Mushroom Growing Kits

Mushroom Growing Kits Make a Great Gift

2010-05-17T09:26:00.001-07:00

For years my children and husband have always gotten me flowers and candy for Mother’s Day which I loved very much. When Mother’s Day came around last year, I was all ready to receive my usual candy and flowers from my family. The kids woke me up with breakfast in bed and lots of hugs telling me what a great mom I was when my husband asked me to come down stairs into the kitchen. Not thinking much about it, I put on my robe and followed him and the kids down the stairs expecting to find a bouquet of flowers on the kitchen counter. To my surprise, there sat two mushroom grow kits on the counter top.

My husband and kids could not wait for me to open up the mushroom growing kits. At first I was not sure about trying to grow my own mushrooms at home. I opened it up and read the simple directions and thought this would be a great time to teach my husband and kids about growing our own food. We quickly got started planting the mushrooms and could not wait to see if it actually worked.

It only took a few days when my youngest son, who is 5, noticed that there were already small pin heads poking through the dirt mixture. We all had to take a look to see if it was actually a mushroom growing that he was seeing. He was right. The mushrooms started to grow in just a few days just like the information had stated. We were all thrilled and could not wait to harvest these delicious mushrooms.

After several days had passed the mushrooms were ready to harvest. We helped the 5 year old pick the mushrooms, while my older two cleaned them off. I chopped them up later on that morning and put them in omelets and they were so tasty. I told my family that the mushroom kits were the best Mother’s Day Present and that I am looking forward to receiving more as gifts in the future.

Growing Mushrooms at Home

2010-05-04T09:13:00.001-07:00

Since spring has arrived, many of us who love to grow our own garden are getting ready to plant. There is nothing more rewarding then growing your own produce and using the fresh veggies in our favorite recipes. But, many of us do not know that you can also grow mushrooms in your own home. Oakhill Mushrooms carries a variety of mushroom grow kits.

Home gardeners love the idea of growing their own mushrooms at home, but are not sure how it works or think that it is too complicated. Growing mushrooms is actually quite simple. All one needs to grow delicious and fresh mushrooms is mushroom kits. All you have to do is follow the simple instructions to start growing mushrooms yourself. The grow kit comes with a block made of enriched sawdust and wood chips that contains the mushroom spores, a hydration tent and instructions. Just soak the block in water for a few hours and place the block in the hydration tent out of direct sunlight. In a few days the mushrooms will start to emerge about the size of a pinhead. In about a week the mushrooms will grow to maturity and will be ready to harvest to use in your favorite recipes.

Those who enjoy growing and preparing their own vegetables to serve to dinner guests will love serving them fresh mushrooms that they grew themselves. Just imagine how impressed your dinner guests will be when you tell them that you grew the mushrooms from a kit. This usually results in guests wanting to know how they can start growing mushrooms in their own home.

Not only is this very rewarding for home cooks to grow their own mushrooms it can also be fun and educational for children. Unlike growing other types of vegetables and flowers that can take weeks to see results, mushroom growing kits start to grow in a few days and by the end of a week. Children can then see the mushroom growing progress quickly and then be able to harvest them in short amount of time.

Mushroom kits are a wonderful way to grow mushrooms at home. This is not only a fun hobby, it is tasty too. Mushroom kits also make great gifts for gardeners and cooks alike.

Cooking with Dried Mushrooms

2010-04-15T13:38:00.001-07:00

Many of us live a busy and hectic lifestyle and do not have enough time to devote hours to making a meal. With that being said, many of us that do not like prepared or boxed dinners are always looking for a quicker way to still make a home cooked meal. Along with pre-made salad mix and other fresh ingredients that can come already prepped and cleaned, mushrooms can be purchased dried. Dried mushrooms can be a great convenience when not wanting to spend a majority of the time cleaning and slicing fresh mushrooms. At oakhillmushrooms.com they have many different types of dried mushrooms. Ordering dried mushrooms online can save time and money instead of taking time out to go to the grocery store because they are delivered right to your home. Purchasing dried mushrooms this way is the ultimate in convenience ingredients.

There are many unique ways to use several different types of dried mushrooms in recipes. A wonderful and tasty way to use the dried candy cap mushrooms is to add them in an omelet for breakfast. The flavorful dried candy caps will add sweetness like maple syrup to many types of eggs dishes. Many enjoy using this type of mushroom because of its sweet flavor and aroma.

