Growing Enoki Mushrooms from a Starter Kit
Purchase an enoki mushroom starter kit. Enoki starter kits are available online from websites that specialize in fungi. They most often come in premade, ready-to-use grow blocks made of compacted substrate material like sawdust or straw. To begin growing mushrooms, simply wet and store the block. Expect to pay around $20-25 for a basic starter kit. The price may be higher depending on the seasonal availability of certain varieties of mushrooms. A typical starter kit contains enough material to grow mushrooms continuously for 2-4 weeks. Enoki mushrooms are sometimes listed as “enokitake” on specialty websites. “Take” is the Japanese word for “mushroom.”
Drizzle 1 cup (240 mL) of filtered water evenly over the grow block. Your grow block should arrive inside an insulated plastic container or sleeve. Remove the lid of the container and pour the water directly over the top and sides of the block. Try to wet as much of the substrate material as you can. The more evenly you wet the grow block, the more area the mushrooms will have to begin growing. Your grow kit may specify a different amount of water depending on the size of the block and the mushrooms’ specific moisture requirements. Use filtered or distilled water, as tap water is treated with chemicals.
Cover the grow block container with a lid or plastic bag. If your container didn’t come with a removable lid, drape a grocery bag or gallon-sized zipper bag lightly over the opening. This will help trap moisture inside, making it an optimal environment for speedy growth. Don’t seal off or pin down the edges of the bag. Your mushrooms will need some air in order to grow. If you don’t have a plastic bag on hand, use a couple wet strips of newspaper (or any other kind of lightweight paper). Just make sure the saturated newspaper isn’t heavy enough to weigh down the enokitake as they emerge.
Keep the grow block in a cool, dark place. Situate the covered container somewhere where it can remain at a constant temperature of 40–50 °F (4–10 °C). A shelf on your refrigerator or a dim basement or pantry will work well. You can also leave your grow block in a shady spot outside as long as temperatures don’t drop below freezing. If you don’t have a suitable cool place to keep your grow block, simply set it on the kitchen counter. While enoki mushrooms are a cold weather species, they’ll also grow just fine at room temperature.
Harvest the first batch of mushrooms after 2-4 weeks. Usually, your enoki grow block will produce multiple batches of mushrooms over the course of several weeks. To harvest the mushrooms, cut them close to the substrate’s surface using a knife or a clean pair of scissors. Store the harvested enokitake in a breathable container in the fridge to maintain freshness. Between the wood contained in the grow block and the moisture-trapping plastic, your enokitake will have everything they need to flourish. There should be no need to uncover them until they start fruiting. First, a fuzzy white substance called mycelium will appear on the outside of the block. Soon after, the mushrooms themselves will begin to pop up. Once the small caps are fully formed, they’ll be ready to harvest for cooking or propagation.
Cultivating Enoki Mushrooms from Spores
Buy a packet of starter enoki mushroom spawn. You can get enoki spawn through an online vendor that sells fungi spores, as well as some agriculture supply stores and greenhouses. Unlike a complete starter kit, mushroom spawn contains only the spores themselves, which usually come packed into a protective housing material like sawdust. Starter spawn doesn’t include instructions, which means you’ll have to learn how to cultivate and tend the mushrooms yourself. If this sounds like too much work, you may be better off using a starter kit instead.
Acquire some hardwood sawdust or a similar growing material. Enokitake are decomposers that can grow in any number of organic substrates, but they tend to favor hardwood sawdust. However, you’ll also get successful results using straw or ordinary garden compost. Stock up on enough substrate material to create a bed about 2 inches (5.1 cm) thick so your spores will have plenty of room and resources to grow. You’ll generally find raw substrate materials for sale at the same place you bought your starter spawn. Any type of sawdust or wood chips will work as long as they’re collected from hard wood.
Pasteurize the substrate by heating it to 160–180 °F (71–82 °C). Transfer the substrate to an oven bag or pan with steep sides and place it in an oven preheated to 300 °F (149 °C). Warm the sawdust, wood ships, straw, or compost for 1-2 hours. Once the substrate reaches a temperature of roughly 180 °F (82 °C), reduce the oven’s temperature to 180 °F (82 °C) and continue heating for 3 hours. Use a meat thermometer to find the temperature of the substrate material every 15-20 minutes. Avoid heating the substrate past 180 °F (82 °C), as this will also kill off organisms that are beneficial to the mushrooms.
