Oyster mushrooms magically appeared on my kitchen counter!
Rodney Webb, of Madison Farms Mushrooms, gave a Mushroom Growing Workshop at the OGS True Nature Country Fair in October. At the end of the workshop, Rodney provided some inoculated substrate for attendees to take home and try growing mushrooms themselves. Trouble is…I had been in the archery booth and hadn’t attended the workshop. I stuffed some of the substrate in a bag, but wasn’t sure how to make them grow. My friend Nicky, who did attend, said to press most of the air out of the bag and tie it shut.
I couldn’t remember what to do after that, so I just left the inoculated bag sitting next to my coffee grinder. Critical steps of the mushroom-growing procedure had surely been left undone due to my complete ignorance. I doubted anything tangible would happen ~ except possibly witnessing an unsolicited science project like compost-in-the-making on my kitchen counter.
Kitchen Counter Oyster Mushroom Farm
A month or so later…in the blur of grinding beans for my morning coffee, my eyes refocused to see…actual mushrooms growing right out of the bag. Whoa. Magic does happen! And what happened next? I am just going to admit it…lust for more magic kicked right in. I stabbed a bunch of holes into the plastic bag so that the other spores could hopefully have a place to sprout out too. That was only yesterday. If something wonderful happens, I’ll let you know.
Just harvested those oyster mushrooms and sauteed them in butter. Delicious!
Introducing your children to mushrooms? Butter is key, as it combines so beautifully with mushrooms. My daughter was convinced she didn’t like mushrooms at all…then she tasted Carol’s lion’s mane mushrooms sauteed in butter. Her comment? “Mmmm. Tastes like candy.” She has made this “candy” comment about other savory food ~ like Steve Bardwell’s Bad Boy French bread, so your children mat not say that. BUT they are liable to decide they like mushrooms after all.