Lion's Mane Mushrooms
Notes
Lion's Mane is a beautiful mushroom to watch and grow and mature. It starts as a tight cluster that looks similar to a brain and over the course of 3 or 4 days, begins to unravel majestic spines until they are cascading towards the earth. Harvest this mushroom when the spines are 1/4-1/2 and inch long. This mushroom is delicious sautéed in thin slices or torn apart into bite size pieces. Add lemon juice and butter or olive oil to complement the flavor of Lion's Mane.
1.) Fruiting on the top of the substrate is normal for lion's mane. cut the top of the bag and remove material on top, this is edible. Roll the top of the bag down so there is limited air above the sawdust substrate. Flip the bag over so the block deeps the rolled part closed. Alternatively, use clothes pins or paper clips to keep the bag rolled. this ensure the mushrooms fruit outside of the bag rather than inside.
2.) Cut small slits or holes in the bag. We use a pair of scissors and cut a 1 inch slit in the bag. You can also use a knife and make an X where you want the mushroom to fruit. For even fruiting cut two holes on the larger side of the bag and 1 hole on the short side of the bag. In total, cut 6 holes.
3.) Mist the outside of the bag once or twice a day. Keep in a well lit place, but not direct sunlight, like your kitchen counter or living room shelf.
4.) Harvest the mushrooms when the spines are cascading down and are about 1/4 -1/2 inch long. Allow the block to rest for 10-14 days and the mushrooms will begin fruiting again. Most block will fruit 2-3 times before they are ready to be composted.