From the basic button mushroom to the gourmet shiitake, mushrooms have a wonderful texture and flavor no matter how you cook them. Plus, they're loaded with nutrients, including vitamin B and potassium, which help boost the immune system. Most people buy gourmet mushrooms at the grocery store, but you can grow them right in your own kitchen.
Obviously, there are a lot of different varieties of mushrooms. The four easiest to grow include white button, portabella, oyster and shiitake mushrooms. As far as flavor goes, the white button is a very mild mushroom and by far the most popular. It tastes like a mild root vegetable--almost like a mild radish without the crunch or heat.
Then there's the portabella, the mature version of crimini mushrooms. Portabellas are larger, firmer and darker than the classic white button. They taste buttery with a hint of sweetness, and they make a wonderful replacement for meat in some recipes.
Shiitakes have a smoky flavor and a garlic finish, and they're very flavorful when marinated and grilled. Shiitakes are just a little bit more difficult to grow.
There are a lot of different mushroom kits available. They have just two ingredients--a bag of peat moss and a hard brick of compost with a layer of white mold. That mold is good; that's the beginning of the mushroom seeds that have already been planted.
The first thing you need to do is score the top of the compost with a fork. Scratch the entire surface of the compost about one-half inch deep; the goal is to loosen up the top layer. Place about a cupful or handful of the loose compost in the bag of peat moss. Then add five cups of water to the bag and mix it up. Make sure it all gets wet, and then let it sit for ten minutes.
Next, spread the wet mixture evenly over soil. Put in on loosely, without packing it down, about an inch deep. Then sprinkle the soil with about a cup of water. You can use an old water bottle for this; just put your fingers over the top and lightly shake it on.
Wait about five minutes and then once again, ruffle the surface with a fork. The roughness of the top layer creates a microclimate where young mushrooms will eventually begin to form. After the mushrooms have been planted, now comes the easy part--just sit back and wait.
Mushrooms don't like direct sunlight. You can even grow white button mushrooms in the dark. No matter what mushroom you grow, keep them in a room with temperatures of about 72 degrees or a little cooler. Take a look at them every day; you may need to give them a sprinkle of water every other day or so. Just be careful to prevent your mushrooms from becoming too wet or too dry.
You'll be able to harvest in about three to four weeks, depending on the temperature. The best part about growing mushrooms is that they are ready to harvest once you see any evidence of the mushroom. Even tiny little morsels that are less than one-half inch in diameter can be eaten, or you can choose to wait until they get bigger. And that's really important, because once they start growing, they can double in size overnight. Keep a close eye on them because if they get too mature, they will lose quality. Portabella mushrooms show they are past peak when the edges of the cap turn up, exposing the gills below.
The best way to pick mushrooms is to give each stem a half-circle twist. Be sure to include the stump, otherwise it will rot and affect the next crop. Continue watering after you harvest. Keep in mind, this is only one harvest; you will get two, three or even four more, several weeks apart. These mushroom kits should last three months or more.
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