Growing Shiitake (Lentinus edodes) Mushrooms at Home

Photo credits:www.gardentherapy.ca

SHIITAKE are some of the best known and appreciated culinary and medicinal mushrooms. The name Shiitake derives from the Japanese 'shii' which is actually the name of the tree on which they grow in their natural habitat and the word 'take' which in Japanese means 'mushroom' [= shii tree mushroom, or mushroom growing on shii trees].

Read more about Shiitake and its medicinal value checking the post entitled: Lentinus edodes (Shiitake) Mushroom Health Benefits.

I will briefly describe today the cultivation process of Shiitake mushrooms which can be done at home by using ingredients and tools available in any household.

Strains: Shiitake strains are specific for a certain type of substrate, this means that a strain has grows well on a type o wood than on others. Also on the market there are strains with a preference for low (10-18 C/50-64 F) or high temperatures (above 20 C/68 F) or termo-tolerant strains (5-35 C/41-95 F). This is the  reason why always when purchasing a strain in order to cultivate Shiitake is important to ask what about its temperature preference, humidity, spawn run time, substrate, productivity and other such parameters.

You can cultivate Shiitake outdoors on logs or you can grow it on a specially design substrate formula.

Basic ingredients: include sawdust (of oak, poplar, beech, alder, pine spruce, fir, etc), straw (wheat, barley, cotton, etc), corn cobs, leaves and other agricultural wastes. Of all these ingredients the most used substrate is oak sawdust. In some areas where oak sawdust is scarce it can be mixed with conifer sawdust. However if you want to use only conifer sawdust then better would be to leave it outside for a year or two. The conifer wood contains resins and other compounds and this inhibits the mycelium hyphae to spread through the wood mass.

Straw can be used with success to grow Shiitake but better in combination with sawdust; however, important to know is that straw in the compost formula predisposes the compost to infections with Trichoderma spp. Their advantage is that are cheap and available.

Supplements: The substrate formula can be supplemented with nutrients: grains or bran (wheat, corn, barley, sorgum, rice, soy, etc).

Substrate formulas:
sawdust 80%, bran 20% (a standard formula used in Asia to grow Shiitake)
sawdust, 10-20%, corn waste, 1-2% calcium carbonate

Instructions:
1. Weight the basic ingredients of the formula
2. Mix the ingredients
3. Pasteurize the mixed ingredients at 90-95 C/ 194-203 F for an hour.
4. Boil the supplements for two hours (100 C/ 212 F)
5. Leave the ingredients and the supplements to cool down on a clean surface
6. Mix everything together
7. Adjust the humidity of the substrate. [When squeezed in your hands the substrate shouldn't let any water drops]
8. Add mycelium 1-5% to the mix.
9. Throw the mix in plastic bags and make holes on their surface for gas exchange.
10 Store the bags in a clean area [free of dust] and wait until mycelial hyphae colonize the entire substrate.

The optimal temperature for incubation for Shiitake is 25 C/ 77 F. Do not let temperature to get above 30 C/ 86 F, such a temperature could destroy the mycelium. Time needed for the colonization process depends on a complex of factors (temperature, strain, humidity, gas, type of compost ingredients, etc) and generally lasts between 30 to 120 days. Sometimes growers shake the bags in order to spread the mycelium inside the bag, this habit reduces the incubation time but increases the rate of infections to occur in the compost mass.

After full colonization of the bag with mycelium, on the surface of the bag forms a white crust of mycelium of variable dimensions  This crust has a role of protection against infections and moisture loss. One with the maturation of the mycelium the crust changes color to reddish-brown following with formation of 'bumps' which are the precursors of the future Shiitake primordia.

When mushroom primordia starts to form allow them until they get mature and then start to remove the plastic foil around the sac. Fructification time is between 5-7(10) days.

Mushrooms will form and will develop from the mature primordia. Maturation time is from 5 to 8 days. Collect mushrooms when their cap is around 70% opened.

Wait 10 to 30 days for another mushroom crop. The whole cultivation cycle lasts around 3-6 months and depends on a complex of factors.

Note: The substrate can be sterilized (121 C / 249 F for 30 minutes to one hour) if you have at home a pressure cooker or if you have specialized equipment designed especially for the sterilization purpose. This procedure is superior to pasteurization especially when adding to the substrate supplements, because of unproper heat treatment of supplements provides a suitable medium for bacteria and competitor fungi to develop.
Don't forget to spray the mushrooms during their development (one or two times/day).

