Flour made of brown rice is an ideal medium for growing mushrooms.
Fresh mushrooms make a delicious and nutritious addition to meals. Mushrooms begin to lose flavor and nutrients as soon as they are harvested, making store-bought varieties of lesser quality than freshly grown mushrooms. Growing mushrooms from spawn in a simple set-up is possible, though it requires effort, proper equipment and patience. Growing conditions including light, temperature, moisture and growing medium must be exact to achieve success. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Empty 1/2 cup vermiculite into a mixing bowl, pouring water over the vermiculite until it becomes moistened. The mixture should look similar to oatmeal.
2. Add 2 oz. organic brown rice flour to the mixing bowl. Stir the vermiculite, water and brown rice flour mixture until all is combined and moist.
3. Spoon the mixture into glass canning jars, filling each jar to 1/2 inch from the top of the jar. Fill the jars the rest of the way with dry vermiculite.
4. Fold one 5-inch piece of aluminum foil in half. Repeat this, making a folded foil strip for each jar. Cover each jar with aluminum foil, pressing the foil firmly over the jar opening. Fold the edges of the foil and press them inward toward the jar to create a sealed "lid" on the jar.
5. Fold another 5-inch piece of foil, placing it over the jar. Leave the ends of this piece pointing downward, as it must be lifted during the growing process.
6. Pour enough water into a pressure cooker to make the water 1-inch deep. Place a rack into the pressure cooker, then stack the jars onto the rack.
7. Cover the pressure cooker with its lid and set the burner to a medium heat. Slowly bring the pressure cooker's pressure up to 15 psi. Cook the growing medium for 45 minutes to sterilize and prepare it for inoculation. After 45 minutes, allow the cooker to cool to the touch. Remove the jars once the cooker is cool. Place the jars on a clean counter or table before loosening the top layer of foil on each one.
8. Shake the mushroom spore syringe to break up clumps. Place the needle over the flame of a lighter. Pull the plunger back, bringing 1 cc of sterile air into the syringe. Place the needle of the syringe into the flame until it glows red. Remove the needle from heat and allow it to cool.
9. Remove the top layer of foil from each jar. Inject 1 cc mushroom spore into the jar, near the outer edge so the spore entering the jar can be seen while watching from outside the jar. Inject each jar four times, equally spaced, around the perimeter of the jar. Replace foil to the top of each jar.
10. Place the mushroom jars in a damp, warm place with consistent 80-degree Fahrenheit temperatures for up to five days. Check jars daily for white specks. Once specks appear, expose each jar to 12 continuous hours of sunlight. Use a grow light if necessary to facilitate 12 hours.
11. Gently turn each jar upside down once the specks begin to look like mushrooms. Remove the foil from the jar and catch the mushrooms and medium in your hand. Place the growing mushroom cake into a clean plastic container, such as a bucket or trash can, with a 1/2-inch layer of pearlite on the bottom.
12. Cover the container loosely with a plastic bag. Allow the mushrooms to grow for up to three weeks before harvesting.
Tags: pressure cooker, brown rice, 5-inch piece, aluminum foil, brown rice flour