Mushroom Growing – NYC Style

1 Dec

It took me a long time to like mushrooms, but once I found their virtues, I was hooked.  I would now classify them as one of my favorite foods.  I also grew up with a dad that took me to things like “Fungus Fest,” so I guess it is not a shocker that I got all excited when my “Back to the Roots” grow-your-own mushroom box came in the mail (thank you OpenSky).  I would love to grow things like herbs, however, I live in a NYC apartment with no outdoor space and little light… so… mushrooms it is.

It comes in a box with a fully seeded (spored?) bag of mushrooms.  You cut slits in the bag and then soak it for 24 hours.  Then you put it in a box, in a window with a little light (but not direct), and then spritz it with water (a spray bottle comes with the kit) in the morning and at night.

After about 5 days… we started seeing a glimpse of little mushrooms poking out.

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And then a day later, there were more.

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And within 10 days of starting the pack, we had a mushroom forest on our hands!

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We actually wound up leaving them a few days too long and they got a little dried out, but after harvesting them (you just pluck them right off), we soaked them in water and they were plump and delicious in about an hour.

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We used them in a veggie and chicken stirfry and they were delicious.

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Next time I hope to use them in a dish all their own to highlight them (their flavor got a little lost in the stir fry).

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So I turned the kit around to the other side and already we have a new little crop.  They expect 3-4 growths out of each package… which is super awesome.

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