Full description of oyster mushrooms

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Dietary and delicious oyster mushrooms grow in forests and vegetable gardens. Today there are a large number of varieties and hybrids of this mushroom. They can be grown with their own hands in the country, in a cellar or in an apartment.

Full description of oyster mushrooms

General characteristics of oyster mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms grow on stumps, fallen trunks, or dying trees. It is better to look for them on birch and aspen, sometimes on poplars. In a garden or summer cottage, they are usually grown on a substrate of plant residues: processed vegetables, straw, sawdust. Mushrooms of this genus prefer a temperate climate and like cool or even cold weather: they usually begin to grow in the fall.

Appearance Description:

1. Dimensions: oyster mushrooms are usually quite large, their caps grow up to 30 cm, although they can be miniature - only 5 cm.Under them, asymmetrically located short legs no more than 3 cm long are almost invisible.The shape of the cap resembles an open oyster or auricle with thin curled edges.
2. The color of the cap and fruiting body as a whole: depends on the age of the mushrooms and their belonging to a particular species. They often turn pale or yellow with age. Spore powder is white or pink.
3. Pulp: in young specimens, it is soft and juicy, with a mushroom smell. Old mushrooms are inedible due to their tough pulp.
4. Intergrowths: fruiting bodies often grow in numerous groups - bunches, forming a kind of multi-tiered "structures".

State of the BZHU: these data show the usefulness and nutritional value of oyster mushrooms. They have a high energy and nutritional value. Oyster mushroom growing is widespread due to the unpretentiousness and rapid growth of these mushrooms. A breeding farm can be set up in a garden or in an apartment. No special equipment is required to remove these mushrooms.

Types of oyster mushrooms

Oyster mushroom species are similar in appearance. The demand for some of the strains of these mushrooms justifies their production at home and their continued sale on the market.

Irina Selyutina (Biologist):

A fungal strain is a pure culture with a certain set of characteristics, i.e. separate lines of cultivated mushrooms. The optimum temperature and humidity level for development, fleshiness, size and color of the fruiting body, the length of the stem, the number of mushrooms in the aggregate (bunch) - all this is determined by the genetic makeup of each strain. According to their ability to grow at different temperatures, oyster mushroom strains are usually divided into the following groups:

• universal: characterized by a wide temperature range for growth and development;
• summer: at a humidity of 90-92%, powerful air blowing, mushrooms bear fruit up to temperatures of + 28 ... + 32 ℃;
• winter: can grow at low temperatures when incubation takes place at + 18 ℃, and cultivation at + 5 ... + 15 ℃ and humidity 85-88%.

The most common types of oyster mushrooms used by humans include:

1. Oyster mushroom, or "Oyster": it is characterized by a smooth gray-brown or yellowish hat. In youth, it is convex, later it becomes funnel-shaped. The color of the legs is usually white. Intense growth occurs in September-October.
2. Spring oyster mushroom, or pulmonary: its cap is light, with thin, often cracked edges. The shape is usually fan-shaped, the diameter varies from 6 to 15 cm. Oyster mushroom bears fruit in May-September.
3. Royal oyster mushroom, or "Steppe", or steppe white mushroom: unlike other species, it grows on the roots and stems of umbrella plants. Growth occurs in the spring months. The wild-growing form is found only in deserts. She has a slightly yellowish cap, sometimes reaching large sizes, up to 25 cm in diameter. Outwardly, mushrooms look like porcini mushrooms, which is where its other name comes from - "steppe white mushroom".
4. Oyster mushroom: grows not only on dead oak trees, but also on the trunks of other trees. Its white, yellowish or cream-colored flattened cap is shaped like an oyster shell, covered with a whitish bloom and dotted with small plates. The pulp is firm and light. Oak bears fruit in July-September. Mushrooms are edible and tasty, but the culture is rare, so it is hardly grown.
5. Pink oyster mushroom: traces its ancestry to tropical countries. It is common in Indonesia, Malaysia and New Zealand, but it is also cultivated outside of its historical homeland. Oyster mushroom of this species is distinguished by a rich pink color of the cap and legs. The mushroom aroma is strong and pungent. The flesh is pink, but turns orange or brown during cooking.
6. Lemon oyster mushroom: due to its unusual colors it looks decorative. Her hat is small and dazzling yellow. In youth it is thyroid, with age it becomes funnel-shaped. Its lemon color fades with age. The plates are slightly pinkish, the legs are gracefully built. The pulp is tender, but the impression of it is spoiled by a light flour smell.
7. Colombian oyster mushroom: the species is native to South America, but has taken root in Russia. The description of the species differs little from the characteristics of other varieties of this genus of mushrooms. The peculiarity is the blue hat, which contrasts with the white legs.
8. Strain "Black Prince" (natural strain of oyster oyster mushroom): bears fruit in a wide temperature range: from 14 ° C to 26 ° C. The homeland of this mushroom is China. The hats are dark, charcoal gray and almost black. Representatives of the strain grow rapidly, are highly productive and adapt well to any substrate.
9. Oyster mushroom autumn, winter, green or late: refers to conditionally edible. Wild mushrooms are found in mixed and deciduous forests. The name is associated with late fruiting: from September to December-January. The cap is small, ear-shaped, the color varies from yellow to green-brown. Spores are white. The pulp is bitter;
10. Summer oyster mushroom: these mushrooms first appeared in Florida. Their caps are light brown. The species bears fruit on hot summer days at temperatures between 15 ° C and 25 ° C.
11. Oyster mushroom, or ground: rare species, listed in the Red Book. It grows at the roots of old stumps or on wood that has sunk into the ground. The pulp is harsh on the palate, with a flour smell.