If you are interested in how to prepare your own shiitake mushroom spawn click here!

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Lentinus edodes (Shiitake) Mushroom Health Benefits

What is SHIITAKE? - is the mushroom that the Chinese affectionately named "Xiang-gu" (or "Shiang-gu"), "the fragrant mushroom". They are a treasured and traditional delicacy at dinner tables in China, Japan and Korea. Shiitake also contains a material well known for its medicinal benefits: Lentinan, a water soluble polysaccharide produced and extracted from shiitake, is an aproved anti-cancer drug in Japan [source: Mushroom Growers Handbook 2 -Shiitake Cultivation].

History - This mushroom has been renowned in China and Japan for thousands of years both as a food and as a medicine. It has an exotic and delicious taste and is a central part of many Oriental dishes and is increasingly adopted in the West. In the Oriental folk medicine it was used for a wide range of health problems. It has particularly valuable in treating high blood pressure and lowering blood cholesterol. [source: Medicinal Mushrooms by S. Sulliwan and S. Rowan].

Cultivated for over 1000 years in Asia, shiitake is a highly prized mushroom not only for its excellent taste and culinary usage but also for its important therapeutical effect. From this point of view this mushroom is considered a functional food (food with important medicinal value). It's name 'shiitake' derives from the 'shii' tree (Castanopsis cuspidata) on which it grows and 'take' which is the Japanese word for 'mushroom'.

Shiitake is on the third place among cultivated mushroom species in the world (after white button and oyster mushrooms) and Japan is the major producer of shiitake. First written record on shiitake cultivation comes from China during the Sung Dynasty (960-1127). Shiitake it is grown mainly in East Asia but in the past decades a growing worldwide interest may be observed (especially in USA and Europe where is considered an exotic mushroom).

Ecology: shiitake is native to Southeast Asia where grows on a wide variety of deciduous wood in a warm and moist climate.

Nutritional value: the shiitake raw fruitbodies include 88-92% water, protein, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Dry shiitake contains 58-60% carbohydrates, 20-23% protein, 9-10% fiber, 3-4% lipids, and 4-5% ash. Shiitake is also a good source of vitamins: D2, B (B1, B2, B12) and pantothenic acid, while minerals include: Fe, Mn, K, Ca, Mg, Cd, Cu, P, and Zn.  Polyssacharides some of the major active substance responsible for the therapeutic effect amount 1-5% of the dry weight of shiitake.

Active Constituents: The major active constituents isolated from shiitake are: Lentinan (a cell-wall constituent from the fruitbodies or mycelium of shiitake -a polysaccharide), LEM (a protein-bound polysaccahride), KS-2 (a polysaccharide containing alpha-linked mannose and a small amount of peptide), JLS (a compound derived from the mycelium), Eritadenine (a nucleic acid derivative), EPS and EPS4 (water soluble lignins) [source: Mushroom Growers Handbook 2 -Shiitake Cultivation].

Shiitake is one of the medicinally most studied mushroom along with Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), Maitake (Grifola frondosa), Kawaratake (Trametes versicolor) or Chaga (Inonotus obliquus).  A unique active compound found in shiitake was named 'lentinan' which is a water-soluble polyssacharide isolated from fruiting bodies which has been observed to have a powerful anti-tumor effect.

Side effects: consumption of raw shiitake can cause dermatitis but generally depends from a person to another (it was rarely  encountered: 1 to 50 people); the consumption of shiitake in excess can cause diarrhea. Alergic reactions to the spores of shiitake have been reported in workers picking mushrooms indoors (symptoms include fever, headache, congestion, coughing, sneezing, or nausea).

Availability: shiitake is available on the market as fresh, or dried fruiting bodies, or as extracts (capsules, tablets, injections, tinctures, etc), syrup, wine, bear, tea, or as medicinal dish. The most effective are the so called 'LEM tablets' (Lentinus edodes mycelium extract). The precipitate obtained from a water solution of the mycelium by adding four volumes of ethanol was named 'LAP'. Both LEM and LAP demonstrated strong antitumor activities orally and by injection to animal and humans.
 The quantity of shiitake that one should consume in order to feel any health effects is huge and probably would cause diarrhea or stomach upset, this is the reason why extracts work best. If you would like to prepare your own shiitake extract check out instructions on how to Make Your Own Medicinal Mushroom Extract.

