Indoor Mushroom Picking

As you may know from one of my previous posts, I like mushroom picking in the fall. It is immensely satisfying to see the beautiful mushroom cap peeking from behind leaves or grass. However, even if you find a good mushroom field or forest, the crop is weather dependent. Fungi like moisture, so last year’s hot and dry summer resulted in no harvest. However, this year at Christmas we got an unusual gift, an indoor mushroom growing it, and we have been able to taste fresh mushrooms again. The kit is a box filled with the right medium and the spores of a particular kind of mushroom. You cut through the plastic window, spray the medium with water every day, and after 2-3 weeks you harvest the type of mushroom you purchased, with no worries about which type is edible. You know exactly what you are getting. I must say, it is fascinating to see the “shroomies” start peeking through and then growing out of the box. Our first kit had speckled chestnut mushrooms, which I did not know before. I think the next one will be oyster mushrooms and then perhaps chanterelles. Because we are definitely getting more. Sautéed fresh mushrooms were delicious.  You can get the kits in many provinces in Canada. So thank you, Santa, for the great gift!