This is the question right now, is it really worth growing your own mushrooms? It is something I’ve been asking myself a lot lately.
Have you ever thought about growing your own mushrooms? Or have you tried it?
It is something I’ve done in the past, but not for a long time. The last time I did it I didn’t get many mushrooms. I was lazy and didn’t look after them properly. It has got me thinking about trying again.
So the big question is, is it worth growing your own?
Now, I’m not going to work out how to put my own kit together to do it. There is a limit to what I will try, especially when there are ready-made ones out there already. They don’t cost a lot and at around AUS$22, it seems fairly cheap. So it would seem anyway.
I have no idea how many mushrooms it will produce so that has to be considered too. While researching the kits, I’ve been trying to find that out. Somewhere I read maybe around 3 kgs of mushrooms. That seems pretty good.
Comparing what you produce with what you can buy
This morning I went to my local supermarket, Leo’s Fine Food and Wine Supermarket in Heidelberg.
Leo’s is a gourmet food supermarket really. They often sell things the others don’t. It can be a little more expensive, but there are too many benefits to worry about that. Their fruit and vegetables are really good and so much better than the other supermarkets around here.
They are also local, that has to be good too.
So, this morning I went in to do my grocery shopping and one of the items I bought was white button mushrooms. I often don’t take any notice of the price, I need it, so I buy it. However, I was curious to see how much they were.
They cost more than I thought they would. At almost $12 a kilo, they aren’t cheap. I bought 500 grams of them. I will go through those in a week. I love mushrooms and try to put them in everything. Not good for Dave, he doesn’t like them, but he tolerates them in certain things like salads.
Mushroom Kits
So if I buy one, all it has to do is produce at least 2 kilos of mushrooms and I have come out even, maybe even a little ahead. If it produces far more, then it is worth growing them.
I guess the only question left is will it produce them fast enough for me to use?
Only time will answer that question.
Buying some kits
I got my first one quite a few weeks ago and it is only just starting to produce now. It took so long. Unfortunately, I’ve realised that I bought the wrong type. The one I got is growing flat mushrooms or portabello ones. I was really after the white button mushrooms. They did seem to be growing quite strange.
I will have to see how I go with them. Yesterday I picked almost 300 grams from the kit. The first ones and there are plenty still to come.
I probably picked them too soon, but oh well. I did look at these this morning too and they are $14.99 a kilo. The kit was $23 and so I probably only have to get 1.5 kilos to get my money’s worth, or maybe slightly more.
I have purchased two white button mushroom kits now and they should arrive any day. With them, I will start one and leave the other one a few weeks before getting it ready. Hopefully, both kits will see me through the summer.
So is it worth growing your own mushrooms?
Well, I hope so. I suppose I won’t know until I have finished with the kits and seen how many kilograms of mushrooms they each produce. Let’s hope it will be worth all the trouble, I will just need to remember to keep weighing the ones I pick.
Interesting question, Leanne. Way back when I still lived in Germany, I had a mushroom kit and it was amazing how many pounds of mushrooms it gave me. By now my favorite One’s are the King Oyster mushrooms. Have you ever tried those? I just love them.
I hope mine will do the same, I just have to keep remembering they are there. There are so many different types aren’t there, and no I haven’t tried those, what do you use them in Cornelia?
They are also called Oyster Eryngi, but common as King Oyster. I cut them in pieces and simply pan fry them with butter, until they are brownish , add a bit salt and pepper when they done, maybe add a bit of parsley, nothing fancy, because I like the pure taste of it. You can have them along with roasted veggies or spinach. Enjoy, Leanne.
That sounds great Cornelia. So many different ways to eat them. I will have to try growing them again at some time. Thank you Cornelia.
I have not personally grown my own edible mushrooms. Where I used to live in Scotland, we could forage for wild mushrooms which was fun once I was confident with identification. My sister-in-law who lives in England grows a variety of mushrooms. Like you, she started with kits, the log type. I think if you consume a lot of mushrooms, it definitely works out being good value, especially for the slightly more expensive varieties like shiitake or oyster.
I know people who have done that here, but I would be too scared to do it, I really don’t know my mushrooms. I figure if you can buy it you can eat it. Kits are good, I tried blue oyster and shiitake this year too, but the shiitake didn’t really work, but I got quite a few blue oyster ones. I love shiitake mushrooms so I might try them again next year. Thank you Laura.
my daughter is interested in doing this
I hope she does, it is really easy, just have to remember to spray them with water every day or so. I wish her luck.
Love to know if you succeed. I love mushrooms.
I will be sure to do a follow up Sherry, but it probably won’t happen for a couple of months. I love them too, thanks
I was wondering about this…so thanks for this post!
Good to know I’m not the only one who has wondered. You’re welcome and thank you.
I have considered it, but more as a business than for myself. I haven’t tried it yet, though. I don’t really like mushrooms enough to grow them for personal use.
There are so good videos on YouTube about starting a business, all the things you should think about. I am happy to grow them for myself I think. I love them, what a shame you don’t like them. Thank you Zelmare.
I eat them in dishes, just not that crazy about them. For instance, won’t eat mushrooms on their own as a meal . To each his own, as they say. 😀
You sound like my husband, he is the same. I can make a pasta dish that has them in it, but I can’t make a mushroom pasta sauce. If the dominant flavour is mushroom, he says no.
One ”vegetable” I have never thought to try to grow. The closest I ever got to eating mushrooms ”au natural” was as a kid, when my father was in the RAF, and on occasion we would get up very early and go for a wander across the airfield and pick wild mushrooms.
I will add that, when it comes to growing mushrooms I am all in the dark!
😉
I’ve always been too scared to look for wild mushrooms, I really don’t know enough about them. I do have to say growing them yourself is so easy, you really don’t have to do a lot but spray them with water every day or two and then wait for them to appear. Haha, you being in the dark is a good start. Thank you.