Common name: mushroom

Botanical name: Agaricus species

Origin: Mushrooms are found all over the world.

Varieties

Although there are many varieties of edible mushrooms, only a few are available for home production; grow the varieties that are available commercially.

Description

Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of a fungus organism, and there are between 60,000 and 100,000 species of fungus that produce mushrooms. Because many mushrooms are poisonous, and it's extremely difficult to tell the edible variety from the poisonous kind, gathering wild mushrooms to eat is a very risky pastime. There are, however, many good books on the market that will help you recognize some of the 50 or more edible varieties that grow wild in the United States; so if you do want to go mushroom-hunting, do a little homework first. You can also grow mushrooms at home from prepared trays, kits, and spawn that are available commercially through seed catalog companies and garden suppliers. It's not too difficult, and it can be both productive and fun.

Where and when to grow

Because you're growing them indoors, the type of climate you live in is a matter of indifference to your mushrooms. You can also grow them at any time of the year, but the trays or kits are usually available commercially only from October through April.

How to plant

Mushrooms grow best in a dark, humid, cool area. In most homes the best places are the basement and the cabinet under the kitchen sink. A little light won't hurt the mushrooms, but they do need high humidity - 80 to 85 percent - and a cool temperature -55° to 60°F. Mushrooms for growing at home are available in two different forms - in kits or as spawn. You can buy prepared trays and kits already filled with the growing medium and the mushroom spores. All you have to do is remove the tray from the package, add an inch of topsoil, and water. Keep them in a dark, humid, cool place, and you should be harvesting

mushrooms within about four weeks. Many seed companies also sell mushroom spawn; growing from spawn is less expensive, but it does require a little more care. Plant half-inch pieces of the spawn about two inches deep and eight to 10 inches apart in a well-rotted strawy horse or cow manure. Keep the planted spawn in a dark, humid room with the temperature at about 70°F for the first 21 days; then lower the temperature to about 60°F and cover the bed with a one-inch layer of good, sterilized topsoil. If the conditions are right, you should be able to start harvesting in about four weeks.

Fertilizing and watering

You don't need to fertilize mushrooms. Keep them moist; don't let the mushrooms dry out, but don't allow water to stand on the soil.

Pests

Pests present no serious problems when you're growing mushrooms at home.

Diseases

Mushrooms grown at home have no serious disease problems.

When and how to harvest

Whether you're growing mushrooms from a kit or from spawn, you'll wait about four weeks for results. You can harvest the mushrooms as immature buttons, before the caps open, or when the cap is fully open and the gills exposed - at this stage the mushrooms are ripe and their flavor is at its highest level. Never pull the mushrooms out of the soil; cut them off at soil level with a sharp knife. Check and harvest your mushrooms every day; if you leave mature mushrooms in the planting bed your yield will be lower, but if you pick them regularly the bed

will produce continuously for as long as six months.

Storing and preserving

Mushrooms can be stored in the refrigerator up to one week. You can also freeze, can, or dry them.

Serving suggestions

Fresh mushrooms are wonderful raw, sliced thinly and eaten alone or tossed in a green salad. Simmer them in red wine and tomatoes with parsley and herbs for a delicious vegetarian supper dish. Stuff them with herbed breadcrumbs and broil them, or saute them lightly and toss them in with a dish of plain vegetables - try them with zucchini. Use mushrooms in your stir-fry Oriental dishes; the quick cooking preserves their flavor and texture. You can also fold them into an omelette topped with sherry sauce for an elegant lunch dish.