Using dried porcini mushrooms in a risotto will add an earthy element to the rich creamy taste of this classic Italian dish. Besides incorporating dried mushrooms into risotto, try putting them in your next batch of homemade spaghetti sauce. Using dried mushrooms in Italian dishes gives them a depth of flavor that without these amazing fungi would just be ordinary.

Hot and sour soup is a favorite dish among many that love Asian cuisine. By adding dried shiitake mushrooms in this spicy soup gives it richness in not only taste, but also in texture. Vegans leave out the pork and usually substitute more shiitake mushrooms in its place.

There are numerous ways to use dried mushrooms in dishes. Dried mushrooms can perk up many recipes and the convenience of using dried mushrooms saves time and work. Instead of spending time preparing food, dried mushrooms help cut the time in the kitchen and enable one to spend more time eating their delicious culinary creations.

Mushroom Powders

2010-04-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

Almost all cooks have used mushrooms in a dish and enjoy the earthy flavor that they add. Mushrooms can be purchased fresh, dried and even in powder form. Yes, that is right they do come in a powder. Mushroom powder is a great alternative to use in many recipes when fresh or dried mushrooms are not available.

There are so many uses for these mushrooms powders that can enable the cook to use them in innovative ways. One unique way to use mushroom powder is to dredge fish, poultry or meat in it before frying instead of flour. This enhances the flavor of the protein giving a unique twist on an old standard in frying techniques with mushroom spices.

Many cooks find that making stocks can sometimes be time consuming when having to strain the stock through cheesecloth in order to get a more clarified type of stock. By not using dried mushrooms in a mushroom based stock, instead try using mushroom powders instead. This will not only save time from chopping and dicing dried mushrooms, it can cut back on the time from not having to straining the broth. The result will still be a flavorful and aromatic stock without all the fuss.

With many of us in a hurry, we do not have time to cook a meal from scratch and end up cooking pre-made foods. These foods can be boring and bland. Try adding a dash of mushroom powder to a frozen pizza or to canned soups. This will add a much needed depth of flavor that will have your taste buds dancing.

There are many different types of dried mushrooms for sale on oakhillmushrooms.com. The same can be said for the many mushroom spices that are for sale. They carry many of your favorite mushrooms from porcini to chanterelles in powder form. One of the advantages of using mushroom powders is that they have no additives such as salt for instance. Many watching their sodium intake find using mushroom powder on food instead of salt a great tasty alternative. The variety of mushroom spices that can be used in a dish is only limited by the imagination of the cook.

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Mushrooms

2010-03-20T18:33:00.001-07:00

Have you ever used dried mushrooms to cook with or us as a garnish for the main dish at your dinner party? What about using mushroom powders and spices? Now you have access to dried mushrooms, mushroom powders and spices. Online you can shop from a site that has been growing and researching mushrooms for years but now makes their product and information available to you. You can enjoy access to great recipes using their products that will add a tasty benefit to your dishes or take advantage of great gift ideas for the family chef plus with the use of mushrooms you are adding antioxidants and vitamin D to your daily diet. The health benefits are wonderful and you can enjoy taste with the benefits as opposed to tasteless health benefits.

Take advantage of wonderful prices and the knowledge you need when choosing the mushroom growing kit, spices or mushroom powders, recipes, and different dried mushrooms. Choose from a variety of mushrooms such as the famous shiitake mushroom and the porcini mushroom. In a wide selection of dried mushrooms, mushroom seasonings, and mushroom kits you can find a wonderful educational experience for your family as well as tasty ways to add flavor and vitamins to your meals. Dried mushroom candy caps and other dried mushrooms not only provide wonderful snacks but make great garnishes for dishes rather you are serving a main course in need of a final touch in appearance or an appetizer that could use a face lift. Enjoy knowing that with each purchase you make you are providing taste, vitamins and education to you and your family and friends.

