Fungus follow-up: Homegrown shiitakes

Growing my own shiitake mushrooms was a huge success. Try it yourself!

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Tuesday, February 1, 2011 - 21:23

HOLY SHIITAKE: The oak block turned out some pretty delicious mushrooms! (Photo: Laura Early)

Last month, I embarked on a mushroom adventure, and I am so excited about the way it turned out! I got about a pound of fresh shiitake mushrooms this go-round. I experimented with a few different recipes, but my favorite was simply sauteing the mushrooms in butter. They were so delicious that they barely made it out of the pan before I ate them all.

I'm not sure if the mushrooms really did taste that much better than their counterparts from the supermarket, or if it was the satisfaction of growing them myself that made them so delicious. I would argue that the freshness had something to do with it. What could be better from going immediately from growing to cooking?

I was having such good luck with the shiitakes that I gave oyster mushrooms a shot. The oyster spawn was inoculated into a bag of sterilized straw, and I got a few bunches of oyster mushrooms, as well.

I am currently on my second round of both shiitakes and oyster mushrooms. If you are looking for an easy, deliciously rewarding project this winter, I encourage you to get yourself a mushroom growing kit!