Shiitake Mushroom Grow Block

Difficulty rating 2/5 (easy)

Shiitake are a surprisingly easy grow block for the first flush, we have done the hard work creating them and incubating them for almost 3 months by the time they are ready for you to grow. They require a small enclosure to be constructed to maintain humidity (this can be done cheaply $5-$10) little care and only misting the blocks a couple of times per day to see great results. Instructions can be downloaded using the link above.

Getting a second flush out of a Shiitake block is more difficult, some people do not have success with the second flush. The instructions available for download will give you an idea of how to achieve a second flush.

Mushroom grow kits are directly pulled from our crop lines, these are the same blocks we use to produce the mushrooms and results in our pictures. Our farm blocks are much larger than typical grow at home kits.

Mushroom grow blocks will have 1-3 flushes (harvests) depending on outside factors such as grow conditions etc

Shiitake mushrooms are small to medium in size with caps averaging 10-20 centimeters in diameter and are attached to thin stems. The caps range in color from light to dark brown and have a wide, umbrella shape with a characteristic curled rim. Inside, the cream-colored flesh is firm, chewy, and spongy. Underneath the cap, the white gills are tightly arranged, are not attached to the stem, and depending on the maturity, there may also be a thin veil covering the gills. The ivory to light brown stem is smooth, tough, and fibrous. When cooked, Shiitake mushrooms release a garlic-pine aroma and have a savory, earthy, and smoky, umami flavor.

Shiitake mushrooms are best suited for cooked applications such as frying, sautéing, boiling, steaming, and grilling. Although Shiitake mushrooms are a cultivated variety, their umami, earthy flavor and texture lend itself to be a substitute in recipes calling for wild mushrooms. They can be sliced and used in stir-fries, miso soup, vegetarian dashi, stuffed and steamed, cooked in omelets, mixed into pasta, or fried. They can also be dried and rehydrated for extended use or dried and ground into a powder as a flavoring agent for soups, stocks, and sauces. Shiitake mushrooms pair well with marjoram, thyme, cilantro, spinach, mustard greens, eggplant, broccoli, peas, ramps, carrots, bell pepper, baby corn, water chestnuts, potatoes, onion, green onion, garlic, ginger, poultry, pork, lamb, shrimp, rice, barley, pasta, soy sauce, and dry red wine. They will keep 1-2 weeks when stored in a paper bag in the refrigerator.

They are woody in flavor and meaty in texture, an excellent addition to any Asian dish. Shiitakes provide high levels of protein, potassium, niacin, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Shiitakes also have antiviral and immunity boosting properties.

In China they are used nutritionally to fight viruses, lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure. Researchers S. Suzuki and Oshima found that a raw shiitake eaten daily for one week lowered serum cholesterol by 12%. The foundation of this mushroom’s impressive health benefits is due to polysaccharides that build up the immune system.