Take advantage of growing your very own mushrooms in your home when you purchase one of the several different mushroom growing kits available on line. Your kids will enjoy taking part in growing the mushrooms and you can enjoy the fact that you are teaching your children the facts on different mushrooms as well as the importance of a healthy diet. Brining mushrooms into your life will improve your meals and your health. Take advantage of the knowledge and study the company has provided to you on line. Enjoy great prices and great gift ideas when you become a regular customer. Now you will be able to enjoy the full benefits of bringing mushrooms to your life from an afternoon snack to seasonings for your dishes.

Mushrooms and More

2010-03-09T09:45:00.001-08:00

Mushrooms play an important role in our everyday life, but do you know the extent of that role and how important they are to your body? Whether you are a fan of eating mushrooms or not you can supply your body with the benefits mushrooms offer in several different ways. Growing your own mushrooms and cooking with mushrooms make it possible for you to have the wonderful benefits mushrooms in your diet will bring you and your family. Start taking advantage of the opportunity you have to enjoy the health benefits as well as the added spice that mushrooms can bring to your foods now by shopping online with a California company that has made it a point to bring the mushrooms you need to you in a variety of ways.

You can purchase dried mushrooms, mushroom-growing kits, dried candy cap mushrooms, mushroom spice and much more online and enjoy the convenience of having health delivered to your door stop with a matter of days. You and your family can enjoy family time together when you purchase a mushroom kit to grow your mushrooms right before your eyes! Perhaps you have a chef in the family who understand the value of taste as well as health. With the access you will have to a variety of mushrooms as well as mushroom products you can supply your family chef with the products they need to add taste and health to most meals. Experience the delightful taste that mushroom seasoning can bring to your dish as well at the value of mushrooms antioxidants and vitamin D.

You have at your fingertips access to fresh mushrooms, dried mushrooms, mushroom growing kits, mushroom powders, mushroom recipes as well as books and other merchandise that will educate you on the health value and improved tastes to your meals that mushrooms offer. Serving restaurants, local farms, educational purposes as well as just a house hold desire, this family owned company takes pride in delivering you the best mushrooms available no matter what time of mushroom you are searching. Dried, fresh, powdered, recipes or mushroom growing kits can be found at one dependable site where the people have the knowledge you need to bring the health and flavor benefits you need to your everyday life. Take advantage of the regular low prices as well as monthly specials when you search their website for the perfect mushroom. You will even have the opportunity to contact them with questions you may have on incorporating mushrooms into your daily diet.

4 Awesome Vegetarian Recipes with Mushrooms

2010-02-16T13:13:00.001-08:00

There's a good reason that mushrooms are called "meat for vegetarians." They are an excellent meat substitute, both in flavor and texture, as well as nutritionally. They are one of the most significant sources of iron apart from red meat, and also contan more vitamin B12 than most vegetables. You can usually substitute dried mushrooms or fresh mushrooms for meat in your recipes, but they are always better when they are specifically designed to team up with other ingredients. So today we bring you 4 of our favorite vegetarian recipes using fresh or dried mushrooms!

Creamy Mushroom Pasta

This is a very quick recipe -- only ten minutes to prepare, and around 20 to cook, and perfect as either a side dish or a main for a family of vegetarians. It specifies button mushrooms, but you can use any type that you like. Button mushrooms tend not to be very strongly flavored, so look away from the shiitake dried mushrooms, and towards varieties like dried candy cap mushrooms.

Mushroom, Noodle and Peanut Stir Fry

Another great all-rounder. You can add as many different veggies as you like, and if you want you can cook everything but the mushrooms, split the dish into two, and use mushrooms in half and meat in the other half. Put a bit extra kecap manis in if you’re increasing the vegetables.

Mushroom Rice Crusted Pie

Om nom nom nom! The blandness of the rice and pumpkin mean this is a great dish to try out strnger tasting mushrooms like dried porcini mushrooms.

Mushroom, Tomato and Cheese Pasta Bake

This dish is a great way to introduce kids to mushrooms -- it has many flavors that they are already familiar with, and the mushroom-y flavor and texture can be toned down, or partially replaced by minced meat. It takes a while to cook, but that combination of dried pearl oyster mushrooms, bocconcini cheese and parmesan is just divine!

