. They used to tell me about these when I was a little kid and I’ve always wanted to try them. This definitely makes me wanna make a trip next season!
I want to recommend soaking any mushrooms in salt water (3 tablespoons of salt per liter of water) for about half an hour. Then rinse them thoroughly. This helps to remove all insects and worms from the mushroom.
@@The_Cat_Authority your ancestors in the 1700s most likely didn’t wash or thoroughly soak most if not all of their produce and they turned out fine. I thoroughly rinse all fruits and vegetables I eat at home but you’re not going to die if you don’t soak or rinse yours at home. Don’t talk down on people as if they’re all stupid when your name is pickle Rick.
@@The_Cat_Authority you know good and well that your name is a pickle Rick reference. The life expectancy was so low for many bigger and more serious reasons.
I’m a fellow Hoosier and a neighbor gave me a bag full just a couple weeks ago. Cleaned them with salt water and a little apple cider vinegar. Fried them up with olive oil and added some more salt. It was delicious. No flavor quite like it.
This is the first year I've hunted Morels in Indiana and I hit the jackpot in northern Indiana mid-April. We enjoyed them fried, in frittatas, and in risottos. The taste is unique. Nutty and earthy is the best way to describe it. You have to cook them do not eat them raw or you can get sick.
Books aren't the only way of getting 18th century (and earlier) recipes, word-of-mouth can also pass down knowledge through the generations. I feel privileged to have received this Townsends family morel masterclass!
I'm surprised it took years for you to make a video about these when you're obviously so passionate about them. Great video. I'd like to go morel hunting someday.
It’s probably because he kept eating them all before they could set the filming equipment up! 😋 Like one of those jerk passengers in your car, that blindly digs into the bag and indiscriminately eats handfuls of tasty fries, from any of the fry boxes-while you have to drive and focus on the road!! _(I’m TOTALLY not salty about the french fry thing though......)_ 😆❤️
In middle Tennessee, we call Morel mushrooms "dry land fish". When I was a child, my neighbor had a pond by a wooded hill nearby. With his permission, my mom, sis and I would carry two large buckets and pick them on the hill. Mom would clean them, soak them and dredge them up for frying in a skillet. I haven't had them for years, but they are so delicious. Childhood memories! ❤️
I was wondering would you do some more video's on Native American life in the 17th and 18th century, maybe even some recipes. You could even get a guest speaker in, that would be fascinating!
In all my years living in North Carolina I don't recall ever seeing these mushrooms but of course, I never was looking for them or heard of them until recently. I went on line and found a Morel Mushroom Kit, found a good patch of woods and sowed the spores. Keeping my fingers crossed! Thanks Jon!
They need two years at least, and like certain trees. Where I'm from its elms, apples, and sometimes poplars. Also, you need A LOT of spores, and the right temperature and moisture content. Many, many and many have tried, but very few have has success farming them. I personally think those kits are a con, but i hope you prove me wrong. There are people on yt that seemed to have had success. Best of luck to you.
I love how you snip the stipe, leaving all roots in the ground, to help regrowth. Bring a knife if you are picking mushrooms that aren't as easy to snip with your fingers. Well ... I always recommend bringing a knife to the woods.
spending most of my childhood living in Vigo and parke county, Indiana. Mushroom hunting was always very enjoyable, and I relate this video so damn much !
It brings me joy to see someone enjoy their ancestors cooking as much as me. We have many antique dishes in our family which must be cooked the same way they were centuries ago.
Literally have a morel tattoo. These mushrooms were worshipped in my household growing up. Every april we would get up at 5am and find every honeyhole in the tricounty area.
Has John ever been more enthusiastic in a video?! 😊 I totally get the enthusiasm for mushrooms and mushroom hunting, even though I'm actually not the biggest fan of eating them. But my mum is. Mushrooms are magical, I agree. I need to try morels.
I’m so glad you’re getting into foraging! I’ve been doing it since I was in England when I was a kid!! Wait until you try chicken or the woods and oyster mushrooms! There are the ‘foolproof four’ : morels, puffballs, chicken of the woods and chanterelle. Super easy to identify and usually NO look alikes.
Jon said a dish doesn't need nutmeg. Either these are really good mushrooms, or he's being held hostage and this is a desperate plea for someone to come save him.
Morels can actually be cultivated now, though it is somewhat harder than more common types, and _often_ takes 3-5 _years_ to actually show results. Mix your spawn slurry with the wood of elm, oak, or ash (preferably sawdust, shavings, and/or chips, for faster development; apple can also work, and likely other broad-leaf species as well, but the set of oak, elm, and apple should be fairly easily available; supposedly they can grow on grain, but it sounds a smidge adventurous), possibly with some additives of molasses (supposedly provides energy for faster growth), salt (to reduce bacterial growth), sand (for better drainage- standing water causes problems), wood ash and maybe charcoal (they seem to like post-fire zones, and presumably benefit from the nutrients; charcoal can act as a moisture stabilizer, but I haven't actually heard of it being used), and gypsum (calcium sulfate supposedly helps increase cap size; the mentions I've seen specified peat moss at the same time). The temperature should preferably top out around 60-70 fahrenheit, and despite the need for good drainage the growing medium needs to be kept moist. Do not use tap water, as the chlorine (and possibly other chemicals) can be harmful to the fungus, and even prevent it from growing at all. Shade is preferable. Remember: it can take the mycellium (roots) _3 to 5 years_ to set enough that it starts sending up mushrooms, so be patient.
Ive eaten these type of mushrooms.. They go "mushroom huntin" in southern illinois still. Collecting cleaning and frying these bad boys... Its fun and so worth the effort cus they arr YUM!
I almost always see Morels around early April here in Arkansas. Usually growing in dead red oak debris. Tasty and fairly reliable, then again, I also usually crush up some of them after they dry and spread the spores in good areas.
the town right next to mine had a plant where they reproduced lots of mushrooms including morels ive been picking since i could walk soak in salt water every single time absolutely no exceptions unless you like eating bugs
@@ViktoriousDead I have never successfully grown morels and I have tried!! I have grown other mushrooms, even hen-of-the-woods. If I could grow motels, I'd be a wealthy happy woman.
Being from southern Indiana I share your enthusiasm for the Morel Mushroom. Simple salt and peppered flour fry, they are so fragile. I loved them as a side for "Fiddlers" ( Whole corn breaded 10" to 14" catfish) best combo ever while camping.