Beneficial features

Mushrooms satisfy hunger well

KBZhU per 100 g of product - 38 kcal fresh; 78 kcal - cooked. The Nutrient Ratio (NR) is as follows:

• proteins - 2.5 g;
• fats - 2.5 g;
• carbohydrates - 6.5 g.

Oyster mushrooms satisfy hunger well, although they have 4-5 times less calories than meat, and there are no harmful fats. The chemical composition of mushrooms is such that their value is quite comparable to that of vegetables and fish. 1 kg contains a large supply of vitamins B1, B2 and D2. The consumption of this product improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, due to the presence of mushroom fiber.Instead of glucose, mushrooms contain mannitol, a sugar substitute for diabetics.

The medicinal properties of oyster mushrooms are great: they are used against cancer and stomach diseases.

Eating this product reduces blood cholesterol levels. Oyster mushrooms are low in calories, help to reduce weight for people suffering from obesity, therefore they are recommended for regular use. Mushrooms maintain the general tone of the body, strengthen the immune system, cleanse from toxins and heavy metals.

Harm and contraindications

It is important to be careful when picking wild mushrooms. Poisonous or inedible false mushrooms grow in the forests. They have a bright color and smell unpleasant. It is impossible to eat them because they are bitter. Moreover, even real forest or cultivated mushrooms can be harmful.

Eating a lot of mushrooms causes diarrhea. It is especially dangerous for children and the elderly to eat them. Healthy young women and men feel a heavy acorn. Oyster mushroom spores trapped in the digestive tract can cause an acute allergic reaction. It is contraindicated to eat these mushrooms for people suffering from kidney disease and cardiovascular disease.

They should not be used for pancreatitis. You cannot feast on them raw. Be sure to pre-fry or cook. The higher the processing temperature, the safer the mushrooms for the body.

Application of oyster mushrooms

The demand for oyster mushrooms is due to the breadth of their application. They make unusually tasty dishes, and they are prepared in different ways: they are fried in a pan, baked in the oven, steamed in a slow cooker. Oyster mushrooms are a part of many medicines.

Cooking recipes

Oyster mushrooms are no less tasty than champignons, but they should be cooked correctly. If the dish tastes bitter, or, having enjoyed it, a person has earned poisoning, a culinary mistake has been made.

Mushroom

This is a hearty, aromatic and incredibly tasty soup. To prepare it, you need:

take 1 liter of water

• 200 g fresh young oyster mushrooms;
• 2-3 potato tubers;
• 1 medium carrot;
• 1 onion;
• a few cloves of garlic;
• a bunch of greens to your taste;
• a pinch of salt and black pepper;
• some vegetable or butter for frying.

By the way. If there are no fresh mushrooms, they try to take frozen ones.