A Guide to Common Cooking Mushrooms

2010-02-09T07:47:00.000-08:00

You might think that you love mushrooms … but how many varieties have you actually tasted? There are dozens of edible varieties of mushrooms besides white button or cup mushrooms, all of them suitable for growing yourself in a mushroom growing kit, or purchasing as either fresh or dried mushrooms. Today we are reviewing the common varieties of edible mushrooms -- ones that you are likely to find in the supermarket.

Button Mushrooms

Most people who eat mushrooms start out on these babies -- the less mature version of cup mushrooms. Button mushrooms are sometimes called champignons, and you won’t be able to see any of the brown gills around the stem. Their flavor intensifies when they are cooked, and they are a great addition to salads.

Porcini mushrooms

One of the more common of the exotic varieties, porcini mushrooms can be bought both fresh and as dried mushrooms. Some areas in America grow them, but they are traditionally harvested in Europe in autumn. You can add the dried variety to casseroles and stews at the start of the cooking process, or soak them for fifteen minuts in water and use as you would fresh mushrooms.

Swiss brown mushrooms

These mushrooms are closely related to white agaricus, but have a tan brown cap and a more leathery skin. They are drier and more flavorful -- that's why people generally don't start out on them. They are commonly used in antipasto.

Portabello mushrooms

Because of the similar names, these mushrooms can be confused with porcini dried mushrooms. However, these are usually available fresh year-round -- they are Swiss browns that have been left to grow out and expose their gills. They are great as a meat substitute, because they are so big and chunky.

How to Prepare Your Own Mushroom Powder

2010-01-16T20:27:00.001-08:00

If you've discovered the joy of having your own mushroom growing kit at home, you have probably also discovered that as much as you love edible fungi, there is definitely a limit to the number of meals per week you can use them in! Mushroom milkshakes will never be on the Jamie Oliver top recipe list … and one solution to the boom-or-bust type experience of owning a mushroom growing kit is to make your ownmushroom powder for later use. Today we are looking at a couple of different methods for doing so, as well as some general tips for the process.

The Dry-and-Process Method

One of the simplest and easiest ways to make your own mushroom powder is the dry-and-process method. Simply cut your mushrooms into fine slices and pop in the oven on low heat on cookie sheets until they are crispy and dry. Alternatively, you can leave your oven just on the pilot light overnight, and check your mushrooms in the morning. If there is little heat in the oven, there is almost no chance of overcooking.

Simply process the slices to a fine powder with a standard or handheld blender, and store in spice jars.

A word of warning - some people believe that this method isn’t as cost effective as simply buying mushroom powder from online stores. If you have spare fungi from a mushroom growing kit that are going to waste, though, it is better than nothing!

The Gourmet Method

You'll need the following extra spices to make the gourmet version of mushroom powder. This can be added to stews and sauces just before serving, and keeps in the cupboard. Add the following to a pound of fresh mushrooms:

½ tsp cloves
½ tsp mace (outside of nutmeg)
¼ tsp pepper
2 tsp onion powder

Wash your mushrooms and pop them in a stewing pan alongside all the other ingredients, until all the excess liquid has dried up, shaking and stirring constantly to prevent burning. Put them in the oven at 225F until the mushrooms have completely dried up. Run them through a food processor or blender to make mushroom powder, rather than mushroom chunks.

General Tips

If your mushroom mix becomes difficult to blend, you can try any of the following methods instead:

Using a coffee grinder
Using a spice grinder
Grind with a mortar and pestle

How to Recognize Edible Mushroom Species

2010-01-04T21:10:00.000-08:00

In this busy, highly civilized world, there are few natural pleasures left to most of us. Growing or finding your own food is one of these that is increasingly scarce -- but can bring you a real sense of joy! Mushrooms are incredibly easy to both grow, using a mushroom grow kit, and also to find in the woods. Mushroom foraging is fraught with potential danger though -- today we are looking at how to separate the edible from the poisonous species, and enjoy your natural food without adverse health effects!

The Most Important Species

The most important species of mushroom to be able to identify is the Death Cap mushroom, or Amanita Phalloides. This species is responsible for 90% of all deaths from fungal poisoning worldwide, and can be found even in areas it is not native to.

A. Phalloides:

Has an olive green to light green cap
Has a white cap in its button stage and looks quite similar to cup mushrooms at this time
Has a veil tissue covering the gills in immature specimens
Has a white stalk up to 15 cm tall
Has a large, rounded bulb at the base of the stalk. You will have to actually dig the mushroom up in most cases to find this bulb. This is a positive ID for button stage mushrooms.

