Growing mushrooms at home is not as difficult as you may think.
Mushrooms grow on rotting material. The spores of the mushroom plant spread and feed on the rotting material. In nature, the mushroom is usually supported by rotting leaves or a dead stump of wood. At home, a sterile growing medium can be created using a brown rice flour mixture. Using brown rice flour means you do not have to pressure cook the inoculation jars, saving you time, effort, money and more than a few headaches when growing your mushrooms. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Pour 1 cup vermiculite into a bowl. Add water until the vermiculite is moist.
2. Pour 1 cup brown rice flour into the vermiculite. Mix the vermiculite and brown rice flour together until it is fluffy.
3. Scoop the vermiculite brown rice flour mixture into your jars. Fill the jars to within 1/4 inch from the top. Cover the mixture with dry vermiculite. Keep moisture away from the lip of the jar by wiping it away with a clean cloth.
4. Place extra jar tops at the bottom of a cooking pot. Add water until it hits right below the top of the jar tops. The water should not touch the jars when they are placed on top of the jar tops at the bottom of the cooker.
5. Punch four holes into the jar lids on top of your jars with a nail. Punch four evenly spaced holes in the top of the lid. Place the lids onto the jars. Cover the holes with micropore tape. Place foil over the lids to protect the tape.
6. Place the jars into the pot and bring the water at the bottom to a boil. Boil for 90 minutes at a low setting to prevent boiling away the water. Allow the jars to cool before removing them.
7. Shake the spore syringe until the spore is broken up on the inside. Heat the tip of the spore syringe under a lighter flame until it glows. Allow the syringe to cool. This sterilizes the tip.
8. Inject 1/5 of the spore syringe into each jar through the holes in the top of the jar, sticking the syringe through the micropore tape. Cover the jar again with foil.
9. Place the jars in an area around 70 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 to 4 weeks, until the entire jar is colonized with white mycelium.
10. Cover the bottom of a plastic trash can or bin with 3 to 4 inches of vermiculite. Turn the jars out onto the vermiculite and cover the trash can or plastic bin with a plastic bag. Harvest the mushrooms when ready.
Tags: brown rice flour, rice flour, brown rice, spore syringe, brown rice, flour mixture, micropore tape