Cooking secrets:

1. The mushrooms are cleaned, washed thoroughly so that no dirt remains. If necessary, cut off the bases. The mushrooms are cut or left whole (it depends on the size), the onion is chopped, the carrots are rubbed on a coarse grater, the garlic cloves are passed through a press. The oil is heated in a frying pan. First, the onions and carrots are fried, then the mushrooms are added and stewed for 5-7 minutes.
2. Cut the potatoes into thin slices, put them in a saucepan, add water, bring to a boil and cook for 8-10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the soup is done, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh herbs before serving.

Mushrooms stewed in a pot

for 2 servings you will need:

• 150-200 g of mushrooms;
• 2-3 potato tubers;
• 1 onion;
• 50 g sour cream or mayonnaise;
• parsley, salt and spices to taste;
• 1 tbsp. a spoonful of vegetable oil.

Cooking secrets:

1. Finely chop the potatoes and onions and quickly fry in vegetable oil. Rinse and chop the mushrooms.
2. Transfer the mushrooms, potatoes and onions to the pot. Sprinkle with salt and spices to taste. Dissolve sour cream or mayonnaise in a few tablespoons of water, add liquid to the food, close the lid and put in the oven. Cook for 30-40 minutes at 180 ° C. Spicy oyster mushroom stew melts in your mouth.

Application in medicine

Mushrooms include various medicinal components. Crushed fruiting bodies or extracts from them are included in diets and dietary supplements, for example, in "Ovodorin-D" (oyster mushroom mycelium extract), which is used to increase immunity, relieve inflammation, painful sensations and in the treatment of arthritis. In the form of a syrup, this remedy is used for cancer, diabetes, obesity.The drug also treats many other diseases.

Medicinal properties are enhanced by dried mushrooms

The medicinal properties of oyster mushrooms are most pronounced when these mushrooms are used in dried form. Drying is not difficult: for this they are cleaned with a cloth without using water and the legs are separated. The hats are laid out in a thin layer on a tray or newspaper, left to dry in the sunlight or in the oven.

The finished dried products are whole transferred to glass jars or pre-crushed. The powder is added to soups, sauces, or other dishes. Store in a cool and dry place. For medical use, both meadow and cultivated oyster mushrooms are suitable.

Oyster mushroom growing technology

Cultivation of oyster mushrooms at home is carried out in a basement or on a personal plot, in urban conditions - on a balcony.

There are 2 growing methods (both have pros and cons):

Extensive (in natural environment): mushrooms will bear fruit as it does in nature.

Intensive (in an artificially created environment): you will have to spend more effort and money for growing, but you will be able to harvest the crop all year round.

For your information. For growing in the garden, an extensive method is used, within the house - an intensive one. Both are suitable for a basement.

On the planting site, the temperature should be between 10 ° C and 20 ° C. Air humidity level - from 85% to no more than 90%. The room should be free of mold. The room is disinfected. It is better to turn to specialists for this task, and not do it yourself.

Irina Selyutina (Biologist):

The mycelium that you have chosen for sowing must be of high quality. To date, groups of mycelium are distinguished according to the type of carrier:

• corn;
• substrate;
• wooden sticks (chopiki).

The substrate on which the mushroom culture will grow is bought or prepared independently from hay, plant residues, sawdust and chips. They are trying to plant mushrooms in coconut substrate. The collected or purchased material is preliminarily subjected to heat treatment, and only then is crushed. At home, the preparation process is especially laborious: the substrate must be treated with hot water and blown over with steam. Thanks to this preparation, the material is saturated with oxygen and cleared of the parasites present there.

After rinsing with hot water, the substrate must be dried. This step is very important because mold must not be allowed to develop. The substrate is left in a warm place for several days and waited for the water to drain from it.

The success of the work depends on the quality of the purchased strains. Seedlings should be yellow in color, without dark spots. Spoiled food has an ammoniacal odor and cannot be used for growing oyster mushrooms. During the purchase, all certificates are checked and the storage conditions are reviewed. Having bought the "seeds", they try to quickly use them in business, because they are stored for a short time. Before opening the packages, their contents are crushed and transferred, without opening, to the area where the landing will be made.

Mushrooms are planted on wooden blanks in the garden or purchase substrate blocks in specialized stores.

