Best mushroom growing kit, If you like the idea of eating freshly picked mushrooms, but you’re a little nervous about foraging for them in the wild, you will be pleased to hear that edible Mushroom Growing Kits are a real thing!
What could be more rewarding than picking and enjoying your own produce in the form of a handful of nutrient-rich mushrooms? Plus, to grow your own mushrooms, you don’t need a farm or even a big garden. Some varieties can even be grown indoors.
For eco-conscious parents and families, growing mushrooms from a kit is a great learning opportunity and a lot of fun to do as a family!
Mushrooms are edible fungi packed full of nutrients, including protein, potassium, B vitamins, antioxidants, selenium, and more. They offer umami flavor and meaty texture to those looking for a meat substitute, all the while being low in calories. For more information on the nutritional value of mushrooms, you can read this article here.
Interesting Fact:
Fungi spend most of their time underground in the form of mycelium – roots that penetrate organic matter using powerful enzymes. The mushrooms we pick and consume are the fruits of the fungi. They reach above the surface to release spores from their gills as part of their reproductive cycle. Mushrooms are highly valuable in an ecosystem as they break down organic matter as part of decomposition.
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Which Mushrooms are the Easiest and Hardest to Grow at Home?
The easiest mushroom variety to grow at home are Oyster Mushrooms, followed by the Agaricus bisporus family (White Buttons, Cremini, and Portobello), and then Reishi. Maitakes and Shiitake are also quite doable. On the other hand, Morels and Black Truffles are rare and expensive for a reason – they are not easy to cultivate.
How to Choose Which Mushrooms to Grow
I would recommend that you ask yourself a few questions to help you decide which mushroom variety you want to grow at home:
- How much time do I have?
- How much space do I have?
- Will I be growing mushrooms indoors or outdoors?
- Am I able to control the humidity temperature, humidity and light conditions in the place I plan to grow mushrooms?
- Am I going to use a bought kit or DIY mushroom growing kit?
Did you know?
Different types of mushrooms need different growing mediums to propagate, and not all mushrooms can be grown indoors.
Once you have answered these important questions and considered all your options, you can make a DIY mushroom growing kit or shop for a pre-made kit that suits your preferences. Let’s take a closer look at a few:
9 Best Mushroom Growing Kits
1. Blue Oyster Mushroom Kit
It is a well-known fact that Oyster mushrooms are the easiest mushrooms to grow at home. It is also fun to watch them grow. This is great news because, although their stems are a bit tough, the fruit is delicious and nutritious, as well as low in calories. One measured cup (ideally measured with eco-friendly, wooden measuring cups!) contains just 28 calories, but is packed with nutrients.
What to pay attention to when growing Blue Oyster Mushrooms from a kit
Oyster mushrooms need a lot of fresh air at the pinning and fruiting stages. If they don’t get enough fresh air, they grow long stems, which is not desirable. There is a lot of carbon monoxide at the base of the mushroom, so they will grow long legs if they need to stretch for fresh air. Read more about growing Blue Oyster mushrooms here.
What customers are saying
This Blue Oyster Mushroom Kit is rated 4.3 out of 5 based on 9,251 reviews.
Pros:
- Produced a great harvest more than once
- Easy to follow instructions
- Grew well, even in the middle of winter
Cons:
- Growing on bulk substrate tends to produce larger flushes and larger individual mushrooms than growing from a kit.
- You can’t just pick three or four mushrooms. When you harvest, you must pick them all.
- As soon as they are ready, you must pick them or they dry out.
Where to buy
You can buy a Blue Oyster Mushroom Growing Kit from Amazon, and the most reputable Mushroom Kit distributors.
Back to the Roots Organic Mushroom Growing Kit, Harvest Gourmet Oyster Mushrooms In 10 days, Top…
2. Pink Oyster Mushroom Kit
Pink Oysters are bright pink in color and have a more ruffled appearance than their blue counterparts. Their color intensifies when they grow in good light, making them a really fun specimen to watch as they grow. The color fades when they are cooked.
Pink Oysters can replace buttons in most recipes, and they have a distinctive meaty taste, making them a perfect meat substitute in veggie-based dishes.
What to pay attention to when growing Pink Oyster Mushrooms from a kit
Oyster mushrooms need a lot of fresh air at the pinning and fruiting stages. If they don’t get enough fresh air, they grow long stems, which is not desirable, due to the presence of carbon monoxide at the base of the mushroom.
What customers are saying
This Pink Oyster Mushroom Kit is rated 4.5 out of 5 based on 656 reviews.
Pros:
- Huge, ready-to-eat mushrooms in a week
- Fantastic service and customer support
- Two, even three flushes of healthy mushrooms
Cons:
- Growing instructions for the second flush are unclear
- The mushrooms are a bit tough compared to other Oyster varieties
- Mold set in before the mushrooms sprouted, but the seller promptly sent a replacement
Where to buy
You can buy a Pink Oyster Mushroom Growing Kit from Amazon and the most reputable Mushroom Kit distributors.
best mushroom grow kits
best mushroom grow kits