Long live lower life forms! Especially those nuggets of bioactivity, mushrooms. In fact, some of the mushrooms below demonstrate numerous immune-boosting and tumor-suppressing effects. They also offer lots of other nutritional benefits, including large amounts of amino acids, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, and ascorbic acid. These mushroom kits contain pure mushroom mycelium growing on a sterilized medium which varies from species to species. You can set these kits anywhere in your house where the recommended temperatures can be achieved. Every kit is certified organic. Pound for pound, these mushroom kits probably offer more bang for the buck than any plant offering you're likely to find. The rapid appearance of mushrooms guarantees a quick and plentiful harvest. Each kit contains illustrated and easy-to-follow instructions, the most important of which is to use spring or rain water when starting your project. It's also a good idea to note the temperature range for optimum growing conditions. Check out the varieties below for a fascinating glimpse into the world of Fungi. Mushroom kits are shipped via UPS ground. Store at temperatures of 40-50 degrees if you're not going to start the kit right away. Remember, mushrooms are living things and hence perishable. Shelf life of these kits is a few weeks, so plan on starting the kits upon arrival. We are unable to enclose gift cards for mushroom kits. Shipping charges, added at check-out, are 25% for CA, 30% for OR and WA, and 40% for rest of continental U.S. HI residents, you must obtain an import permit from the HSDA Plant Quarantine Branch for any of the mushroom kits. You can obtain further information at the Hawaii State Department of Agriculture, 1428 S. King St., Honolulu, HI, 96814, tel: (808)973-9560. Photos courtesy of Paul Stamets. |
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| Enokitake Mushroom Kit Flammulina populicola. Known as the Winter Mushroom in the U.S., these long-stemmed Enokitakes, a Japanese favorite, are abundant and flavorful. One kit might produce over 2,000 individual mushrooms. To activate, just place the spawn in your fridge. Freezing does not harm this variety. Growing temp: 40-60 degrees F. | |
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| Lion's Mane Mushroom Kit Hericium erinaceus. If you're looking for a baseball-sized mushroom that tastes like lobster, you've found it. These beauties grow in cascading clusters that are choice edibles. Growing temp: 65-75 degrees F. | |
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| Maitake Mushroom Kit Grifola frondosa. Also known as the Dancing Mushroom or Hen of the Woods, Maitake mushrooms are marvelous for eating. They're also easy to grow. Just unwrap the kit and water (no distilled or tap) once or twice a day. You'll harvest many clusters in about two months. Then you can inoculate an outdoor area with the remnants and have subsequent fruitings the following year. Growing temp: 55-70 degrees F. | |
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| Reishi Mushroom Kit Ganoderma lucidum. The Chinese seem to have a monopoly on identifying medicinal plants, and they've relied on this mushroom, which they call Ling Chi, through many dynasties. It's usually dried and crumbled up, then brewed into a tea whose flavor could never be mistaken for peppermint. But since heat helps break down the mushroom's chitinous cell walls, brewed Reishi tea is an excellent way to reap full benefits from the immune-boosting properties of this beautiful fungus. Growing temp: 70-80 degrees F. | |
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| Shiitake Mushroom Kit Lentinula edodes. This select Chinese strain of Shiitake is a prolific grower and will provide two harvests a month for up to four months. And not only is this mushroom absolutely delicious, it also contains numerous health-stimulating properties from one of its constituents, Lentinan. This polysaccharide complex has demonstrated anti-cancer properties in clinical trials. Growing temp: 50-80 degrees F. | |
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| Turkey Tail Mushroom Kit Trametes versicolor. Yet another mushroom with great medicinal value. Known to the Chinese as Yun Zhi, Turkey tails are shelf fungi that are found in temperate climates on hardwood detritus. They're usually made into a tea. The anti-cancer agent PSK is available in abundance in the tea and is stable after ingestion. PSK, a polysaccharide-protein complex, has a fascinating story that includes its 1977 approval as an anti-cancer drug in Japan. It retards the progress of various cancers through increased macrophage activity rather than cytotoxicity, which means PSK has no undesirable side effects. For more information on its value as an adjuvant therapy with chemotherapy agents, read a summary of clinical trials at cancerguide.org. Growing temp: 65-75 degrees F. | |
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