Mushroom Cultivation

[Dante Bichette]

Recently got back into growing mushrooms as a small side hobby since I found my old spore syringes while in the process of moving. Was curious as to if any other pals are into growing fungi whether it’s psychedelic, or gourmet.

[lurkluke]

Yeah I forage a little. We have heaps of wood ear growing here. Literally in the woods behind my house is more than I can eat, which is rad because I use it a lot in cooking and it's not in shops here. Ordered some online when I first moved... then found heaps of it growing fresh.

Use it in dumplings, Chinese salads, and even a pasta dish.

I also get some slippery jacks near my house.

Haven't found any good other ones around here, but I think there's birch boletes and porcini nearby (I'm in New Zealand).

Also I boil all mine now. Boil, soak in fat, then fry.

https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/food-and-drink/article/according-chef-turned-mushroom-scientist-weve-been-cooking-mushrooms-wrong-all-time

[matt_2993]

I've been following r/unclebens for a while so I'll probably try growing for the first time this winter just for fun.  They've been abundantly available all summer for a great price so haven't had too much need yet to try but should be a fun winter hobby to try.  Plus at that point I'd finally commit to grinding them down and capsuling them, would be so much better

[Dante Bichette]

Yeah I forage a little. We have heaps of wood ear growing here. Literally in the woods behind my house is more than I can eat, which is rad because I use it a lot in cooking and it's not in shops here. Ordered some online when I first moved... then found heaps of it growing fresh.

Use it in dumplings, Chinese salads, and even a pasta dish.

I also get some slippery jacks near my house.

Haven't found any good other ones around here, but I think there's birch boletes and porcini nearby (I'm in New Zealand).

Also I boil all mine now. Boil, soak in fat, then fry.

https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/food-and-drink/article/according-chef-turned-mushroom-scientist-weve-been-cooking-mushrooms-wrong-all-time

I’ve wanted to go foraging specifically for chicken of the woods especially since I’ve never actually tried it but always heard it’s fantastic. I’ve seen what I thought was some while in the state park but feel like I’d mistake it for something horribly deadly if I actually tried to harvest it. Will also be taking notes from the linked article.

[Dante Bichette]

I've been following r/unclebens for a while so I'll probably try growing for the first time this winter just for fun.  They've been abundantly available all summer for a great price so haven't had too much need yet to try but should be a fun winter hobby to try.  Plus at that point I'd finally commit to grinding them down and capsuling them, would be so much better

UB is what got me into it cause of how simple it is compared to any other form of growing. The PF Tek with the pressure cooker, jars, vermiculite, all that shit is way too much for me. Uncle Ben’s method really is a blessing. You just have to be much cleaner /careful than normal due to contamination risk being higher. Also if you do start go with your local supermarkets generic 90 second rice (preferably with a view window) Uncle Ben’s usually end up getting contaminated from wet rot.

[JANUS]

Uncle Ben’s is whack. Total crapshoot and much more expensive than PF tek. You don’t need a pressure cooker for pf tek, btw.

[manysnakes]

I have foraged for chanterelles and morels in the past, but haven't been back out for a few years. It's something I always intend to do when the season rolls around, but inevitably I'm too busy with something else to drive out to the forest to spend an afternoon staring at logs. I've not cultivated before, but I am always tempted by those kits they sell at the natural food stores.

[pedro_mayn]

Not yet foraged for anything, but dying to.

Get a lot of cool ones in the mountains by me and on some of the forest works adjacent to the mountains.

There's a spot where pretty big parasols grow, but not quite sure on whether they're the edible variants.

I found a bunch of birch boletes near mine but unfortunately, they're a little too close to a fairly busy road that is an entrance to an industrial estate.

Still, it's enjoyable to try and find out what they are. Will aim to actually pick some soon, though.

[EdLawndale]

feel like I’d mistake it for something horribly deadly if I actually tried to harvest it.

I bought a bunch of books on mushroom identification and I am still too scared to forage for them.  How do I truly know what I pick isn't a lookalike for something that kills me?

[IUTSM]

i worked on a medium scale edible/medicinal operation, probably 15k sq feet. Shiitake, oyster, blue oyster, king oyster, reishi, maitake, enokitake, and lions mane were staples.

foraged plenty too. had a few super reliable lobster mushroom spots, plenty of chanterelles, boletes, and the occasional morel.

Azurescens and cyanescens are out there to find too.

When i'm on a role of taking lions mane fruiting body powder daily, my brain is clearer. No doubt about it. Salve with reishi as the active ingredient heals wounds faster than normal as well.

all some powerful stuff

[lurkluke]

Expand Quote

feel like I’d mistake it for something horribly deadly if I actually tried to harvest it.

[close]

I bought a bunch of books on mushroom identification and I am still too scared to forage for them.  How do I truly know what I pick isn't a lookalike for something that kills me?

Local Facebook groups are great for identification. Same with inaturalist app. Post a few, and eventually you'll get an idea of what's good and bad.

[HeavyAndExpensive]

My front yard has a wide variety of mushrooms growing

What I believe to be Ganoderma sessile growing on the dead roots of an old tree, there's patches everywhere.

Inky caps fore sure, I've seen at least 1 puffball. There's some generic looking species that I have zero idea about. I've seen a couple of mushrooms that were tall and thin but with no large cap. Not sure what those are either.

[JANUS]

i worked on a medium scale edible/medicinal operation, probably 15k sq feet. Shiitake, oyster, blue oyster, king oyster, reishi, maitake, enokitake, and lions mane were staples.

foraged plenty too. had a few super reliable lobster mushroom spots, plenty of chanterelles, boletes, and the occasional morel.

Where do you live, Flavour Town?! I’m jealous.

[IUTSM]

Expand Quote

i worked on a medium scale edible/medicinal operation, probably 15k sq feet. Shiitake, oyster, blue oyster, king oyster, reishi, maitake, enokitake, and lions mane were staples.

foraged plenty too. had a few super reliable lobster mushroom spots, plenty of chanterelles, boletes, and the occasional morel.

[close]

Where do you live, Flavour Town?! I’m jealous.

A good buddy of mine has been growing mushrooms on that scale for about 20 years. Supplies restaurants, grocery shops, CSA, farmers markets, etc.

The wild stuff is all fairly common in the Pacific Northwest-ish. For me, I had plenty of time outdoors to learn how to hunt.

What’s kind of weird is that i have a very hard time eating cooked mushrooms with the exception of lobster mushrooms as they remain firm and thick. Otherwise, ive gotta grind em into powders, blend em into soups, etc. flavor and how they make me feel are unbeatable, but the mouth feel is too much most of the time

[JANUS]

Oh word. My brother used to live in the PNW, and I always loved going to visit to see all the wildlife, especially the fungi. I’m sort of east coast/central, and the wildest things I see around here are these giant puffballs.

[IUTSM]

Oh word. My brother used to live in the PNW, and I always loved going to visit to see all the wildlife, especially the fungi. I’m sort of east coast/central, and the wildest things I see around here are these giant puffballs.

What a cutie!

Ya the more rural parts of the PNWish can get real wild. We definitely had a mountain lion on the porch a while back

[FROTHY]

I grow magical ones. The Colombian Rust species has done really well. The two grain bags I recently injected with GTs and Blue Meanies are taking forever to spawn. I may have to try again and may go back to the ol trusty rusty.

[skippersoldballs]

Oh word. My brother used to live in the PNW, and I always loved going to visit to see all the wildlife, especially the fungi. I’m sort of east coast/central, and the wildest things I see around here are these giant puffballs.

holy moly