References:

Kuhn, M. and Winston, D. 2001. Herbal therapy and supplements: a scientific and traditional approach. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott.

Wasser, S.P. 2005. Shiitake (Lentinus edodes). In: Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements DOI: 10.1081/E-EDS-120024880. Marcel Dekker: New York, Pp. 653-664.

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Make Your Own Mushroom Extract

Some of the best immune system boosters available on the market are made out of mushrooms. They are available as various types of extracts (e.g., supplements, tinctures, hot water extracts, fruitbody mycelium, etc) that proved to be efficient against a wide range of ailments. One of the everyday challenges is the well known STRESS that actually has the power to weaken our immune system. In response we need to adapt to such situations and develop anti-STRESS potions able to keep the balance in our favor.

In order to make your own extract however you should know few things first:

1. Choose a reliable mushroom material. This means the fruitbody that you’re going to use in order to get an extract from has to be 100% organic. Avoid purchasing such mushroom fruitbodies from markets or from unknown or suspicious sources.

2. Be sure that your mushroom fruitbody was collected or grown in a clean environment. This means that some mushroom species are able to accumulate heavy metals or other pollutants from the substrate that they are growing on or from the surrounding environment.

3. Be sure that your mushroom is correctly identified. Some medicinal mushroom species may be easily misidentified with similar look-alikes without therapeutic properties or bearing some other effects for other target diseases. To avoid this I simply recommend you to purchase your material from mycologists specialized in medicinal mushrooms or companies.

4. If you collect your own material do not keep samples in plastic bags. This habit may spoil the mushroom fruitbody and ensures an environment suitable for bacteria and molds to form.

I will discuss today two easy methods to make extracts.
For both methods in order to prepare your own extract you can use fresh or dry mushroom material or mycelium culture. Fresh material is cut into thin slices (if possible) while dry material is broken into small pieces or thorn into small fragments. This will make the extraction process easier.

Hot Water Extract
This procedure was widely used for millennia in the Traditional Chinese Medicine and gave best results in treating various types of diseases. The elongated boiling process of mushroom material has the ability to extract the so called polyssacharides out of the mushroom cell wall. Polyssacharides are medicinally some of the most potent compounds.

Instructions
1. Take a pot and pour into 500 ml (0.132 gal) of water
2. Throw inside your mushroom material (100 g = 0.220 lb)
3. Bring the content of the pot to a hot simmer and cook for 3 hours
4. Allow the newly formed extracts to cool and then strain off the mushrooms.
5. Keep the mushroom material for another hot water extraction (usually fresh or dry mushroom material may be used for extraction 2-3 times) or use it for alcohol extraction.
6. Keep the extract in dark colored recipients stored in the fridge.

Check out this video made by Daniel Vitalis on how to make hot water extract. This will help you understand how you should do your own hot water extract. To place an order of Dried Reishi Mushroom Fruitbodies Click Here For more inforamtion on the medicinal properties of reishi check out Medicinal Mushrooms

How to make mushroom extracts with Daniel Vitalis

Alcohol Extract (tincture)
This type of extraction procedure focuses on triterpenes. To make a medicinal mushroom tincture you’ll need alcohol 80 or 100 proof (vodka, or other clear spirits), dark colored bottles, recipient, fresh or dried mushroom material, and filter.

Instructions
1. Take a recipient and fill it with your mushroom material
2. Add the alcohol to it
3. Seal the recipient and add a label to it
4. Keep it for 2 weeks in a warm area away from direct sunlight
5. Shake the recipient at two days once (if possible)
6. Then filter the content of the recipient and pour it into dark colored bottles
7. Keep the extract in dark colored recipients stored in the fridge.

Hot water extract or alcohol extract? Which one is the best and why?
Some people claim that hot water extract is superior to that of alcohol extract because the target extracted substance are polyssacharides, while these compounds under ethanol presence are denatured. By contrast, ethanol extraction focuses on triterpenes. If we’ll mix hot water extract with alcohol extract we’ll get a double extract containing both polyssacharides and triterpenes which makes our extract more potent, and therefore more efficient in treating a wider range of ailments.

Dosage: Generally, 3 tsp/day is the standard dosage. They are taken with 30 minutes before meals in the morning, afternoon and evening. The extract can be taken up to 3 months with two weeks of break after.

Check out this video made by Daniel Vital on hot water vs alcohol extracts.

