How to Grow Mushrooms Cheap
"Cheap" and "mushrooms" are words not often heard together. Mushrooms fetch an enormous price at groceries store and they are usually worth it -- they add wonderful flavor and offer a unique texture to dishes worldwide. However, unbeknownst to many mushroom lovers, mushroom cultivation is simple and cheap. With proper preparation and some simple materials, chefs and curious gardeners can step into the mysterious world of fungi cultivation. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Straw
- Machete or scissors
- Mushroom spawn
- Clear plastic bags
- Two large buckets (one with cover)
- Stove
- Tea pot
- Household scale
- 16d nail
- Coat hangers
Instructions
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1
Chop the straw into short blades. Use a machete or scissors to cut lengths of straw into small pieces. Firmly hold the straw in place and hack it to pieces with a machete or cut it with scissors. The pieces should be no longer than 3 or 4 inches.
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2
Pasteurize the straw. The straw serves as a growing medium for your fungus and must be pasteurized to eliminate unwanted bacteria. Pack the straw into a large bucket. Fill a tea pot with an amount of water sufficient to cover the straw, boil the water on the stove and pour the boiling water over the straw. Cover the bucket and allow the straw to steep in the water for approximately 45 minutes. Drain the water from the straw and transfer the straw to a new container for cooling. To speed up the cooling process, toss the straw inside the container as if it were a salad (don't forget to have fun).
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3
Mix the mushroom spawn with the cooled straw. This part of the process is called "inoculation." Ideally, mushroom spawn will account for 10 percent of the final weight of the mixture. Use a scale to determine and weigh out the proper proportion of mushroom spawn. Combine the spawn and straw -- it's okay to use your hands, tongs or salad spoons.
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4
Pack the mixture into clear plastic bags. The mixture must be packed tightly into the bags. Push mixture into a bag, pull its opening taut and seal the bag's opening with a basic knot. Attempt to make bags that are the size of a 1-gallon milk jug. Punch holes about every 6 inches across the bags surface using a 16d nail.
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5
Incubate the mushroom bag until fruiting occurs. Keep bags in a dark place between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. When the fungus has fully colonized the surface of the straw, use a second bag supported by coat hangers to create a tent over the straw-filled bag. The tent encourages humidity, which is required for mushroom fruiting. If the bag becomes dry, moisten it with dashes of water. Before long, mushrooms will sprout through the holes in the straw-filled bag.
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Tips & Warnings
A spray bottle offers an easy method of moistening a mushroom bag.
Unpasteurized straw might contain deadly health hazards -- always pasteurize straw.
References
- Photo Credit mushrooms image by Bogdan Modzelewski from Fotolia.com
