Watch the beautiful phoenix oyster mushroom rise from our fully-colonized, certified organic substrate!
Also known as the summer oyster or Italian oyster, the phoenix oyster is another popular oyster mushroom to grow at home or on your commercial mushroom farm. Each phoenix oyster growing kit is 6 pounds and can fruit 1-3 pounds of fresh phoenix oyster mushrooms throughout its lifetime.
Ideal growing conditions for the black pearl oyster mushroom kit:
The ideal range for fruiting this phoenix oyster growing kit is 75-95 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 85%. The name “summer oyster” comes from the ability of this mushroom to fruit during the hot temperatures of the summer.
Light: Phoenix oyster mushrooms need light to grow, but it does not need to be a significant amount of light and the light the phoenix oyster growing kit receives should not be direct sunlight. If you can comfortably read a book in the area where your kit is located, then your phoenix oyster growing kit is receiving enough light to grow.
Humidity: You need to spray your kit two or three times each day with water so it keeps the humidity level high enough for the phoenix oyster growing kit to fruit. As mentioned above, a relative humidity around 85% is ideal. You will see little baby phoenix oyster mushrooms forming after about a week or so, and that is what we call the pinning stage. These baby mushrooms will grow to full-sized within about two weeks of starting the kit.
If you have a difficult time keeping the humidity level as high as it needs to be, you can develop a humidity tent by placing another plastic bag over your kit. Spray that plastic bag with water as well and it will help raise the humidity levels. If you choose to use a humidity tent like this, make sure that your phoenix oyster growing kit is still able to receive fresh air, as fresh air exchange is another important part to mushroom cultivation.
If you do not want to use a plastic bag, you can also use a plastic tote or bin. Begin by placing your phoenix oyster growing kit in the plastic tote with the top off. Mist the sides of the tote to keep them wet. Make sure to keep the kit out of any standing water that may pool at the bottom of your tote.
Using a tote with the phoenix oyster growing kit inside and a small fan blowing over the top of the tote has been a method used by many home growers to increase humidity levels indoors while using their phoenix oyster growing kit.
CO2 and Airflow: As mentioned above, you need to have fresh air flow for the mushrooms or they may end up growing poorly. If you notice the fruited bodies looking abnormal, then you probably need more fresh air exchange where the kit is located. Adjusting the amount of airflow will help the mushrooms normalize during the fruiting stage.
Cutting holes in your kit: You will need to cut holes in the plastic that your phoenix oyster mushroom growing kit comes in before you begin misting it. You can mist the substrate directly through the holes you make. We recommend using the broadside of the kit to cut holes in for your first flush. In subsequent flushes you may want to use the top or bottom of the kit. The fresh mushrooms will grow towards these holes, seeking an environment with higher oxygen levels.
Cooking with the phoenix oyster mushroom in recipes
One delicious and simple method for preparing phoenix oyster mushrooms is a sauté with garlic and green onions. It doesn’t take long to prepare or cook this dish. To begin, collect your ingredients. You will need one pound of phoenix oysters, four green onions, and four cloves of garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.
First, chop your green onions and mince the garlic. Turn your stove top on to medium heat and begin warming up the olive oil. Get the oil hot but not to its smoking point. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, and then add your phoenix oysters to the oil. Cook the mushrooms, onions, and garlic for a few minutes. After a few minutes you can reduce the heat to low. Now it’s time to add salt and pepper. Continue stirring the contents of your pan. You will want to cook the mushrooms for around 10 minutes in total. Add half of your green onions at around the eight-minute mark of cooking, and then you can add the other half of your green onions at the end to add a different texture and flavor to the dish. This dish pairs well with any fish or meat entrée.
You can grow phoenix oysters with spawn, too
Want to grow phoenix oyster mushrooms with your own substrate? We have grain spawn and sawdust spawn of phoenix oyster mushrooms available for you.
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