Stalking the wild Chaga Mushroom with Daniel Vitalis part 2/2

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Cordyceps (Caterpillar Fungus) Health Benefits

Cordyceps sinensis. Source: www.consciouslifenews.com

Today I’m going to present you a very interesting fungus bearing important heath benefits in animal and humans. Cordyceps belongs to Clavicipitaceae Family (Ascomycetes) and contains more than 680 species found on all six continents. This fungus occurs as parasitically or commensally on a wide range of insect hosts (larvae, or mature insects). It was also found inhabiting truffles of genus Elaphomyces.

The most well known and studied species is Cordyceps sinensis but there are some other cultivated species such as C. militaris, C. sobolifera, C. subsessilus, or C. ophioglossoides.
Brief description: Cordiceps sinensis has a club-like shape and is brown to black in color, tough texture and the fruitbody is originating at the base of an insect larva (usually the larva of the Himalayan bat moth Thitarodes armoricanus or on other insect hosts).

The first written record of Cordyceps dates back in ancient China in the year AD 620 at the time of Tang Dynasty. Its remarkable health effect is given by the polyssacharides (among other compounds): for example C. sinensis contains a large amount of polyssacharides ranging from 3% to 8% of the total weight extracted from fruiting bodies, mycelium or broth.

In the Traditional Chinese Medicine hot water extracts were successfully used for a long time. Nowadays, besides hot water extract there are several extraction methods; however, important to know is that different extraction methods focus on the extraction of different active substances.  Traditionally, Cordyceps was also used as tea or prepared as a medicinal soup in combination with various types of meat.

Some decades ago, Cordyceps was collected from the wild and sold in the market at a very high price. Initially, several attempts to cultivate this fungus have failed but more recently by the mid-1980s, the fungus has been successfully cultivated and practically what we have in our Cordyceps dietary supplements are cultivated Cordyceps. Today its price is much lower. On average 40% of the rural cash income in the Tibet is derived from its collection (about 50.000 kg in 2004 which is $225 million).

Wild or cultivated Cordyceps?
Many say that wild Cordyceps is best because has a stronger medicinal effect than the cultivated one; however, today with the existing modern technology the quality of cultivated Cordyceps is improving while concerning Cordyceps collected from the wild you should know that there are some disadvantages:

1. Wild Cordyceps is more expensive than the cultivated one, especially because is rare and the collection area in case of C. sinensis (Tibet Plateau) is hardly accessible.
2. Many medicinal mushrooms have the ability to accumulate heavy metals and other pollutants mostly form air and soil or substrate on which they grow. Cordyceps is one of them; therefore purchasing wild Cordyceps from a reliable source is rather difficult task. Because Cordyceps in the markets was sold by weight, many collectors of wild Cordyceps have inserted a small bit of twig into caterpillars to increase the weight, in some cases they used lead which is however a very unhealthy practice.
3. Identification of Cordyceps species is often misleading for the untrained eye because of morphologically similar species. Reliable identification should be done by specialists in the field.

Cultivated Cordyceps has the advantage that is readily available on the market at low cost, and is tested for heavy metals content and other such undesired pollutants. It is recommended to choose Cordyceps as medicine resulted from 100% organic grown fungus.

Side Effects: Some people using Cordyceps complained about dry mouth, nausea, or diarrhea. There is not sufficient evidence referring to pregnant or lacting women, or young children. While no toxicity has been reported in humans although dosage was 30-50 g of Cordyceps/day (in some cancer suffering patiens).


References:

Bensky D., Clavey S., Stoger E. 2004. In: Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3d ed. Seattle, Eastland Press.

Holliday J., Cleaver M., Wasser S.P. 2005. Cordyceps. Encyclopedia of dietary supplements, 1-13.

Holliday J., et al. 2011. Cordyceps. In: Medicinal Mushrooms, Nat. Acad. of Sci. of Ukraine, Kiev, 2:223-230.

Zhou X., Gong Z., Su Y., et al. 2009. Cordyceps fungi: Natural products, pharmacological functions and developmental products. J Pharm. Pharmacol, 61: 279-291.

Winkler D. Yartsa Gumbu (Cordiceps sinensis) and the fungal commodification of Tibet’s rural economy. Economic Botany, 62(3): 291-305.

