How to Use Our Shiitake Growing Kit for Home Mushroom Cultivation

How to Use Our Shiitake Growing Kit for Home Mushroom Cultivation

Our shiitake growing kit is a fan favorite, so we are describing the process of using one today so you can discover if this kit is what you’re looking for

Shiitake mushrooms are one of the world’s most popular mushrooms with good reason. Shiitakes have a smoky, earthy, umami flavor that is a great addition to many dishes. If you love shiitake mushrooms, you can be growing them in the comfort of your own home. You could even make it more cost effective than buying shiitakes from the store if you grow with the right products and in the right conditions. The shiitake growing kit we provide is ideal for shiitake lovers from all over. Each kit arrives ready to fruit and it is certified organic, so you’ll be able to have high-quality, locally-sourced food quick!

Why people love the shiitake growing kit

What’s not to love about shiitake mushrooms? They are very flavorful and one of the easier mushrooms to cultivate. You can prepare them in a variety of ways and add them to soups or stews. You can even bake them to resemble a kind of vegan bacon. Shiitakes also have vitamins and minerals. Some shiitake farmers will dry their harvest in the sun with the gills up. This drying method has been shown to increase the amount of vitamin D in the shiitakes significantly. The taste, abundance of flushes, and the ease of growing shiitakes make them a perfect option for beginners and pros alike.

Using your shiitake growing kit

I am going to briefly describe the method for using the shiitake growing kit so you can better understand the process from start to finish, and you can decide if the shiitake kit is right for you. Without further adieu, here is the process of using a shiitake growing kit: First, order your shiitake growing kit and wait for it to arrive in the mail. Kits typically ship within one week of purchase, but can take longer during the spring and holiday seasons. You can begin once the kit arrives to you in the mail. To start, place the kit in the refrigerator for 24 hours, or if it is below 40 degrees F outside, you can place it there. After the 24 hours, cut the plastic bag off of the shiitake kit. Leave the plastic on the bottom so mushrooms will not fruit out the bottom of the block. Place the block on a plate or baking sheet to hold excess water. Next, place the kit in a well-lit location that is not in direct sunlight. Kitchens work well for this and are one of the most popular indoor locations our hobbyist customers use. There should be enough light that you could comfortably read a book in the area. The fruiting temperature and relative humidity for shiitake growing is a range between 40 and 80 degrees F. The range in relative humidity for fruiting the shiitake mushroom is 45-70%. If you have one handy, I’d recommend having a thermometer with a hygrometer in the area where the kit is being used. Once the kit is in a well-lit area, begin misting the kit heavily twice daily. This will help the kit maintain proper humidity levels. The best tool to use for misting the kit is a spray bottle, but you can also use the nozzle on a kitchen sink if a spray bottle is not readily available. You should begin to see baby mushrooms beginning to pin within one week of starting the kit. This is the first sign that your shiitake growth is going well! Continue to mist the shiitake kit each day as the mushrooms grow. The shiitakes will be mature about four or five days after they initially pin. You will then be ready to harvest the shiitakes once they have reached maturity. You will know that the shiitakes are ready to harvest once you see gills on the underside of the cap. The outer edge of the cap oftentimes curls slightly when it’s ready to harvest as well. Put your freshly-harvested shiitake mushrooms into the refrigerator to prolong freshness. You can dry them in a dehydrator or outside in the sun if you do not plan on using them fresh. There is more to your shiitake growing kit! Place the kit in a dark, cool, and dry area with good airflow. Do this for two to three weeks. This is referred to as the “rest period”. The kit will dry during this rest period. Once it has dried after the two to three weeks, you can begin the process over from the start to get your second flush of shiitakes! Buy your own shiitake growing kit now!
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