Blue-Grey Oyster Kit
Growing Guide.
Growing Guide.
Congratulations! You have reached the first step of starting your venture into fungi culture and supporting sustainable food production!
We are excited to welcome you into the wonderful world of urban farming. Your blue-grey oyster mushroom growing kit is unlike any other because it provides the living grain spawn separately to the substrate.
This is great and a valuable learning curve because you are able to carry out inoculation yourself. You can fully immerse yourself into the mushroom growing experience. This also ensures freshness and vigorous growth. Whether you consider yourself green-fingered or not, having a go at this kit is the first big step towards becoming a fully-fledged Urban Farmer. Once you start, it will quickly become a lifestyle and passion!
Blue or grey oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) were first documented by botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Named for their oyster-like shape and side-growing pattern, these mushrooms are native to temperate and subtropical forests worldwide.
Long cherished in Eastern European and Asian cuisine for their unique flavor, these mushrooms also played a role in traditional Chinese medicine. Commercial cultivation began in the 20th century due to the mushroom's adaptability to various climates and substrates. Today, advancements in cultivation techniques make blue/grey oyster mushrooms accessible to everyone, allowing you to partake in a centuries-old tradition right from home.
Prior to cooking, oyster mushrooms should be prepared by removing the tough stem ends as these are extremely chewy. However, these are great for making mushroom stock!
Oyster mushrooms are best eaten fresh. However, you can store them in the fridge for several days. If you would like to store long term, then drying is best!
They are best cooked either low and slow for a texture similar to chicken or in a hot pan with oil or butter until crispy. Some top rated dishes include; Pink Oyster Mushroom Pasta, Pink Oyster Mushroom Rolls and Pink Oyster Mushroom Stir Fry.
When you think they are done, cook them some more!
During the fruiting stage, Insufficient air circulation will result in misshaped mushrooms with long stems and thin caps. If this occurs, remove the deformed mushrooms and move to a better ventilated location.
Lack of light in the fruiting stage can cause coral-like growths instead of mushrooms. The light intensity and temperature will directly impact the colour intensity of the mushrooms. We recommend placing them in indirect sunlight such as on top of a high bookshelf.
Be careful not to overwater your mushrooms. We recommend spraying them once or twice a day to make sure they have moisture but ensure they aren’t sitting in standing water – this will encourage mould and rot.
If 30 days after opening the box (step 8) your kit hasn’t produced mushrooms, it may be because your ambient temperature is too high. In this situation, we recommend placing your kit in the fridge for 24hrs to provide cold shock and trigger fruiting.
Oyster mushrooms produce a lot of spores. These have been known to cause allergies in some people. Picking mushrooms before they mature minimises the risk of a reaction. Do not consume if a different species has grown or the mushroom fruit has gone bad. Please take sterilisation and cleanliness seriously to avoid contamination. This is the most likely cause of the failure of your kit. If you see mould or unrecognisable growth, do not consume.
For extra support, hints and tips. You can register for free to the Urban Farmer members’ area of the website.
Healthy Mycelium development. Ready for fruiting.
Healthy mycelium development. Ready for fruiting.
Healthy spawn at different stages of development.
Suitable orientation for incubation.
Suitable orientation for fruiting.
Contamination with mould.
Contamination with another mushroom variety. DO NOT EAT!