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Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi or Ling Zhi) Health Benefits

Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi or Ling Zhi) fruitbodies. Source: www.factoidz.com/images/user/26598.jpg

Ganoderma lucidum or Reishi (in Japan) Ling Zhi, Ling Chu Ling Chih (in China and Korea) is one of the most important medicinal mushrooms in the Oriental Medicine. In the Asian folk medicine it was used for thousands of years in treating heart disease, diabetes, high altitude sickness, sexual impotency, chronic fatigue syndrome, hepatopathy, chronic hepatitis, nephritis, hypertension, arthritis, neurasthenia, insomnia, bronchitis, asthma, and gastric ulcers. Hot water extract of this fungus had a tremendous effect on the above listed ailments therefore along time has been popularly named “herb of immortality”, or “10000 year mushroom [Mannentake in Japan]” and left it’s ‘fingerprint’ on the culture of Asian countries. In China Ling Zhi is know from the time of the first Chinese emperor Shihuangdi from the Ch’in Dinasty (221-207 BCE), later on during the Yuan Dynasty (1280-1368) Ling Zhi was widely present in art (painture, carpet designs, sculptures, etc.) symbolizing great health, luck,  longevity and immortality.

Man holding Ganoderma
by Chen Hongshou (1598-1652)

Today this fungus has a well known reputation all over the world and according to some authors is considered to have therapeutic properties superior to Gingseng therefore it was called “the King of therapeutic herbs”. Modern research on this fungus revealed that its fruitbody and mycelium contains over 400 biologically active substances including steroids, alkaloids, lactones, polysaccharrides and triterpenes that show strong pharmacological effects. 

Currently this fungus is worldwide available as extracts or powders part of various products (dietary supplements, soap, tooth paste, tonic drinks, wine, tea, coffee, etc). Reishi may be injected as a solution of powdered spore, it may be served as a soup, syrup, tea, tablets, capsules, tincture, or bolus (powdered medicine in honey).

Reishi is also used as an antidote for ingestion of poisonous mushrooms: dried Reishi (120-200g) is decocted in water and given as a drink 3-5 times daily.

Preparation: traditionally Reishi is prepared as a hot water extract; however this is less potent than other types of extracts currently available on the market. Another type of extract is made when using a type of solvent such as alcohol (known as tincture). Some authors consider that mixing hot water extract with alcohol extract is more potent (because it mixes the polysaccharides extracted by hot water with triterpenes extracted by alcohol), while others consider some other types of extracts to be more efficient. More information on extracts you'll find reading Make Your Own Mushroom Extract.

Brief description: basidiomes annual, eccentrically or laterally stipitate, coriaceous to wood hard with the pilei mostly fun shaped or reniform, sometimes dimidiate on the upper surface covered by a thin red-orangish to dark-red laccate crust. The lower surface is white cream at first, turning brown when injured bearing pores. Flesh is fibrous, cream to reddish-brown. Stipe is smooth, up to 15 cm long and the same color as rest of the fruitbody. Spores are ganodermoid type, (10-)11-13 x 7-8,5 μm.  

Ecology: grows on a wide variety of deciduous type of fallen wood. Often grows on the roots of trees. It is rather rare on conifers. Produces white rot.  

Varieties: there are 6 varieties of Ganoderma lucidum (blue, red, yellow, white, black, and purple) of which the most frequently used is the red type due to its superior therapeutical effect. Each type it is known to have a different taste and therapeutic potency. The extracts resulted from this fungus are sour (blue type), bitter (red type), mild (yellow type), salty (black type) or spicy (purple type).

Edibility: this fungus cannot be eaten because it is harder than your shoes.

Cultivation: Currently Reishi is widely cultivated for therapeutic purposes. 

References

Smith J. E. Rowan N. J. and Sullivan R. 2001. Medicinal Mushrooms: Their Therapeutic Properties and Current Medical Usage with Special Emphasis on Cancer Treatments Cancer Research UK, p. 28.

Soo T. S. 1996. Effective dosage of the extract of Ganoderma lucidum in the treatment of various ailments. In Mushroom Biology and Mushroom Products; Royse, Ed,; The Pennsylvania State University, 177-185.

Stamets P. 2000. Growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms, 3rd edn. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.

Ţura D., Zmitrovich I. V., Wasser S. P., Spirin W. A., and Nevo E. 2011. Biodiversity of Heterobasidiomycetes and non-gilled Hymenomycetes (former Aphyllophorales) of Israel. A.R.A. Gantner Verlag K.-G., Ruggell, 566 pp.

Wasser S. P. 2005. ‘Reishi or Ling Zhi (Ganoderma lucidum)’, Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements, Pp. 603-622.

