Growing Oyster Mushrooms In A Box Dennis Morgeson Agent for Horticulture Washington County
Oyster Mushrooms • Scientific Name: Pleurotus species • A delicate woodland fungi native to temperate forests around the world • Cultivated worldwide on a variety of substrates (straw etc.) • Aggressive colonizers making them easy to cultivate
Who Should Eat Oyster Mushrooms? • Everyone! Especially: 1. Those who are anemic: oyster mushrooms improve haemopoietic factors. 2. Those who are trying to control hypertension, obesity and diabetes: oyster mushrooms are high potassium yet have a low sodium/potassium ratio, and are also low in starch, fat and caloric value. 3. Those who suffer from hyperacidity and constipation: Oyster mushrooms have beneficial high fiber content and alkaline ash content. 4. Those who wish to lower cholesterol levels: oyster mushroom naturally contain 0.4%-2.7% of lovastatin, commonly used in cholesterol lowering drugs. 5. Those wishing to bolster their immune systems: Oyster mushrooms contain some antibiotic properties and immune boosting properties
Nutritious High in vitamin B complex and protein Contain mineral salts the human body needs Also contains high levels of vitamin A Contains double the amount of calcium, phosphorus, and iron than beef, pork, or chicken • Fat and cholesterol free! • • • •
Oyster Examples • • •
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Golden Oyster A luminous citrine yellow mushroom with a tangy flavor perfect in small quantities as an edible garnish. This mushroom lightens in color when sautéed to provide a fungal feast for both palate and eye. Golden Oysters fruit naturally in late spring and again in late summer - perfect for outdoor summer cultivation. Provide 600 lux for the deepest yellow color: In other words, for best results, supplement your regular lighting by placing near a south facing window when growing indoors. Fruits at 60-85 degrees
Oyster Examples • Grey Dove • Grey Dove Oyster strain is prolific and reliable, setting the standard to which every Oyster strain is compared. • Steel blue pins slowly change into silvery grey as the cap matures, so if you want blue colored Oysters, harvest them early. • The shape is classic Oyster; graceful stem with a shell-shaped cap, sturdy, and a good shipper. • Fruits at 45-65 degrees
Oyster Examples • Italian Oyster • A mild flavored mushroom featuring robust, thickstemmed, mushrooms in gorgeous clusters. • Ideal for customers who prefer a larger, sturdier Oyster mushroom. • Mature mushrooms have a delicate brown colored cap with beautifully contrasting white stems. A vigorous producer. • Fruits at 50-70 degrees
Oyster Examples • King Oyster • This species is different than many others in the Pleurotus group as the stem is entirely edible and is in fact, superlative. • The fat, dense stems can be sliced into coin-shaped pieces and cooked until crispy. The smaller caps are lighter and crunchy when sautéed. It is a more difficult mushroom to fruit and prefers sterilized, supplemented sawdust as a substrate. • Best for experienced growers. Fruits at temperatures between 55-65° F.
Oyster Examples • Pink Oyster • Pink to salmon in color, this warmth-loving Oyster is perfect for the farm market season. • Tuck one small cluster in a box of mixed Oysters and prepare for your customers to fall in love! This Oyster doesn't like the cold! Grow March through October only. • Fruits at 65-85 degrees
Oyster Examples • PoHu Oyster • The Orient unveils another productive Oyster strain for growers using pasteurized and unpasteurized substrates. • The PoHu strain is a heavy producer of large, thick leafy clusters of ocher to white colored mushrooms, fruiting at temperatures between 55-85° F. • A good summer strain. Fragile caps require gentle handling.
Getting Started • There are different methods for growing oysters at home: • Bed or Box of Straw Method • Poly Bag Method • Pasteurized or Unpasteurized • We will concentrate on the easiest method which is unpasteurized bed or box method on straw
Oysters in a Bed or Box • Select your variety, for home use PoHu or Grey Dove are the easiest most consistent producers, generally spawn or inoculum are on grain and called grain spawn • Select a Box: Bigger is better, no smaller than 2’ X 2’ X 2’ (smaller boxes dry out too fast) • Cardboard boxes work great but decompose and can only be used once • Plastic totes work the best and stay moist longer
Soak the Straw • Straw from wheat or oat work best but other grain straws can be used • Pull apart straw and put in large clean tubs, trash cans etc. • Fill the tubs with water and add a weight to hold down the straw • Soak for 5 days
Pack The Box • Drain the water from the straw • Use 10% of the wet weight of the straw in grain spawn (40lbs of wet straw would be inoculated with 10lbs of grain spawn) • Layer straw and spawn in the box, add three inches of straw and sprinkle with grain and repeat until the box is full • When the box is full cover the top with clear plastic and tuck it securely between the straw and box
Pack The Box • The goal is for the top of the straw to not dry out • If using a cardboard box pull flaps over the top for darkness, if using a plastic or clear container place the tub in the dark • Maintain temperatures at 6575 degrees for 4 weeks (basements work great year round for this) temperature is dependent on variety grown as well
Fruiting • When the box is ready to fruit the straw will be knitted together on top with a mass of white mycelium • Pull up the plastic so as it isn’t touching the top of the straw and make a tent over the box to maintain moisture but do allow some air exchange • Move the box to at least some light for 6-8 hours per day natural or artificial
Fruiting • Keep the humidity up by misting the top of the box daily with water • Its best if you can keep the temperature 10 degrees cooler for fruiting than during the inoculation phase • After 1-2 weeks tiny mushrooms of “pins” should form, keep misting until oysters are big enough to eat
Fruiting • Harvest by gently pulling them from the straw • Keep misting and harvesting until no more mushrooms form then chuck the straw in the compost pile! • You can drill holes in the side of the containers just before fruiting with ½” drill bit on 8” centers (this may increase yields)
No Set Rules
No Set Rules: Other Substrates
Wood shavings Saw Dust Newspaper Pellets Soybean Hulls Basically if it is organic oysters will feed on it and reproduce i.e. make mushrooms for you to eat.
After Harvest Oyster Mushrooms • After harvesting place in a plastic bag and place in the fridge, don’t clean or wash until you are ready to use • Some people don’t wash mushrooms but gently clean them with a brush (I rinse with water and dry with paper towels) • Cut off the tip end of the stalk as it is tough and may contain bits of straw or substrate
Preservation • Sauté’ mushrooms in butter and freeze in plastic bags, or blanch mushrooms in boiling water for 3 minutes dry and freeze • Drying is the easiest and maintains quality, simply clean mushrooms, slice if you like but you don’t have to, and place them in a food dehydrator for the recommended time for your model • Bag dried mushrooms and store at room temperature
Preservation • When ready to use dried mushrooms poor boiling water over them and let them stand for several minutes until they plump up and then use as you would fresh mushrooms • If using for soups you don’t even have to rehydrate them you can simply put them in the soup!
Questions?