Local edible species

You will likely have a plant and animal control board, or a poisons information center that relates specifically to your local area. Contact both of these for information on species found in your local area that are both poisonous and edible. Sometimes local authorities offer a mushroom identification service for a small fee, which can be very much worthwhile.

Simplest Method for Recognizing Edible Species

Unfortunately, you have to cheat a bit for this one … the simplest method is actually to grow your own! If you use a mushroom growing kit you can be sure that you are actually eating the species you think you are. You know there has been no heavy metal or toxin accumulation, and also that no pesticides or herbicide residue will be on the mushroom (providing you haven’t used any, of course).

Mushrooms and the World's Problems

2009-12-07T21:49:00.001-08:00

Mushrooms really are incredible -- for an organism is so simple, it has a lot of potential to help the human body, and the health of our planet. It is not only the fancy mushrooms with Japanese names that are interesting researchers -- the button mushrooms, which are cheap and plentiful in our supermarkets, give scientists plenty of reason to sing their praises also! If you have a mushroom growing kit at home, or enjoy dried porcini mushrooms or shiitake mushrooms, find out how you’re helping your body and your world here.

Button mushroom genome sequencing could solve global warming and improve soils

This research is being headed by the University of Warwick, and the team has high hopes for it. The efforts come from the fact that these mushrooms are extremely efficient at decomposing what is around them (so your spent mushroom growing kit is definitely not rubbish!). They break down lignin (part of the biofuel formation process), help cycle carbon through decomposing plant matter, and can hyper-accumulate toxic metals, cleaning out the soil.

Reishi mushrooms fight sarcoma

This research is at present only in the mouse stage -- human trials have not begun. However extracts of reishi (especially when fused with extracts of green tea) seemed to create a massive slowing of the growth of sarcomas in mice. All mice still eventually died of their cancers, but those that received a commercial reishi mushroom extract as well as a green tea extract showed much slower progression. The anti-cancer effect has been attributed to other mushrooms like shiitake mushrooms and dried porcini mushrooms also.

Reishi mushrooms fight obesity, heart disease, diabetes

They have been used for centuries as health promoters, and now scientists are uncovering the reasons behind that. Researchers are targeting people with Syndrome X in reishi mushroom powder trials.

Shiitake mushrooms hold key to biofuels

The ability of the shiitake mushroom to turned fallen wood into sugars to feed itself is amazing -- and may help scientists develop more efficient biofuels from a wider range of sources. Californian scientists believe the gene responsible is Xyn11A, and carries the instructions for the mushroom to make xylanase, an enzyme. This enzyme could be used to digest rice hulls and other food leftovers to make biofuels.

Five FAQs About Mushroom Growing Kits Answered

2009-12-02T20:39:00.001-08:00

Mushroom-growing kits are very easy to setup and maintain. Fungi are typically very prolific reproducers, with the right conditions, and many people don’t have a problem getting the volume of mushrooms that they would like out of their kit. For the novice though, some strange and worrying things can occur in the brave new world of growing your own mushrooms! We look at five of the questions that most plague newbies in the mushroom growing kit world.

When should I harvest my crop?

The thing that confuses many people is that mature mushrooms all grow to different sizes. Sizes differ from species to species, and also from individual fungus to its neighbor. There is an easy way to tell, though -- the thin veil covering the gills underneath your mushroom will break when it is ripe (releasing spores into the air to grow new little mushrooms!). You can pick the ripe ones out of your mushroom growing kit and leave those that aren’t ready.

There's bugs eating my mushrooms! How do I kill them?

The bugs in most cases will do no harm to your mushrooms -- if you are worried, you can coat the inside of a large compost bag with vegetable oil and place it around the mushroom growing kit. The flies' wings will stick to it and they will die, without using chemicals.

There's mold on my casing surface -- what should I do?

Again, this usually is not a problem. Unless the molds start multiplying out of control or spreading onto the mushrooms themselves, don’t worry about them. Try to introduce a little more air ventilation next time.

Where do I put the kit when it is finished?