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Strawberries Growing Become Popular in Kenya

Strawberry Farming has become increasingly popular in the recent past in Kenyan rural, urban and peri-urban areas. The fruit plant is a high value export crop which makes a multi-billion dollar business around the world. Strawberries are very juicy health-packed fruits which are eaten whole, in fruit salads, jam, milk shake and smoothie juice. Farming of strawberries in Central Kenya region has traditionally been for export to Europe.

However an equally lucrative market for the strawberry plant leaves which used to be thrown away is emerging as a produce in demand. The leaves are being bought by decorating and florist firms in the major towns around the country. According to a florist from Nairobi the demand for bouquets, which was formerly limited to offices, churches and events, is now expanding to individuals, with demand for flowers for home decorations growing in the recent past. This has caused the demand for the strawberry leaves, an important component of bouquets due to their beautiful shape and sweet scent. Strawberries’

Farming is therefore a perfect opportunity for the youth in Kenya for self employment and livelihood improvement. Strawberries are easy to grow, require little land and perform well in a wide range of temperatures ranging from mild to hot. Basic requirements for strawberry Farming include, water, animal manure or compost, garden tools, recommended pesticides and fungicides, packaging materials and Farming capital. The most popular strawberry varieties grown in Kenya are Chandler and pajero.

Other suitable varieties in Kenyaincludes Tioga selva,Douglas, Tristar, Domanil, Rabunda and Tribute. The crop grows well in warm to hot climate and does not tolerate freezing. Some main diseases affecting this crop include Fusarium Oxysponium, Botrytis and Fusarium Wilt. Avoid growing strawberry on land where crops susceptible to Verticillium wilt a viral disease controlled through crop rotation, were planted in the preceding season. Such crops are capsicums, okra, tomatoes, and eggplant/brinjals

Strawberries Farming starts with thorough land preparation in order to grow vigorous a crop. A bed raised to 20cm with a width of 1metre by any convenient length should be prepared, and well decomposed manure incorporated into the soil at a rate of one medium bucket per square metre. Then planting holes are made at a spacing of 30cm from row to row and 30cm from plant to plant. In strawberries Farming propagation is done using vegetative material namely splits of the strawberries crown.

 Planting is done after thorough watering of the bed and the roots should be covered but not too deep so as to avoid rotting of the stem.  Mulching is a recommended post planting management practice in strawberries Farming in order to conserve moisture, control weeds and keep strawberries clean. Irrigate daily in the afternoon during the first month after planting for good crop growth, then 2-3 times a week from the second month of Farming of growth onward 

De-blossoming/removal of strawberry flowers is recommended for the first 2 months of growth to avoid premature fruiting, which leads to stunting and poor development of the crop. Harvesting of strawberry fruits starts 2½months - 3months after planting. Thinning to2- 3 splits per crown should be done every 7 months to allow rejuvenation and increase strawberry yields.

Runners and old leaves are removed in strawberries Farming and the practice is named pruning or stripping.  Flowering is continuous with adequate watering and the lifespan of the crop is 3 years. 

During the production period foliar feeds may be applied to plants to boost growth. Practical training on Farming of strawberries and farm planning for best profit is provided to farmers by the Youth agro-environmental Initiative. Training on strawberry Farming is the first step for all serious visionary agribusinesses. Strawberry farming is an expanding industry in Kenya with a great potential for growth. Practical training on strawberry plant cultivation is available. Contact our agriculture professionals at yagrein@gmail.com. 

1. http://kariokor.olx.co.ke/strawberry-training-on-growing-strawberries-farm-planning-for-best-farm-profit-iid-466431013
2. http://yagrein.blogspot.com/p/what-are-youth-saying.html

Dried and Delicious

Written by Mary Ellen

 

Exquisitely prepared dried Shiitake in Japan.

Not everyone has an indoor grow room to produce plump, fresh shiitake mushrooms for the holidays (although you can come close with our TableTop Farms). If you grew your own on logs last summer and dehydrated the surplus, don’t forget that Shiitake (and other dried mushrooms) make great gifts, especially if you can provide the recipient with some easy cooking ideas!

 

First, not every delicious fresh mushroom makes an equally delicious dried mushroom, which is something to consider before you actually go through the work of drying them.  The essence of each species of mushroom in its dried form is often very different from the fresh. The first time I ate a dried Shiitake I recalled the taste of the pinch of pipe tobacco I snuck from my dad's Prince Albert canister as a kid. I couldn’t get past the different flavor; nothing like the garlicky, buttery flavor of fresh shiitake! However, several years ago Joe and I visited Japan during the height of fresh shiitake season and we were astounded to find ourselves eating various exquisite preparations of DRIED shiitake… and loving it!

