Growing Chestnut Mushrooms in a Monotub

 We’ve covered growing mushrooms several different ways and now I want to discuss one of the more common methods for growing mushrooms at home: growing mushrooms in a monotub.

You will need:

A purchased or homemade monotub

Rubber gloves 

Sterilizing liquid (I use alcohol in a spray bottle)

Face mask 

Substrate 

Mushroom spawn

Water for moistening substrate 

I use a monotub, substrate and spawn purchased from Northspore.  The purchased monotub comes with the plastic tub, clear top with ventilation ports, filters to cover ports and a black tape for covering other holes in the tub.

It’s important to keep the entire process as sanitary as possible.  Wash your hands, put on your gloves and mask and spray your hands with the alcohol.  Now spray the inside of the monotub and lid.  Remove the substrate and spawn from the boxes they come in and spray the outside of the plastic bags.

Sanitize a pair of scissors or knife, resanitize your hands, and cut open the substrate and spawn. Pour the substrate into the bottom of the monotub.  Now add a small amount (about one cup) of water and mix it with the substrate.  Keep adding water until the substrate is uniformly moist.  You should be able to just squeeze out a few drops of water from a fistful of substrate.

Now add the spawn and gently mix it with the substrate until you have a uniform mixture.

Put on the monotub lid and seal.  I keep my monotub in indirect light near my Aerogarden grow light.  You will see condensation form on the top which is exactly what you want.  Don’t do anything more, but do look through the lid to watch for pinning.  Pinning is when baby mushrooms start to form.

I removed the lid for photos, but I usually just leave the lid on.  The mushrooms I chose to grow are chestnut mushrooms.  They were a new variety for me, but I loved their flavor and texture.  Definitely a variety that I will grow again.

When the mushrooms are fully grown, but young, they are ready to harvest.  I just put on a pair of sanitized gloves and pull off a clump.

I had several flushes of mushrooms and had enough to share with my neighbors.  My favorite recipe was a a cream of potato soup with chestnut mushrooms.  Follow your favorite potato soup recipe, but add the mushrooms when you’re sautéing the aromatics.  Add some cream to finish the soup.  It was delicious.

I have a coupon code with Northspore that will give you a 10% discount.  Use the code:  FRUGALMENNONITE at checkout.

God bless,

Pam

Growing Mushrooms in Straw Bales

 Several months ago my neighbors threw out a straw bale that they had used as a Fall decoration.  Hating to see anything go to waste, I asked my husband to lug it home.  At first I was just going to use it for mulch, but I had been reading about growing mushrooms in straw, so I decided to experiment.

The most heat tolerant mushroom (Florida here) that is readily available is pink oyster mushrooms.  I hauled the straw bale to a partially shaded area under a tree and gathered my tools:  pink oyster spawn from Northspore , and a hori hori knife (crowbar would also work).

I broke up the spawn within the bag, used the knife to pry open holes, and stuffed the holes full of spawn.  Since then I’ve watered the straw bale every day.  Within a week or two I began to see fruiting mushrooms.

Once the weather started warming up, occasionally in the 80’s F, the pink color began to fade.  In speaking with other mushroom growers in Florida they confirmed that the pink fades in warm weather, but doesn’t affect the quality of the mushrooms.

Many people sterilize the straw substrate before inoculating with spawn.  I would have, but the straw bale was so big I didn’t think it would be effective.  Some ink cap mushrooms also started growing, but I have been hand picking and discarding them before they can mature and release spores.

I’ve enjoyed this experiment and I’m looking forward to seeing how long the bale keeps producing oyster mushrooms.  Growing mushrooms has been a great addition to my frugal garden and adding variety to our diet.

God bless,

Pam

Northspore mushrooms

My coupon code is:   FRUGALMENNONITE