EDIBLEharvt
Marvelous Indoor Mushroom Kits
By Elizabeth Olson Growing your own edible mushrooms indoors in the middle of a cold winter is great fun. It is convenient and increasing in popularity. Mushroom kits, in particular, are easy to use, have spacesaving designs, and can provide multiple crops of delicious and nutritious fresh mushrooms. Mushrooms from indoor kits are the above-ground fruiting bodies of various fungi. They can be prepared as a side dish or added to soups, stews, and many cooked dishes; see recipes on page 16. White button mushrooms and brown crimini mushrooms can be sliced fresh and added to salads. Mushrooms are low in calories and are a source of dietary fiber as well as several B vitamins and minerals, including phosphorous, potassium, and zinc. Shiitake mushrooms, in particular, have high levels of these nutritional elements and are a favorite vegetarian source of Vitamin D. The best time for ordering kits is gen14
WASHINGTON GARDENER
JANUARY 2022
Shiitake mushroom kit.
erally from autumn until early spring each year. It is important to check shipping timelines with any supplier. Shipping in hot weather might not be available, since high temperatures can adversely affect the mushroom spawn. Kits should be ordered about two weeks ahead of needing them and then opened immediately upon arrival and set up according to package directions. Kits that arrive earlier than needed (such as those ordered as gifts) can be kept refrigerated from several days to weeks, depending on the species. A number of companies specialize in indoor mushroom kits; a selection is listed on page 15. The growing medium or substrate in mushroom kits is customized for each species and the medium is pre-inoculated and often has a whitish coating on the surface of the block. Another benefit of kits is that the medium is free of possible contamination from unwanted mushroom species.
Once a kit is opened and set up according to the kit’s instructions, with special attention to placement and light needs, mushrooms will start to sprout within one to two weeks. Many will be ready for harvesting in two to five weeks. It is standard to harvest white button and crimini mushrooms, for example, at the immature stage before they become large and the gills open. Portabella mushrooms are the same species and brown form as crimini mushrooms, but are harvested when they are larger, more mature, and the gills have opened. The gills are usually left on the mushroom cap, although they can be gently removed with a spoon. Mushrooms do not keep well once they reach their ideal size and should be harvested as soon as they are ready. Surplus mushrooms can be dehydrated and they store well; they are easy to rehydrate. Second or later crops will grow in cycles. At the end of a kit’s pro-
