JESSIE FETTERLING

My mushroom log is starting to become dry. Each day I’ve been spraying it with water, like Doug Williams at Lost Creek Mushroom Farms suggested, but I don’t think it’s enough. Because I still haven’t shocked it, I’m going to try that this weekend. To shock the log, I’m going to soak it in a gallon of non-chlorinated ice water, which I’m told will trigger fruiting. After that, I’m going to try and keep it at the optimum temperature between 62 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Hopefully, the log will start growing again.

In the mean time, I cut off one of the mushrooms that grew three to five inches in diameter. I decided to sauté it in some butter with a little bit of red wine. The mushroom mixture turned out to be extremely flavorful — and the wine added the perfect kick to it. I just ate it as is, but if you’re looking for something more, try some of these ingredient-filled mushroom recipes in The Master of Mushroom Cookery.

For further reading, check out Grow Mushrooms This Winter!, Fungi Galore: How to Grow Mushrooms at Home or Grow Your Own Mushrooms.

So, I called Doug and Sandra Williams at Lost Creek Mushroom Farms (where I got my mushroom kit), and they gave me some much-needed advice. Doug told me that it was a good thing that the log was already producing mushrooms, and that I should just spray my log with water. He also said that he cuts his mushrooms off the log when they’re about three to five inches in diameter and are firm. One of mine had already grown to that size, so I cut it off, and I’m going to try it tonight. Now, I’m going to spray my mushroom log with water, and hopefully it will grow more!

Because it’s getting colder outside, it’s time to start finding ways to entertain yourself indoors. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still play with nature. If you like growing food, then a mushroom kit is right up your alley.

To make this project as carbon-free as possible, I started out by looking for mushroom kit companies closest to my Mother Earth News home base in Topeka, Kan. I also wanted the logs and mushrooms to be certified organic. Luckily, I found Lost Creek Mushroom Farms in Perkins, Okla. Not only are they close, but their mushroom logs and mushrooms are “grower certified” organic. Another bonus was that a portion of their sales go to their Mushrooms in Ghana project.

Last year the two owners, Doug and Sandra Williams, visited Ghana to teach farmers how to grow shiitake mushrooms. In Ghana, they were growing oyster mushrooms in sawdust bags, which were contaminated and not producing even a moderate level of mushrooms. In hopes to help the production in Ghana even more, they’re trying to raise money to bring one particular farmer, Bernard Bempah, to the United States. They will take him to various shiitake farms to learn more about mushroom farming, so he can return to Ghana and hopefully change mushroom production in the country.

This seemed like a good cause, so I called them up, and they helped me determine which kit would be best for my mushroom-eating needs. I decided to start simple and get a 10-inch log to grow shiitake mushrooms on. So we’ll see how it goes, and I’ll keep you updated on my experience. Please post a comment below if you have any mushroom-growing advice to share.

For further reading, check out Grow Your Own Mushrooms.