Description

Chestnut Mushroom Outdoor Grow Kit

Chestnut (Pholiota adiposa) is a popular cultivated mushroom in Japan. Chestnut Mushroom Outdoor Growing Kit produces velvety, small-to-medium, delightfully speckled caps resembling the color of their namesake nut. When cooked, they have a woodsy aroma, a meaty heaviness, and a rich, nutty, mildly-sweet flavor.

Chestnut mushrooms aren’t too difficult to cultivate, but can pose some minor challenges with identification. They are not ideal for first time cultivators or those unfamiliar with how to properly identify different mushrooms species. However, this species can be quite rewarding to grow.

Skill level: Intermediate
Grow location: Outdoors
Spawn shelf life: 6 months (refrigerated)
Incubation: 12-18 months
Fruiting temps: 60-70°F

Each outdoor kit contains:

• A drill bit
• Log sealing wax
• A wax applicator
• 100ct plug spawn or voucher
• Instruction guide

That’s not mold, it’s mycelium!

Your kit includes plug spawn colonized with mushroom mycelium. It may appear covered with a soft, white, mold-like substance – that’s the mushroom mycelium! It is completely normal. The mycelium of some species is more prominent than others.

Kit with voucher

Ordering a log kit with a voucher allows you to redeem your plug spawn at a later date. Vouchers make a great gift and are good for projects beyond a 3 month start date.

Inoculation

Chestnuts work well with the Stump and Log methods in maple and oak logs. After a 1-year colonization period above ground, Chestnut logs may be buried under 2 inches of top soil. Mushrooms fruit from logs and will emerge from the soil.

For our complete plug spawn pamphlet, click here.

Storing
If you don’t plan to use immediately, you can refrigerate your spawn for up to 6 months.

Cooking

Once cultivated, the Chestnut mushroom has a full flavor that is evoked with thorough cooking. We recommend you use its rich, nutty flavor as a compliment to autumn soups. Chestnut mushrooms work best when sautéing and simmering, and are delicious in a variety of soups, stews, and casseroles.

Cautions & considerations
If you’re going to consume home-grown mushrooms, make sure to cook your fresh mushrooms thoroughly with heat. If it is your first time eating this species, it is best to start with a small amount to check for allergies, even if cooked.

CAUTION: Be careful to properly identify these mushrooms when harvesting and before consuming. Chestnuts have poisonous lookalikes, so make sure you are familiar with the deadly Galerina autumnalis.