Brown Shiitake
(Lentinula EdodesI)

Native to East Asia. This strain of Mushroom cap displays tan to dark brown and grow between 2 and 4 inches (5 and 10 cm). Shiitake provide a distinctive sweet and deep flavor, with an aromatic woody smells and outstanding firm texture

Patience & Waiting Stage - Spawn Run/Colonization

1. Spawn Run (Colonization) – allow inoculated mushroom grow kit to incubate at room temperature. This will take 2 to 3 weeks at which the mushrooms grow kit will look like it is doing nothing, but on a microscopic level the mycelium is has fully colonized the Hardwood Substrate and begin breaking down cellulose/Fiber/lignin into usable simple sugars, that will be used to provide nutrients for the mycelium. It is best not to disturb the mycelium and we love watching the beauty of the mycelium travel through the block and grow. This is very Zen and beautiful to watch day after day.

Observation Stage - Primordial/Pinhead Formation

2. Pinning (Initiate Mushroom Formation) – Once your Shiitake Grow Block is ready to fruit, it will begin to change colors similar to cocoa. Once in this Cocoa stage the mushroom will being to form Primordials or Pins, as shown below you can see how the caps of the Shiitake tend to form and look similar to “Popcorn”. Once you begin to notice the browning, you can either let it slowly progress or you can move onto the next stage by forcing more of the block to turn Cocoa. Move onto Action Stage - Fruiting.

Action Stage - Fruiting

3. With Shiitakes it is best to cut the top of the bag open and remove the mushroom block from the plastic bag. This way we’re able to produce more Mushrooms that will resemble the size and shape of typical store bought mushrooms. You can also decide to top fruit the bag by opening the top of the bag, this will yield big mushrooms.

 4. Fruiting (Mushroom Formation) – Drop Temperatures to 17 to 23C, increase Relative Humidity to 75% to 90%.
Provide plenty of Fresh Air (Oxygen). First harvest of Mushrooms will occur within 1 week.

5. In Fig 4. the the highlighted Green area serves as a Humidity Tent and allows for early mushroom growth. The tent is able to keep humidity levels high, however; there need to be additional Fresh Air (Oxygen) in order for the mushrooms to develop properly.

Renew/Flushing Stage - Crop Cycle

5. With clean water submerge the wooden block for 3 to 5 hours, weight it down if necessary. This will re-hydrate the wooden substrate material and provide the mycelium with much needed moisture. Place the mycelium block back into a clean bag and close off to simulate underground conditions, this will allow the mycelium time to regenerate. Watch for pin formation and carefully monitor for signs of contamination.

Refer to Grow Guide for more details.

Health Benefits:

Shiitake Mushrooms contain polysaccharides, terpenoids, sterols, and lipids, some of which have immune-boosting, cholesterol-lowering, and anticancer effects

Summary:

Texture/Flavor: Firm, Sweet, Woody, and Aromatic
Difficulty: Easy
Growing Conditions: 10 - 30°C, 85 - 90% humidity Nutrients: Anti-Oxidants, β-glucan/Fiber, Vitamin B, Copper, Potassium.
Common Uses: Oden, Udon, Stir Fries, or Sautéed