Shrooms

[Snow.]

I don't know where to post this. You don't have a mushroom forum. Fungi are fungi though, not vegetables or animals. But they're kind of like vegetables so here's this.

So... I was looking to expand on my mushroom knowledge and ability to cook them. So far I've had portabella, white (giorgio?), shiitake, oyster, and some weird little ones that look like ones growing in my yard that I know are poisonous as hell, but I guess they're not.

The only one I don't care for that much is shiitake. The rubbery stem is annoying.

Are there any books I should get about edible mushrooms or any mushroom kits that I should buy to grow my own <x> mushrooms? Where do I start?

 

[Andy M.]

Welcome to DC.

First thing you should know is that you're not supposed to eat the stems of shiitakes.

 

[Snow.]

I knew that, but what I meant to convey is that it's annoying to have to take the stem off of them before I cook them or before I eat them.

You have a lot of posts...

 

[Andy M.]

I knew that, but what I meant to convey is that it's annoying to have to take the stem off of them before I cook them or before I eat them.

You have a lot of posts...

Been around for a while and have no life...

 

[Snow.]

I didn't mean...
you just...
I...

I'm actually growing an oyster mushroom kit I got right now. It's pretty cool looking but I just know I'm either going to burn my house down by misting it bi-daily somehow, or it will just rot the box it's in. I usually can't do much right.

 

[Addie]

Been around for a while and have no life...

No life, but a grandson that you adore.

 

[Andy M.]

No life, but a grandson that you adore.

You should have seen his face Christmas morning when he was opening his gifts.

 

[giggler]

@ "Snow",. You really want to grow your own!?

I think I remember a good Mushroom Kit sold in one of those Underground Magazines, many years ago! Ha Ha Ha..

Eric, Austin Tx.

 

[pacanis]

I think I remember a member discussing growing their own on a piece of oak or something where the shrooms were already started.

 

[Snow.]

@ "Snow",. You really want to grow your own!?

I think I remember a good Mushroom Kit sold in one of those Underground Magazines, many years ago! Ha Ha Ha..

Eric, Austin Tx.

You know what I mean.

I'm planning on working my way up to morels.

 

[kadesma]

You know what I mean.

I'm planning on working my way up to morels.

I tried one of those kits and got no place, What a dissapointment. I plan to try again but not from this place I don't mind 20.00 but this is a trial. Good luck and I do hope you didn't shop at Home Depot!!!
kadesma

 

[taxlady]

You know what I mean.

I'm planning on working my way up to morels.

I wouldn't get my hopes up too much about growing morels. They are very hard to grow. According to Morchella - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, "Efforts to grow morels are rarely successful and the commercial morel industry is based on harvest of wild mushrooms."

But, I can understand a desire to grow morels. Those are some tasty mushrooms.

 

[Addie]

You should have seen his face Christmas morning when he was opening his gifts.

When I was at my son's house, his son got a medical kit. The stethoscope made a clicking sound when you pressed it against the person. It sounded like a heart beat. He wanted my son to get his so they could check every ones heart together. Like father, like son. He is three y.o.

 

[Snow.]

I wouldn't get my hopes up too much about growing morels. They are very hard to grow. According to [URL=" - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/URL], "Efforts to grow morels are rarely successful and the commercial morel industry is based on harvest of wild mushrooms."

But, I can understand a desire to grow morels. Those are some tasty mushrooms.

Yeah I wasn't planning on becoming rich any time soon. I thought I might as well try.

 

[kadesma]

You should have seen his face Christmas morning when he was opening his gifts.

I can just imagine Andy, several of my grandkids had that look as well
kades

 

[sparrowgrass]

My brother gave me a mushroom kit from Whole Foods. Not many mushrooms for the price, but they did grow, and it was kinda fun.

Mushroom books--I have them all, I think. Audubon has a good one, and the Peterson field guide was my go-to for a long time. I recently purchased Missouri's Wild Mushrooms (from MO Dept of Conservation) and Mushrooms of Illinois. I live in MO, but those books would be good for anybody in the eastern US. They both have big photographs and some recipes.

Just remember, there are old mushroom hunters and there are bold mushroom hunters, but there are no old AND bold mushroom hunters.

 

[larry_stewart]

Ive tried white buttons, cremini, shitaki, oyster and morels.
The white buttons and cremini i was most successful with, still didnt get my moneys worth when looking at price vs amount of mushrooms harvested, but it was a great experience.

The shitaki logs, got a few , but nothing worth bragging about.

And the morels were a complete failure.

With all the fallen oak trees as a result of sandy, I plan on innoculating them with shitaki spores ( and a few other spores) from a Fungi magazine that i receive. Always loved gardening, so why not have a mushroom garden.

 

[Dawgluver]

Many moons ago I ordered a shitake log from Gardens Alive. Got about 8 mushrooms from it. They said it would repeat, it didn't.

We get wild Hen of the Woods here, and I freeze 'em, dry 'em, and cook 'em. They're great in soups, stews, etc.

I also have the Wild Mushrooms of Illinois book, has great pics, advice, and recipes. The only mushrooms I trust myself to identify for certain are morels and Hen of the Woods.

 

[no mayonnaise]

I came into this thread for an entirely different reason.
*turns around and leaves*

 

[larry_stewart]

The only mushrooms I trust myself to identify for certain are morels and Hen of the Woods.

Recently, I went to a local " Mycological Club" meet up / walk ( mushroom pickers), Thinking to myself I could learn how to Identify the edible vs poisonous. I didnt realize how many Inedible mushrooms there were in my area. After the walk, i totally lost my confidence in my ability to identify edible vs inedible. In many cases, long time members and leaders of the club couldnt make %100 for sure, identifications. All that being said, I agree that if not morel or hen of the woods mushrooms, i wouldnt even risk it. Just dont think i have the knowledge or confidence to make the right Identification. I leave that to the experts.