You'll know when your kit is finished because mushrooms no longer grow well in the surface -- the nutrients have been used up. This usually takes around 12 weeks but does vary by the particular mushroom growing kit you use. Mix it in with the compost, or dig it through the garden soil outside -- you may get more mushrooms with the fresh injection of nutrients!

My mushrooms are spreading their seed all over my cupboards -- what is going on?

This is their natural reproductive process. Spores usually come off with soap and water, but a better strategy is simply to pick the mushrooms when they are ripe -- this should minimize your spore load.

Mushroom's Nutritional Benefits: The Buzzwords

2009-10-31T20:47:00.000-07:00

If you go to a health food store to get your daily multivitamins or other supplements, you have probably noticed an enormous increase in mushroom extract products on the shelves lately. There has been a lot of research into Japanese diet and the role that mushrooms play in keeping this nation so relatively free of disease, and researchers are finding out some weird and fabulous things! Of course, it isn't mandatory to spend hundreds of dollars a year on mushroom extracts. Simply grab a mushroom growing kit and get them fresh and full of goodies, or usedried porcini mushrooms or dried shiitake mushrooms in your ordinary cooking. Here we look at the exotic substances that make these mushrooms so special.

Chitosans

In some research these are referred to as chitins -- however, you'll soon find that this is a component of bugs' exoskeletons if you try to research it further! The chemical compound that medical researchers are interested in is the chitosan group. Chitosans have many properties that dietary fiber also exhibits, including:

Adding bulk to your food and making you feel fuller, faster
Traps carbohydrates in the digestion process and slowing glucose absorption, effectively lowering the GI of foods
Speeds passage of foods through the gut
Lowers both total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein
Balances the pH levels intra-intestines

Chitosans are found in high concentrations in mushrooms that you can make yourself with mushroom growing kits, like portabellas and enokis.

Beta glucans

These are somewhat of a buzzword in medical research at the moment. They occur in the bran part of cereal grains, the cell wall of baker's yeast, and also in mushrooms. Arguably, the best form to intake is mushrooms, because the beta glucans come in the healthiest package. Beta glucans in mushroom research were found to be highest in portabella mushrooms, although shitakes and maitakes also have moderate amounts, and the cardio protective benefits can be gained from only moderate beta glucan intake.

Oligosaccharide levels

These are a very specific type of sugar molecule that occurs in dreid porcini mushrooms, dried shiitake mushrooms and most of the varieties you can grow at home in a mushroom growing kits. They are only partially digestible, but it is actually the undigested components that exhibit the most medical promise. These components act as probiotics, helping eliminate harmful bacteria in the colon. They do this by acting as food for the good bacteria, which them outcompete the baddies. Hooray for mushrooms!

Growing Mushrooms 101: Setting up a Location

2009-10-31T20:37:00.001-07:00

If you love the idea of having a vegetable garden, but simply don’t have the space to put it, mushroom growing kits are a great alternative! Mushrooms are very easy to grow, and grabbing a kit makes it all the more foolproof. Today we are looking at how to set up a location for yourmushroom growing kit -- both natural and created aspects of the environment.

Temperature

Mushrooms will grow best in mild conditions, neither too warm nor too cool. But if you live in a desert or semi-arid area where the natural temperature varies more than this, here are some tricks to help with your fungal fun.

Keep the mushrooms in a pantry. These are usually built near the center of a house, so are better insulated from outside temperature variations.
Keep the mushrooms in a box in a part of the house that you frequent. This means that any cooling or heating you use for yourself will also help keep your mushrooms comfortable!
Grow your mushrooms in the basement or crawl space under the house. In many houses there is easy access to at least part of the crawl space. Clear it out, sweep off cobwebs and set up your mushroom growing kit here to help insulate against the big bad world.

Bug protection

Indoor locations are preferable to outdoor ones, mostly because they have far less exposure to insect pests. Flies and their larvae, slugs, mites, and various flying insects will eat mushroom meat and the mycelium. To help protect against insects in your mushroom growing kit's environment:

Don’t spray pesticides, unless you like the idea of eating them
Use bowls of water around the legs of a small table to guard against crawling insects.
Use mosquito netting to guard against larger flying insects and still allow air ventilation

Light

Ambient light will blush the top of your mushrooms. They will mostly taste the same, but don’t look as nice! This is another reason that the ideas suggested in the "temperature" section are all shaded or dark.

