Species: King Oyster (Pleurotus Eryngii)
King Oyster
Common Names: King Trumpet Mushrooms, French Horn Mushrooms
Unlike other oyster mushrooms that grow in fan-like formations, king oysters have a distinct stem and rounded cap. Prized by chefs, this “noble” mushroom lives up to its name with its delicious flavour and meaty texture, not to mention its grand size (a single mushroom can weigh up to 1 pound!). We prefer to grow this beauty inside but it can also be grown outside in garden beds.
Use:
- Culinary mushroom
- Mushroom must be cooked prior to consuming
Natural Habitat:
- Hardwood forests growing on the roots of trees and emerging through the ground.
Cultivation Difficulty:
- Outdoors: Easy
- Indoors: Easy
Spawn Type:
- Supplemented hardwood sawdust
- Grain spawn
Growing Substrate:
Outside:
- Garden beds
Inside:
- Pasteurized straw but yield is reduced
- Nutrified hardwood sawdust
Growing Techniques:
Inoculation to Fruiting Time:
Outside:
- From 5 to 6 months depending on inoculation rate and site temperature
Inside:
- From 4 to 5 weeks
- benefits from a casing layer of 50/50 coir and vermiculite with 1% hydrated lime to minimize contamination.
Fruiting is triggered when the temperature drops down to 15-18C and humidity drops to 80 – 90%
Harvest, Storage and Yields:
- Timing of harvest depends on preference: younger mushrooms have better texture and flavour but older mushrooms are often prized for their large stems.
- Cut individual mushrooms at the base with a knife careful not to damage the block if subsequent flushes are desired.
- Shelf life is really good and will last longer if stored in clusters:
- Refrigerated at 3- 6 ◦C over 2 weeks
- Do not rehydrate well after dried
- Cooked
- Good yields with multiple flushes several weeks apart