Fruiting a Shiitake Mushroom Growing Kit for Big Umami Flavor

Fruiting a Shiitake Mushroom Growing Kit for Big Umami Flavor

A shiitake mushroom growing kit is a great way to cultivate your own shiitakes at home, and the flavor from these mushrooms will blow you away!

Shiitake mushrooms are very popular around the world. In fact, they are the second most cultivated mushroom in the world, behind the common button mushroom, and the shiitake is the most cultivated mushroom in Asia. Today we are sharing information on our shiitake mushroom growing kit, as well as reasons to grow and consume your own shiitakes at home.

Why people love shiitake mushrooms

The umami flavor of shiitake mushrooms is a big reason people love them so. They have a richness that can be almost buttery. The texture is meatier than some other mushrooms. They can also have a nutty or smoky flavor as well. Shiitakes are a great source of vitamin D and the levels of vitamin D can drastically increase when the mushrooms are exposed to sunlight. For instance, if you grew your own organic shiitakes with our kit at home and you took the harvested shiitakes and put them gills up towards the sun, then the vitamin D levels can go up 1,000 times more than those that did not get the exposure to the sun. It is recommended to have the shiitakes in the sunlight for at least eight hours when attempting to increase the amount of vitamin D.

The benefits of our shiitake mushroom growing kit

All of our mushroom growing kits are certified organic and arrived colonized. This allows for quicker use. Our kits are also bigger than most on the market yet at comparable prices. So you can get more fresh mushrooms for your money by using one of our mega mushroom kits, which are 10lbs each. You should be able to fruit between 3-5 pounds of mushrooms throughout the kit’s lifespan.

Using our shiitake mushroom growing kit

First, you need to order your shiitake mushroom growing kit from us and receive it in the mail. Once you have received the kit from us in the mail, you can begin growing your delicious shiitakes at home. Here’s a step-by-step process for you to use: Step 1: Place the shiitake mushroom grow kit into water and submerge it for five hours. This increases the moisture content of the block so that there is plenty of water to support a full flush of mushrooms. Make sure the kit stays underwater, which can be done more easily by placing a rock or brick on top of it. Remove the kit after five hours and place it on a pan or baking sheet to drain any excess water. Step 2: Place the shiitake in a well-lit area, but make sure it is not in direct sunlight. The area it is in should have enough light present that you can comfortably read a book in the area. Use a spray bottle to mist the kit heavily twice a day. It is important to keep the air around the grow kit moist. A spray bottle works best, but if you do not have a spray bottle you can also use the nozzle from your kitchen sink if needed. Step 3: After about four or five days you will begin to see baby mushrooms starting to pin. Continue your misting regimen and watch as the mushrooms grow. The next two days when the mushrooms are still very small are the most important to keep the environment humid. Step 4: The shiitakes will mature in about five to seven days. They are ready to harvest once you can see gills on the bottom of the cap. Pick the mushrooms once they have matured and put them in your refrigerator. Step 5: After the first harvest off a grow kit, allow the block to rest. You can do this by allowing it to just sit doing nothing. Do not mist it during this time. After about two 2 weeks you should be ready to start the growing kit again for another flush. Step 6: Submerge the shiitake kit in water again for 24 hours. Step 7: Place the kit in a well-lit area again and continue with the process of misting as you did before. Repeat these steps until your block begins to fall apart, at which time you can place it outside in your compost or garden. There is a likelihood that the block will continue to fruit and you can reap the benefit of a final flush.

Not interested in a shiitake mushroom growing kit? We have a variety of other growing kit options for you

Some people have had so many shiitakes in their lives that they need a change. Fortunately, we can help with that process. Our mushroom growing kits come in a variety of species, so you can grow so many types of mushrooms at home! Here is a rundown of the kits we currently have. Visit our growing kits page to see all of your options: Kits we have available beyond shiitake:
  • Golden oyster mushroom
  • Blue oyster mushroom
  • Pink oyster mushroom
  • White oyster mushroom
  • Black oyster mushroom
  • Lion’s mane mushroom
  • Reishi mushroom
  • King oyster mushroom
  • Pioppino mushroom
Try your hand at growing all of these delicious mushrooms!
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