Shiitake Mushrooms

[Image]

Started them last year in April. Today we got the first mushroom. I should be able to harvest 2 pounds in the next couple of weeks. And the logs produce for 8-10 years!

Starts with the spawn in dowels, tapped into drilled fresh oak wood
They're stacked in a crib in the woods
Almost a year later, mushrooms!

And OK, 'cause my kitty's so cute

 

[koalabear]

Show off! Morels have been popping up here.

 

[richard_daily]

That's awesome. Did you have to do anything special to get them to grow? What zone are you in?

 

[neci]

i am in love. thank you so much for sharing, Image.

 

[warrior queen]

Every year, we get field mushrooms the size of dinner plates growing wild in the paddocks around the house.
Last season, I dried 35 kg of them (gave most away).
It is possible too have too many mushrooms

 

[Farrah]

We just check our logs yesterday. Nothing.

 

[JohnnySavage]

Every year, we get field mushrooms the size of dinner plates growing wild in the paddocks around the house.
Last season, I dried 35 kg of them (gave most away).
It is possible too have too many mushrooms

The way you always have a bigger and better story, I can't wait for someone to start a thread about syphilis.

 

[garbage can]

Image, I've tried working with Shiitakes with various pickling recipes, but end up using chopped portobellos or the regular sliced mushrooms...

 

[girlsmiley]

You have crazy skillz!

Congratulations. Sensational stuff, Image.

So what are you going to cook first?

 

[garbage can]

Every year, we get field mushrooms the size of dinner plates growing wild in the paddocks around the house.
Last season, I dried 35 kg of them (gave most away).
It is possible too have too many mushrooms

Dinner plates..?..

I live in New England, and have never seen mushrooms that size.

I'd love to try them.....

 

[Image]

Show off! Morels have been popping up here.

I've yet to find a morel in the wild. Chanterelles are easier to spot...

That's awesome. Did you have to do anything special to get them to grow? What zone are you in?

Richard, I'm in zone 5-6 (mountain micro-climate) It was a process of downing the right size oaks, getting a water source down to them during the summer. But decided to let them do it naturally instead of forcing them...

i am in love. thank you so much for sharing, Image.

You're welcome!

Every year, we get field mushrooms the size of dinner plates growing wild in the paddocks around the house.
Last season, I dried 35 kg of them (gave most away).
It is possible too have too many mushrooms

You might be right but in the mean time I'm going to enjoy every bite. I can always sell them at the Farmers Market...

We just check our logs yesterday. Nothing.

Check again! This one was big, means I missed it the other day. Once I found it, seemed the logs were pinning all over! Where do you keep them? watch out for the deer. We have ours deep in the woods and had to cover them with netting.

 

[warrior queen]

Dinner plates..?..

I live in New England, and have never seen mushrooms that size.

I'd love to try them.....

Apparently, they don't exist. According to johnnysavage anyway.
So the thread I made last year, asking how to get slugs out of mushies, was all just a big lie.

For the record, they grow bigger than dinner plates... the biggest cap we measured was 47cm across. But I don't pick the bigger ones. I leave them to spore for the next season.

 

[Image]

Image, I've tried working with Shiitakes with various pickling recipes, but end up using chopped portobellos or the regular sliced mushrooms...

I would think Shiitakes would hold up better. They have a far more solid texture after cooking. What exactly was the problem?

You have crazy skillz!

Congratulations. Sensational stuff, Image.

So what are you going to cook first?

Thank you, Smiley. I just sliced and sauteed it with fresh garlic and butter. Didn't last but a couple of minutes. They have an interesting texture and need to be sliced thinly, so I'm not sure...

 

[garbage can]

Apparently, they don't exist. According to johnnysavage anyway.
So the thread I made last year, asking how to get slugs out of mushies, was all just a big lie.

For the record, they grow bigger than dinner plates... the biggest cap we measured was 47cm across. But I don't pick the bigger ones. I leave them to spore for the next season.

Hey Queenie, I love mushrooms, and would love to see and try them.

Don't worry about Savage, he has problems with understanding reality.

 

[redheadedtxn]

I want some mushroom soup now.

 

[garbage can]

I would think Shiitakes would hold up better. They have a far more solid texture after cooking. What exactly was the problem?
...

Image, after I cooked them in the pickling recipe, I thought they were too mushy.

Keep in mind that these were canned Shiitakes, not fresh ones, which I have not seen.

 

[Image]

Image, after I cooked them in the pickling recipe, I thought they were too mushy.

Keep in mind that these were canned Shiitakes, not fresh ones, which I have not seen.

Well, that explains it. I love canned button mushrooms but any others, like straw or shiitakes, suck. You can get fresh shiitakes in the produce section along with your other fresh mushrooms but they're expensive. A pound usually goes for 15$. For comparison you can usually find the white buttons fresh for 16oz @ 3$

 

[warrior queen]

My ex-MIL used to make pickled mushrooms using a salad dressing. She'd do it a couple of hours before a family lunch.
They were absolutely delicious, but I never did get the recipe off her

 

[warrior queen]

Hey Queenie, I love mushrooms, and would love to see and try them.

Don't worry about Savage, he has problems with understanding reality.

There's a few months to go before they come up here, but I will make sure I take some pics this year.
*sighs* I keep forgetting to take pics of things, unless specifically asked.
For some reason, my brain:camera connection seems broken.

I have used the upside-down cups as my base for coddled eggs (an idea from my man) and they actually worked really well!

 

[girlsmiley]

Thank you, Smiley. I just sliced and sauteed it with fresh garlic and butter. Didn't last but a couple of minutes. They have an interesting texture and need to be sliced thinly, so I'm not sure...

You're welcome. Thanks for sharing. I'm a big fan of mushrooms. Lots of different varieties out there. The process is interesting. After reading your post I found this video on you tube about it.

I usually add a few to this Korean soup I like to serve up every now and again. You like Korean soups? I love 'em. Tasty and healthy. Lots of veg and tofu and a few shiitake... Yum!

 

[mercury14]

I try growing mushrooms from time to time, coerced by my father who is now retired and some kind of mushroom growing fanatic now.

They always start out great and I'll even get to harvest a few... then the green slime comes for which there is no cure...

 

[Farrah]

Check again! This one was big, means I missed it the other day. Once I found it, seemed the logs were pinning all over! Where do you keep them? watch out for the deer. We have ours deep in the woods and had to cover them with netting.

Halfway down a north-facing, wooded cliff....lots of Eastern Hemlock....not much sunlight, very moist.

We're not experts, by any means. But we were told to keep them out of the sun, and we thought the rock outcropping would make it difficult for the deer to reach them.

 

[warrior queen]

I try growing mushrooms from time to time, coerced by my father who is now retired and some kind of mushroom growing fanatic now.

They always start out great and I'll even get to harvest a few... then the green slime comes for which there is no cure...

My problem here is slugs. If I'm not fast enough to get to the caps, the slugs move in. And so far, I have not figured out a way to get rid of them.

 

[Image]

Halfway down a north-facing, wooded cliff....lots of Eastern Hemlock....not much sunlight, very moist.

We're not experts, by any means. But we were told to keep them out of the sun, and we thought the rock outcropping would make it difficult for the deer to reach them.

That's a great location. I'm no expert either but am booksmart about these guys. When did you start cultivating them. You know it takes at least 6 months to a year...

 

[Wife of Bath]

That is fantastic. I have fungus envy.

What has your total investment been in the project? I spend a ridiculous amount on mushrooms every year. I love them.