Mushrooms
Often it's difficult to find gourmet mushrooms in stores due to their short shelf life, and because
they do not stand up well to long distance shipping. That’s why growing your own mushrooms will always have the “freshness advantage”. What
do consumers like about gourmet mushrooms? With the trend to healthier foods,
mushrooms fit the bill nicely. Gourmet mushrooms are fat-free, cholesterol
free, pesticide free and have many medicinal benefits. They can be grown without
harmful chemicals.
Getting started
Wild mushrooms
Foraging for wild mushrooms can be tricky as it can be hard to distinguish toxic varieties from edibles. The Mycological Society of Toronto offers tips and mentoring. If you want to leave mushroom picking to the professionals, Forbes Wild Foods sells at farmers' markets across the city.
Grow your own
Freestyle Farm describes in detail how to produce shiitake mushrooms.
Mycosource can set you up with innoculated logs so you can grow your own. They also sell at selected farmers' markets.
Young Urban Farmers has information on three different kinds of mushrooms (oyster, reishi and shiitake) and sell inoculated logs.
Shopping list
Kits:
Spawn: