Anyone ever grown shiitaki mushrooms? UPDATE!!!

[Indiana Karen]

Hubby was recently at someones house and they were growing shiitaki mushrooms in their woods.  He decided he had to try it, so ordered the plugs from www.fungi.com.  He never does anything on a small scale.  He ordered 1,000 plugs. 

We spent today in his shop drilling holes in logs, pounding in plugs and sealing with wax.  If these things take off, I don't know what I'll do with all of them.  I'll need recipes.

It sounds simple, inexpensive (it was $55 with postage) and the logs are supposed to last up to eight years.  Anyone ever tried it?

We keep joking that for Christmas we'll give everyone a log with a big red bow on it.

Karen

[miguynmkoi]

I never looked into growing mushrooms although I've seen documentaries about it.  I love mushrooms and shiitakes are very good.  If you have too many to harvest for immediate use just freeze them in air vacuumed freezer bags.  Just brush off any dirt, no water. 
Keep us posted on the growth and conditions.  Good Luck!!

[Kittyzee]

That's really cool Karen!  Since I know nothing of shiitake mushrooms--it's not too late in the season to start them?  I love all kinds of mushrooms but never tried to grow my own.  Keep us updated, especially with pics!   

[Indiana Karen]

I have a vacuume sealer.  In fact now that I think of it, I have some morels in the freezer that we need to eat!

Hopefully not to late to start them, hubby read up on it.  We got tired and decided to put the rest of them in the fridge to start next spring.  I'm guessing we had around 300 left.

We had to put them close enough to the house so we could reach them with a hose.  I believe when you are ready for them to grow, you "flood" them, or hopefully it will be spring and Mother Nature will flood them.

[mascot]

That's interesting how you grow them...never would have guessed that.

I was watching a news segment one day and they were talking about mushrooms and an interesting place where they grow very well...a small town called Scaggsville, Md.  Aparently, this small "don't blink when you drive by or you'll miss it" town was the prime place for growing them.  It's much bigger now, but I remember growing up and the little corner store that was at an intersection...and once you get past the store you're not in Scaggsville anymore.

I wish I could remember if it was Shiitake ... but that was so long ago.  It was just interesting seeing that small town on a major news channel way out here in California!

I don't know if I've tried them or not...I'll have to get some and try them.  Any convenient and quick recipes for preparing/cooking them?

[Julles]

Paul James, of Gardening by the Yard on HGTV had a segment recently on mushrooms:


http://www.hgtv.com/gardening-by-the-yard/mushrooms/index.html

That link doesn't tell you much, but the TV show was fascinating.  They had a kit you could buy, and you innoculated the plugs with spores and then plugged the plugs into a base, sprtized with water, and, some time later, you had mushrooms.  Big ones, too.  The plugs could be used over and over again. 

[Indiana Karen]

Thanks Julles for the link.  I noticed on it that they were grown on a sawdust block.  I've been reading a little more about growing them and find that the ones grown on sawdust are supposedly not as good as growing them on wood.
Also, finding a lot of info claiming they are a "cure all", blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.    ..........but it never hurts to eat natural, healthy food.  In the past year, I have tried to weed out "processed" food.

Years ago, there was a place near us where they grew mushrooms.  Everyone called it the mushroom factory.  I haven't been by there for a long time.   Last time I was, you could still see the entrance to a long underground building.  I always thought they were the button kind.  This would have been back in the 50's.

I don't have any ideas on cooking them.  I use the button mushrooms in lots of stuff, salads, omelets, stir fry.  I'm hoping the shiitake will be even better.  We hunt morels in the spring and lightly flour them and saute in butter. 

Karen

[Indiana Karen]

I was outside doing some spring cleaning..............look what I found. 

Sauteed a few for lunch..........great flavor and much more meaty textured than our local morels.

Anyone got any recipes?

[miguynmkoi]

Yumm!!!!!  Stir fry in chicken or pork fat too pull out the mushroom flavor and texture even better then add your veges.  I know the fat sounds weird but it tastes sooooo good!

[tweetybaby2005]

Yummy!!  I love mushrooms, especially shiitaki mushrooms.  Stir fry some pork and add the mushroom in the pot.  Simmer till soft and pork is juicy.  Season with salt, soy sauce, and ground pepper.  You can add carrots and potatoes if you want.  Then dinner is ready!!

Kuan

[Mikey]

That's pretty cool Karen.  It appears from the dates that they take a little over a year to grow to that size.  I thought about trying to grow some a few years ago when we had some logs but I couldn't justify the expense for such an adventure. 

I enjoy a good juicy burger topped off with mushrooms.....although I must admit I have never had shitaki mushrooms on a burger.....  Good Eats!  http://grownupgeek.com/good-shitaki-burger

[RWinn]

they grow wild here as well as chanterelles they are both very good. One thing to remember is to cut them off and not pull them out so they will continue to grow. I have picked them both but on a good day I can pick 60# of chantrelles

[Indiana Karen]

We have picked quite a few and have a lot more just starting.  I made some stir-fry with chicken and snow peas the other night that was very good.   I for sure want to try the burger with grilled mushrooms.  Think I better be vacuume sealing some tomorrow.

[miguynmkoi]

they grow wild here as well as chanterelles they are both very good. One thing to remember is to cut them off and not pull them out so they will continue to grow. I have picked them both but on a good day I can pick 60# of chantrelles

Droolicious!! PM me your address!