Cultivation
Kombucha
Jason was kind enough to pass on a number of scoby (cultures)so I could begin making kombucha. I’m quite fascinated by the “kombucha mushroom” which isn’t actually a mushroom. It is a symbiotic union between yeast and bacteria that feeds on tea and sugar creating an acidic drink that has antibiotic properties. I’m fascinated by the fact that the kombucha will grow to the size of the container that it is grown in. It’s unusual shape, texture and ecology makes it an interesting site of exploration.
Jason recommended www.kombu.de for all things kombucha. It’s been really helpful for getting started with my own brew.
I’m experimenting with a few different varieties of teas- green, black, smoked black, white and chamomile.
Cultivated Reishi
My reishi started dispersing reddish brown spores so I decided to harvest them. Here they are drying out. Once dry they are quite light weight with a touch almost leathery exterior.
Reishi Rising
The reishi patch was the most successful of all my cultivation experiments. Once moistened they have an almost lacquered look. Reishi have been highly regarded in many asian cultures for their medicinal properties.
Enokitake
My little farms in tin pans are occupying both home and studio. I set up my Enokitake patch in my studio space in order to take advantage of the cooler temperatures. These mushrooms really like the cold- to get them started they need to be cold shocked by spending a week in the fridge. To moisten the patch the instructions suggested pouring a tray of ice cubes over them.
I was quite surprised that over a busy period when I didn’t make it into the studio the Enokitake started growing. I arrived one day to find them creeping up along the edges of the plastic bag. Unfortunately, I think they were too moist as the stems began to rot right away. I ended up plucking them out and using their caps for some experiments with spore prints rather than eating. I pulled off the plastic bag in the hopes of drying it out somewhat and trying to start the patch again.
Weeks of growing and still nothing to eat. I don’t seem to be much of a farmer just yet.
Mycelium Standing
Shiitake and I have a daily routine. In the morning after my shower, I give it a little list down. I’ve been keeping it near the radiator in the hopes of keeping it fairly warm but not too dry. It requires a misting at least twice a day with spring water not distilled water. (Apparently, the minerals are important for the health of the mushroom.) So far the exterior is darkening as it shows in the instructions I received with the patch. Eventually the surface blisters and white cracks form which is the early formation of the mushrooms. Still waiting patiently for these blisters to appear.
In the meantime, I have been considering asking my cousin Patrick to create a shiitake recipe specifically for my homegrown mushrooms. He’s a brilliant chef that has recently left the profession due to a rare fungal disease that resulted in long term health problems. It seems like an interesting proposition for exploring the relations of humans and fungus as sometimes beneficial and sometimes pathogenic.
Patchy mushrooms
I received a shipment of mushroom patches from Fungi Perfecti in October. After opening the box and reading through the instructions, I set up a calendar so I could keep track of what each patch needed when in order to grow. The Enokitake patch needed some rest time in the cool basement to recover from travelling while the Shitake patch needed to spend some time in the fridge. This gave me a bit of breathing room so I could go away for the weekend.
When I returned I had to soak the shitake for 24 hours. I filled a large red bucket with water that had been boiled and submerged the patch only to have it bounce up out of the water like a bath toy. In order to hold it under water for a day I had to fill a large plastic container with water and place it on top of the patch and tape it to the sides of the bucket. This surprisingly worked for 24 hours and filled our apartment with a kind of soupy fermenting smell which faded once the patch was removed and placed in a lasagna pan near a nice warm radiator. To keep it moist there is a plastic hood with holes that is placed overtop of the patch. I need to mist it three times a day to maintain the needed moisture. So far so good- the patch is turning dark brown in places and beginning to blister as it shows in the pamphlet.