 

Almost all mushrooms can be dried, but some are coveted in the dried form. Here is a respectable list:

 

Shiitake (Japanese forest mushroom, Chinese black mushroom, etc)

Woodears

King Bolete (cepes, porcini)

Netted Stinkhorn

Black Trumpet

 

If you have a mushroom to add to this list, please weigh in!

 

 

Give a gift of dried mushrooms this holiday season.

Here are some guidelines to follow if you are giving dried mushrooms as a gift:  

1.      Make sure the mushrooms are brittle dry. Sometimes they soften if not stored in an airtight container and are prone to molding. A plastic freezer bag or canning jar with a properly tightened canning lid will do the trick. If they are soft when you divvy them up for gifts, put them back in the dehydrator for an hour before re-packing.

2.      The “general directions for use” label might read: These mushrooms, grown with great labor of love, can be stored for months at room temperature as long as the storage container remains tightly closed.  For really long term storage, store in your freezer. To use: pour boiling water over the mushrooms in a bowl and let soak for 20 minutes. Strain the liquid and save as a broth.  Chop and sauté the mushrooms themselves (discarding the stem) and use as you would fresh mushrooms. 

 

Here are two very different recipes using dried shiitake (or the dried mushroom of your choice)

 

 

Simple Shiitake Sauce

 

This simple sauce might just knock your Christmas stockings right off!
 

This highly flavored sauce takes advantage of both the reconstituted shiitake and the resulting flavorful soaking liquid. Use it to sauce meats, fish, tofu or assertive vegetables such as cabbage or bok choy. Of course it’s also delicious on pasta.

 

1 c dried shiitake

1 c boiling water

¼ c chopped onion

1 clove garlic

½ tsp each sugar, soy sauce, salt

1 T flour

¼ c grated asiago or parmesan, optional

 

Pour boiling water over the dried mushrooms, soak for 20-30 min.  Meanwhile, sauté aromatics in 1 T butter. Add seasonings. Drain and strain the soak water from the mushrooms, saving the liquid. Slice the mushrooms, discarding the stem.  Add to the sauté pan and sprinkle with the flour, sautéing the whole bit for a few minutes. Slowly add the cream and soak water, cooking until the sauce reaches the consistency you like. Add cheese if desired.

 

 

 

Easy Spring Rolls with Shiitake

 

Refreshing spring rolls with dried Shiitake.

 

The body and soul often need a break from rich holiday food and festivities. These rolls are bright, crunchy, clean and can be so appreciated. If you’ve never made a spring roll do not hesitate to try this. The technique is useful and can be adapted to any fresh filling.

 

10-15 dried shiitake

10 or more round dried rice paper sheets

2 oz dried cellophane noodles

½ lb fresh bean sprouts

1 small cucumber, cut into match sticks

1 carrot, grated

4 T chopped peanuts

½ c chopped cilantro

 

Pour boiling water over the shiitake in a bowl and let sit for 20 minutes or more. Drain away the liquid (keeping for another use), squeeze the shiitake and blot with toweling to absorb the extra moisture. Thinly slice the shiitake, discarding the stem.

 

Pour boiling water over the cellophane noodles and let sit for 10 min. Drain and rinse with cold water.

 

Assemble all the vegetables, noodles and peanuts; have all the little bowls set in a line for easy filling.

 

Fill a cake pan with warm water and dip the rice sheets, one at a time, into the water  (make sure they are covered with water) to soften; 30-90 seconds. Lift out with tongs and set out flat on a dish towel.  Soften additional sheets as you work filling them.

 

Filling the sheets:

 

In the center of the softened rice sheet, layer the fillings (about 1/2 - 3/4 cup total) in a cigar shape in the center of the paper. Roll up the bottom, tuck in the sides and continue to roll to make a translucent, plump eggroll shape.  Cut in half and provide a dipping sauce.

 

Pineapple Dipping Sauce:

 

1 T rice wine vinegar

Juice from 1 lemon

Dab of chili oil or chili paste, or a red chili deseeded and thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

4 oz crushed pineapple, canned with juice

 

Mix it all together and divide into beautiful little bowls or saucers for dipping.