4 ms·

It's surprising more mushrooms aren't actively cultivated. One thing is the mycorrhizing kinds which are hard to farm, but there are plenty of types which just

It's surprising more mushrooms aren't actively cultivated. One thing is the mycorrhizing kinds which are hard to farm, but there are plenty of types which just need the right substrate and some care. Lion's mane, which unfortunately doesn't grow in my country, is one, but there is also sulfur shelf a.k.a. chicken of the woods which I would have thought would be a great candidate for mass cultivation. Shaggy mane inkcaps have terrible shelf life, so I understand why those aren't cultivated, but it should also be fairly straightforward to do on a small scale.

jamiecurle 4y ago
The "myco space" for want of a better term is very interesting and food is only a small part of that area of operations. packaging - https://www.mycopack.co.uk/ https://www.mycopack.co.uk/ furniture - https://plainmagazine.com/designer-researcher-come-sustainable-furniture-made-fungus-wood/ https://plainmagazine.com/designer-researcher-come-sustainab... If I had a few more days per week and few spare hundred K kicking around I'd be having a poke at some of this stuff as a small scale business. I totally agree, it is surprising that fungi and mushrooms (the fruiting bodies of fungi) are not more widely cultivated - especially as use goes beyond food. I'mn currently experimenting with hollowing out Fomes fomentarius [1] brackets(hoof fungus), polishing them up, flattening the backs and finishing them with hardwax. Not quite sure where this will go but I'd like to see if I could fit battery powered lights in them and use them as odd but quirky reading lights. [1]: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fomes_fomentarius_BW43.JPG https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fomes_fomentarius_BW...
- bookofjoe 4y ago
  >The "myco space" for want of a better term is very interesting and food is only a small part of that area of operations. Mushroom "leather" is now a luxury product: >Why Hermès, Famed for Its Leather, Is Rolling Out a Travel Bag Made From Mushrooms https://robbreport.com/style/accessories/hermes-vegan-mushroom-leather-1234601607/ https://robbreport.com/style/accessories/hermes-vegan-mushro... >Stella McCartney Unveils ‘World-First’ Garments Made From Vegan Mushroom Leather https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/fashion/stella-mccartney-unveils-world-first-garments-made-from-mushrooms/ https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/fashion/stella-mccartne... >Mushroom leather just got one step closer to the mainstream https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/mushroom-leather-just-got-one-step-closer-to-the-mainstream-mycoworks-hermes https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/mushroom-leathe...
yostrovs 4y ago
Chicken of the woods has an odd texture. Kind of gritty. So though it's abundant where we live, most mushroom hunters don't pick them. Cutting off and eating just the edge gives you a better texture than the entire mushroom.
- jamiecurle 4y ago
  as I understand it some people cannot digest it well either. It doesn't really grow in any woodlands around here so I've not had a chance to taste it.
- O__________O 4y ago
  Chicken of the woods being Laetiporus, an edible mushrooms: - https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Laetiporus https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Laetiporus Additional edible mushrooms are here; warning: many edibles have non-edible lookalike “twins” - and whole books are written on the topic on identifying mushrooms: - https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Edible_mushroom https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Edible_mushroom
  - jamiecurle 4y ago
    As the saying goes all mushrooms can be eaten once...
kjs3 4y ago
It's surprising more mushrooms aren't actively cultivated I asked a mycologist acquaintance this at a party some time ago (several folks were talking about unusual recipe ingredients). He said it's just that most mushrooms don't travel well enough to be profitable enough for the grocery chains. But local mushroom growers seem to be showing up more and more at the famers markets at least around here, so we're getting more variety.

jamiecurle 4y ago

The "myco space" for want of a better term is very interesting and food is only a small part of that area of operations. packaging - https://www.mycopack.co.uk/ https://www.mycopack.co.uk/ furniture - https://plainmagazine.com/designer-researcher-come-sustainable-furniture-made-fungus-wood/ https://plainmagazine.com/designer-researcher-come-sustainab... If I had a few more days per week and few spare hundred K kicking around I'd be having a poke at some of this stuff as a small scale business. I totally agree, it is surprising that fungi and mushrooms (the fruiting bodies of fungi) are not more widely cultivated - especially as use goes beyond food. I'mn currently experimenting with hollowing out Fomes fomentarius [1] brackets(hoof fungus), polishing them up, flattening the backs and finishing them with hardwax. Not quite sure where this will go but I'd like to see if I could fit battery powered lights in them and use them as odd but quirky reading lights. [1]: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fomes_fomentarius_BW43.JPG https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fomes_fomentarius_BW...

bookofjoe 4y ago
>The "myco space" for want of a better term is very interesting and food is only a small part of that area of operations. Mushroom "leather" is now a luxury product: >Why Hermès, Famed for Its Leather, Is Rolling Out a Travel Bag Made From Mushrooms https://robbreport.com/style/accessories/hermes-vegan-mushroom-leather-1234601607/ https://robbreport.com/style/accessories/hermes-vegan-mushro... >Stella McCartney Unveils ‘World-First’ Garments Made From Vegan Mushroom Leather https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/fashion/stella-mccartney-unveils-world-first-garments-made-from-mushrooms/ https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/fashion/stella-mccartne... >Mushroom leather just got one step closer to the mainstream https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/mushroom-leather-just-got-one-step-closer-to-the-mainstream-mycoworks-hermes https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/mushroom-leathe...

yostrovs 4y ago

Chicken of the woods has an odd texture. Kind of gritty. So though it's abundant where we live, most mushroom hunters don't pick them. Cutting off and eating just the edge gives you a better texture than the entire mushroom.

jamiecurle 4y ago
as I understand it some people cannot digest it well either. It doesn't really grow in any woodlands around here so I've not had a chance to taste it.
O__________O 4y ago
Chicken of the woods being Laetiporus, an edible mushrooms: - https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Laetiporus https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Laetiporus Additional edible mushrooms are here; warning: many edibles have non-edible lookalike “twins” - and whole books are written on the topic on identifying mushrooms: - https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Edible_mushroom https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Edible_mushroom
- jamiecurle 4y ago
  As the saying goes all mushrooms can be eaten once...

kjs3 4y ago

It's surprising more mushrooms aren't actively cultivated I asked a mycologist acquaintance this at a party some time ago (several folks were talking about unusual recipe ingredients). He said it's just that most mushrooms don't travel well enough to be profitable enough for the grocery chains. But local mushroom growers seem to be showing up more and more at the famers markets at least around here, so we're getting more variety.