Grow Oyster Mushrooms at Home

infoweb.newsbank.com

Stacey Walker

Plant based whole food home cook

Mother Earth News (Usa), September 15, 2023, P1

Brown rice

A quart or gallon-sized freezer bag

Paper bandage tape (they always sell it right next to the bandaids)

Cook enough rice to fill your freezer bag halfway. Cook it for about 10 minutes less than the rice instructions say, so it's a bit on the firm/dry side of things. While it's still hot, put it in the freezer bag, squeeze out the air, zip it shut, and let it cool. Once it's completely cool, add 1 ml of liquid mushroom culture to the bag. Then, instead of zipping the bag shut, you'll use a bit of paper bandage tape to tape it closed so it creates a filter, allowing some airflow in and out. After 2-3 weeks, your rice will be covered with fluffy white stuff called Mycelium. Mycelium is the roots and underground network of the mushroom. Once your rice is completely covered with mycelium, it's officially "Grain Spawn" and it's ready to use Cook enough rice to fill your freezer bag halfway. Cook it for about 10 minutes less than the rice instructions say, so it's a bit on the firm/dry side of things. While it's still hot, put it in the freezer bag, squeeze out the air, zip it shut, and let it cool. Once it's completely cool, add 1 ml of liquid mushroom culture to the bag. Then, instead of zipping the bag shut, you'll use a bit of paper bandage tape to tape it closed so it creates a filter, allowing some airflow in and out. After 2 to 3 weeks, your rice will be covered with fluffy white stuff called Mycelium. Mycelium is the roots and underground network of the mushroom. Once your rice is completely covered with mycelium, it's officially "Grain Spawn" and it's ready to use

Once your grain spawn is ready, you'll prepare your mushroom growing bucket. We'll do the instructions here referring to buckets, but feel free to adapt this to whatever other container you use when you grow oyster mushrooms.

Prepare your oyster mushroom growing bucket.

First, you'll need to put a few holes in your bucket. I like to use a … inch drill bit and put holes about 4 inches apart in a zig-zag pattern. I usually go all the way around the bucket with this. The mushrooms will ultimately grow out of some holes and use the others for airflow. If you're using a container with thinner material, you may be able to cut holes or use a hole punch. A screwdriver heated over a flame works quickly on an ice cream tub. (Any of that should be done with adult supervision. Be careful!) First, you'll need to put a few holes in your bucket. I like to use a … inch drill bit and put holes about 4 inches apart in a zig-zag pattern. I usually go all the way around the bucket with this. The mushrooms will ultimately grow out of some holes and use the others for airflow. If you're using a container with thinner material, you may be able to cut holes or use a hole punch. A screwdriver heated over a flame works quickly on an ice cream tub. (Any of that should be done with adult supervision. Be careful!)

Pasteurize your straw before you grow oyster mushrooms.

Take enough straw to fill your bucket and put it in a pot or heat-resistant container that doesn't have holes. Carefully pour boiling water over the top of the straw until it's been thoroughly covered with hot water, then put a lid on it and leave it alone until it's cooled to room temperature.

Now it's time to put everything together by layering your bucket!

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