2 Years of Patience Paid Off with Shiitake
45sThe rewarding reveal of mushrooms after a long wait creates an emotional hook that viewers love to see.
▶ Play ClipAI Summary
This video demonstrates the traditional Japanese method of growing shiitake mushrooms on oak logs, from inoculation to harvest. It covers the materials needed, the step-by-step process, and how to preserve the harvest.
Chapters
[00:14]
Wood Selection
Shiitake mushrooms grow on hardwood like oak, which has a high sapwood ratio that the fungus feeds on.
[00:26]
Drilling Holes
Drill holes in logs using an angle grinder or power drill.
[00:26]
Inoculation
Use mushroom spawn in plug or sawdust form; plugs are hammered in, sawdust uses a thumb plunger.
[00:53]
Sealing
Seal holes with food-grade wax to protect from insects/birds and retain moisture.
[00:53]
Stacking and Waiting
Stack logs in a shady, rain-exposed area; after a rainstorm, mushrooms appear.
[01:08]
Harvest and Continued Fruiting
Logs fruit almost monthly until cold, and for years until wood is broken down.
[01:20]
Cooking and Preservation
Use fresh mushrooms for dashi stock; slice and dehydrate for storage of 1-2 years.
Mentioned in this Video
Tutorial Checklist
Study Flashcards (8)
What type of wood do shiitake mushrooms grow on?
easy
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What type of wood do shiitake mushrooms grow on?
easy
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Hardwood like oak, which has a high sapwood ratio.
00:14
What is used to inoculate the logs?
medium
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What is used to inoculate the logs?
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Mushroom spawn, which is wood substrate colonized by shiitake mycelium.
00:26
What two forms does mushroom spawn come in?
easy
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What two forms does mushroom spawn come in?
easy
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Plug form and sawdust form.
00:26
What is used to seal the holes after inoculation?
medium
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What is used to seal the holes after inoculation?
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Food-grade wax.
00:53
Why are the holes sealed?
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Why are the holes sealed?
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To protect from insects and birds and seal in moisture.
00:53
Where should the logs be stacked?
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Where should the logs be stacked?
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A shady place exposed to rain.
00:53
How often do the logs continue to fruit?
hard
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How often do the logs continue to fruit?
hard
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Almost every month until colder weather, and for subsequent years.
01:08
How are extra mushrooms preserved?
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How are extra mushrooms preserved?
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Slice thin and dehydrate overnight, storing for 1-2 years.
01:20
💡 Key Takeaways
🔧
Inoculation Methods
Explains the two spawn forms and the commercial Japanese method, giving practical options for growers.
00:26
📊
Continuous Fruiting
Reveals that logs fruit monthly for years, highlighting the long-term yield of this method.
01:08
🔧
Preservation via Dehydration
Provides a simple storage solution that extends shelf life to 1-2 years.
01:20Full Transcript
[00:00] After two years, my shiitake mushrooms are finally here. In August of 2023, Sylvan and Jordan from Homegrown Hand Gathered came by to teach me traditional Japanese methods of growing shiitake mushrooms. And shiitakes grow on hardwood like oak trees,
[00:14] which have a much higher ratio of sapwood, this outer darker ring, which is what the fungus actually feeds off. And the process started by drilling a bunch of holes in these oak logs, which can be done very quickly with an angle grinder,
[00:26] but a regular power drill works as well. And to inoculate the logs, we're using something called mushroom spawn, which is a wood substrate colonized by the shiitake mycelium, which come in both plug form or sawdust form. The plugs can simply be hammered right into
[00:39] the holes, and for the sawdust, a special thumb plunger is used to fill the holes with the spawn, which is how it's done commercially in Japan for maximum efficiency. Then the holes get sealed with any type of food grade wax to protect the spawn from insects or birds and to seal in all of the
[00:53] moisture. I chose a shady place in my yard to stack the logs, which is still exposed to rain, since fungus of course needs moisture to grow. And after patiently waiting, I went out after a big rainstorm this spring to see my logs had exploded with shiitake mushrooms.
[01:08] I harvested all the mushrooms, but these logs will actually continue to fruit almost every month until it gets colder out and for subsequent years until the mushrooms fully break down the logs and are out of food. I took some of the fresh mushrooms
[01:20] and made a nice shiitake dashi stock, which turned into a delicious noodle soup. And to preserve the rest of the mushrooms, I sliced them up thin and dehydrated them overnight, which will let me store them for about a year or two.