Growing in bags

The technology of growing mushrooms in large bags is used both at home and in the garden. The work surface must be disinfected. The boiled, dried and crushed substrate is poured onto the table and thoroughly mixed with the crushed mycelium. The resulting mixture is laid out in bags with a volume of 5 to 15 kg.

When grown on balconies, bags are used. The contents are tamped, on large bags on one side, 50 mm long cuts are made in a checkerboard pattern. The number of holes depends on the height and volume of the bags: the higher it is, the more there are. If necessary, the number of cuts is increased.

The mixtures in bags are transferred to the incubation site.If the work takes place at home, it should be a room with a temperature of 25 ° C, and if there is a vegetable garden, a shady and well-protected area from drafts should be chosen. Greenhouses and hotbeds are perfect for these purposes. The bags on the side where the slots were applied must be exposed to fresh air.

The microclimate is constantly maintained in one state. The slightest fluctuations in temperature or humidity can lead to shock and death of the mycelium. During incubation, carbon dioxide is released, which promotes the growth of fungi, so the room cannot be ventilated at this time. In such conditions, mold and other parasitic crops develop. To prevent their occurrence, the room is cleaned with chlorine-containing disinfectants.

The mycelium grows, depending on the conditions of detention, usually within 2-5 months. The harvest is quickly harvested, the mushrooms are cut along with the legs: so soon new ones will grow in their place. If the contents of the bags have deteriorated, there is no need to fight the mold, it is better to throw it away or use it for fertilization.

Planting on stumps

Another way to grow oyster mushrooms in the country is on stumps. For this, wood of any species is prepared, except for conifers (it is not suitable due to the presence of resin). A poplar chock is also suitable. The tree is cut into hemp, holes up to 10 cm deep are drilled on the side. Old dry material is soaked in water for several days, fresh material is used without preparation. In all holes and holes in the stumps put "seeds", then they are covered with wet sawdust.

In the garden, holes are dug half the height of the stump and old newspapers or sawdust are placed on their bottom. Next is the crushed mycelium. Put the stumps on top with the side where the crown was. At the end, the hole is covered with earth and well compacted around the wooden workpiece (so that in the future the base does not tilt or, moreover, fall). Films are stretched on top of the wood itself for a period of 2-3 weeks.

If you plant mycelium in the spring, the mycelium will grow faster and yield a harvest. The advantage of the autumn planting is that you will have to water the stumps less, the spring-summer planting is that the mycelium grows faster and brings harvests sooner. Care involves only moistening the earth around the workpieces. Subsequently, the harvest is annually removed for 5 years, until the wood becomes completely rotten.

Harvest storage methods

Mushrooms spoil quickly, but they can be preserved for a longer period by drying, salting or pickling. In this way, it will be possible to procure both wild field mushrooms and those grown on the farm. They are expensive, so only fresh produce is put up for sale, no more than 3 days after harvest. They are stored in cool rooms.

The collected products are first inspected to ensure they are free of rot or insect activity. The smell should be clean, mushroom, without mustiness. Selected products are washed and peeled. After preparation, they begin to bookmark for storage. Vitamins and medicinal properties are well preserved in properly prepared foods. Crop storage technologies:

1. Freezing fresh mushrooms: the easiest way to store crops. Mushrooms are cleaned of dust with a dry cloth and a knife. They are laid out on a tray and placed in the refrigerator until cooled. So they are stored for about a week or transferred to containers and placed in the freezer: then the period will increase to 5 months.
2. Boiling followed by freezing: first, the fruit bodies are cut, and then boiled in salted water for 15 minutes. It is impossible to re-freeze products: this will lose their taste and medicinal properties. If a white coating appears on the caps of frozen mushrooms, it means that they were poorly packed, but the external defect does not affect the taste.
3. Salting: in this case, oyster mushrooms are boiled for 15-20 minutes, and then laid out in sterilized jars together with brine and sealed.
4. Pickling: mushrooms are boiled in water with black peppercorns, cloves and a couple of tablespoons of 9% vinegar. After that, the mushrooms are laid out in jars, and chilled brine is poured on top. Such a blank is stored for about a year.

Conclusion

Home production of oyster mushrooms is worth the effort, especially since it is easy to care for them. Unusual oyster mushrooms will improve your health, pamper your taste and bring you a good income from the sale. Their description will help to understand which species or strain of the fungus is the most profitable.