Ventilation

Your mushrooms need air to grow, like all plants do. However, too much air movement will strip the environment in your mushroom growing kit of humidity and dry out the casing. If the only spot you have for your kit is drafty or close to a heat source (which will also dry out the casing), leave a small bowl of water in there to help with humidity. You can also enclose your mushroom growing kit inside a larger box to help protect against drafts.

Growing and Using Mushrooms in Recipes

2009-10-15T20:57:00.001-07:00

As a personal chef, I use many exotic and hard-to-find ingredients in many of my signature dishes. One of my favorite ingredients to use is a shiitake mushroom. These tasty mushrooms are the stars in my signature dish, mushroom risotto. This type of mushroom adds an earthy undertone to the creamy taste of the risotto. My clients go absolutely crazy for this dish and is also my most requested to date.

Lately, I have been going through an abundance of shiitake mushrooms in many other dishes that I make such as tomato sauces, stir-fries and beef-based sauces. This has caused me to run to the farmers market constantly in order to assure my customers that they are receiving the freshest ingredients in my dishes and has been costing me valuable time. I began looking for an alternative and have found that dried shiitake mushrooms work just as well and there is no difference in the taste and they have longer shelf life then fresh mushrooms.

A fellow chef that I have worked with in the past invited me to his new restaurant for its grand opening. I could not wait to try many of his new dishes and was looking forward to tasting his sauce with dried porcini mushrooms. When the day arrived for the grand opening, my chef friend invited me on a tour of his new restaurant, and of course the most important part of the building, the kitchen. I was amazed at all the fresh produce that he was using in all of the dishes. He informed me that all of the produce, even down to the mushrooms, he and his wife had grown themselves. I was now curious about how they had managed to grow mushrooms. The chef informed me that he had ordered a mushroom-growing kit from Oak Hill Mushrooms.

After all the delicious food that night I went home to order my very own mushroom growing kits. By growing my own mushrooms at home I have saved money. Growing these wonderful fungi was easier then I had thought and give me great joy telling everyone that I grew them all by myself. My friends are so impressed by this that they are now growing them also and cannot get over how fun it is. I now give these amazing mushroom grow kits as gifts and get many thanks from my friends and loved ones.

The Underappreciated Mushroom

2009-09-28T13:29:00.001-07:00

One of the most harrowing difficulties cooks face when they begin learning gourmet preparations for the very first time is how to best utilize each ingredient in a dish. One much loved but often overlooked ingredient for many dishes is the mushroom. If you've never considered the many varieties and possibilities available to you as a chef when it comes to the mushroom, today's the day of enlightenment.

The mushroom is a healthy, delectable, diverse, and often underappreciated food. Many people don't like mushrooms because they object to eating a fungus. However, mushrooms are often used to flavor a variety of dishes, and can even be used as the main course. Some people find that a nice, plump, freshly grilled mushroom hits the spot more quickly than even a steak!

The portobello mushroom makes a delightful substitute for a meat product. Believe it or not, many people replace hamburger with portobello mushrooms to get the texture they crave without the unhealthy effects of red meat. This is good news for vegetarians everywhere! The mushroom also makes a delightful addition to any Italian sauce or soup. In fact, most people consider spaghetti sauce to be incomplete without the addition of a flavorful mushroom.

Whether sautéed, eaten raw, added to salads, substituting for meat, incorporated in a sauce or soup, or simply used as a garnish, the mushroom should not be underestimated as one of the powerhouse foods for chefs everywhere. The finest mushrooms are usually hand-picked and cultivated in the highest quality soil, the highest quality environment, and grown to come equipped with the highest quality flavor.

Because of the many varieties of mushrooms available, cultivating a delicate system of checks and balances that are required to give each mushroom a unique flavor is an often underappreciated process. In fact, if you can find a supplier of high-quality mushrooms who have dedicated their practice to growing, cultivating, and supplying the best possible quality mushroom -- you've found a connoisseur you likely will not come across again any time soon.

So, if you’ve never considered the mushroom as a delicacy, now’s the perfect time to start trying the many different types, flavors, and varieties of mushroom available. What could be better than enjoying a gourmet food that not only tastes good, but is good for you, too?