Allow the substrate material to cool for 6 to 8 hours. After pasteurizing the substrate, remove the bag or pan from the oven and set it on a heat-safe surface to cool. Let it sit at room temperature for several hours before you begin adding the spores, as introducing them to the substrate while it’s still hot could kill them. At this point, you can transfer your substrate to your desired growing container or proceed to raise your mushrooms right in your oven bag or pan.
Spread the mushroom spawn over the substrate material. Try to distribute the clumped spores evenly over the surface of the substrate. Once they’ve been added, they’ll feed on the pulpy wood and the moisture it contains and begin producing mycelium within a few days. Check the packaging of your starter spawn for more precise information on how much to use. It may take up to a week after you first sew the spawn for the mycelium to appear.
Cover the growing container. Place a plastic bag or layer of wet newspaper over the spawn-infused substrate. This will provide the spores with a ready supply of moisture, which they’ll soak up to grow larger in less time.
Keep your growing container at room temperature or cooler. Designate a shelf in your refrigerator for your enokitake, or create some space on a countertop or in your pantry. Ideally, they should be stored at around 40–50 °F (4–10 °C), but they’ll also grow without difficulty (albeit a bit slower) in temperatures up to about 75 °F (24 °C). A growing location like a basement or cabinet beneath the sink is ideal, as these places are often humid as well as cool. Whatever spot you choose, make sure it’s well-shaded. Enokitake can tolerate a little bit of light, but too much can stunt their growth or even cause them to die off.
Mist the substrate material with water twice a day. Pull back the plastic or newspaper and lightly spritz the surface of the substrate material with a spray bottle filled with fresh, cold water. Do this once in the morning and again in the evening. There’s no need to wet the substrate too thoroughly—just give it a couple sprays and replace the cover. Be careful not to oversaturate the substrate. Doing so could drown out young mushrooms or lead to the growth of harmful bacteria.
Give the mushrooms 2-4 weeks to reach maturity. When kept covered, cool, and moist, your first crop of enokitake should spring up in no time. Mushrooms grow faster than almost any other food source and can actually double in size every day. In some cases, it may only take a little over a week to end up with a batch of full-sized mushrooms. If your mushrooms seem to be developing slowly, try lowering their surrounding temperature as much as possible to simulate their preferred natural environment.
Harvest the mushrooms. Once the enokitake are about 3-4 inches long, they’re ready to harvest. Use a knife or clean scissors to cut the mushrooms close to the substrate’s surface, being careful not to damage the surrounding mycelium. Handle the harvested mushrooms gently and store them in a breathable container in the refrigerator to maintain freshness. Enoki mushrooms can be harvested continuously over the course of several weeks. After each harvest, remove any mushroom debris and keep the substrate hydrated and cool to grow more mushrooms.
Storing, Cleaning, and Eating Enoki Mushrooms
Store harvested enoki in a breathable container in the fridge. When stored correctly, enoki can last up to a week in the fridge. If you store them in plastic, make sure the container is perforated and breathable. If it isn’t, place them in a paper bag on a shelf in the fridge. Don’t place them in the crisper drawer, as it has limited airflow. Like many mushrooms, enokitake don’t freeze well, as they lose their texture and become mushy when defrosted. While enoki typically lasts up to a week in the fridge, it’s best to cook or eat them as soon as possible.
To clean enoki, cut the base and put them in a bowl of water. Before cleaning your enoki, cut off the mass at the base of the mushrooms where the stems join. Separate the mushrooms into smaller clumps or individual stems, then remove any slimy, bruised, or discolored mushrooms. Place the rest in a bowl of cold water to remove debris, then drain with a colander and pat them dry.
When cooking enoki, add them to the recipe last. Enoki stems are thin and fragile, so they cook extremely fast and are usually ready in about 2-3 minutes. To avoid overcooking, add them at the very end of your meal preparation. The longer you cook them, the chewier they become. Try sauteing, stir-frying, or steaming enoki. You can also add them to soups or stews. Enoki mushrooms are also safe to eat raw. Add them to salads or sandwiches or snack on them by themselves. Many believe eating enokitake can boost your immune system, improve liver health, or even decrease the size of tumors. However, these beliefs are not backed by science.
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