Description

Scientific Name: Pleurotus pulmonarius – Chocolate Oyster Mushroom
Difficulty: Beginners – Beginners – They colonize quickly and are reliable producers.
Application: Edible, Common commercial strains widely grown.
Characteristics: Medium to large-cap oyster mushroom, with a light brown and beautiful curly cap edges.
Temperature Range: Median, will fruit on 14-24°c temperature range
Cooking: Phoenix Oysters (Also know as Italian Oysters) can easily replace button mushrooms in most recipes and pair well with many cuisines and flavours. Like all Oyster mushrooms, they retain water and may develop a viscous texture when undercooked. If you prefer a firm or dryer texture, continue to cook Italian Oysters until their liquid has reduced and cooked off and they begin to brown.

Cold Varieties (Available May - October):

• Winter White (aka Snow White)

Warm Varieties Available (October - May):

• Pink Oyster
• Yellow Oyster

All Year Varieties:

• Blue Oyster
• Elm Oyster
• Tan Oyster
• Phoenix Oyster (aka Italian Oyster)
• Chocolate Oyster (NEW!)
• Lions Mane

Growing Guides: The ideal temperature for growth is written on your bag sticker, Mycelium tolerates colder temperatures without a problem, not so much too high temperatures. Mushroom Mycelium (white web in the bag) is the actual mushroom fungus, once it colonizes the whole bag, it needs to spread its offspring, and it’s way is by producing mushrooms (its fruits). The Mycelium will look for fresh air to produce its delicious mushrooms.
To capture the best yield, follow steps below:

1. Inspect your bag, it should be full of white mycelium web throughout. Sometimes mycelium doesn’t like to grow at the bottom of the bag where it’s in contact with a shelf. If you see mycelium colonized throughout the bag go to the next step, otherwise, store in a cool and clean place and inspect again in a few days.
2. Step 2 – Cut the bag open, we recommend cutting a “X” on the side of the bag no bigger than 10cm x 10cm. Use a sterilized and sharp knife. If the top plastic bag “flap” is loose, you can fold it back and tape at the back of the bag, creating a tight top. If the top flap is long enough, you can just sit the bag on top of itself. This is to minimise air bubbles at the top.
3. Place the bag in a ventilated location, mushrooms like enough light (either naturally from a window or artificial light) but not direct sunlight. DON’T place in the bathroom where you regularly use a shower or laundry where a drier is regularly on. Although mushrooms like humidity, the steam from the shower or dryer is not welcome.
4. Optionally, place the bag in a translucent tub with damp newspaper in the bottom, this helps maintain humidity for your mushrooms.
5. Spray your bag with water 2 or 3 times a day.
6. Once mycelium starts pinning (tiny mushrooms) it will double in size every day, once caps edges start to face up it is time to harvest.
7. Harvest the whole flush altogether (even the little ones if there is any) by placing your hand between the mushrooms and the bag, twist and pull to break them from the bag substrate. It is now time to taste your crop.
8. Repeat from step 5 and if you have done a good job it is likely the mycelium will flush new mushrooms again in 7 to 14 days after the first harvest.
9. If after the first harvest the bag feels light and dry, you can dip the bag into a bucket of icy water to hydrate the mycelium again. Please note the bag’s content should be damp, not soaking wet.

More information from the The Fun Guy FAQs