Description

Gourmet Mushroom Cultures 5 Pack — Product Summary

•       Five 10–12cc liquid culture syringes, each containing a distinct gourmet mushroom species

•       Includes: Shiitake (Lentinus edodes), White Enoki (Flammulina velutipes), Portobello (Agaricus bisporus), Chestnut Mushroom (Pholiota adiposa), and King Oyster (Pleurotus eryngii)

•       Each syringe contains viable mycelium suspended in a sterile nutrient broth

•       Suitable for inoculating sterilized grain, agar petri dishes, and species-appropriate substrates

•       Store refrigerated between 35–45°F; avoid freezing

•       Ships with sterile needles; use within 4–6 months of receipt

Gourmet Mushroom Liquid Cultures — Pack Overview

The Gourmet Mushroom Cultures 5 Pack provides liquid culture syringes of five gourmet species selected for their culinary value and suitability for small-scale cultivation. Each syringe contains 10–12cc of living mycelium in a sterile nutrient broth solution. Liquid culture is used to inoculate prepared substrates, accelerating colonization relative to spore-based inoculation methods. The five species in this pack represent a range of substrate requirements, fruiting conditions, and cultivation techniques, making the pack a practical reference point for cultivators working across multiple species simultaneously.

Gourmet Mushroom Cultures 5 Pack — Included Species

1. Shiitake (Lentinus edodes) Liquid Culture

Lentinus edodes, commonly known as Shiitake, is a saprophytic hardwood fungus native to East Asia and among the most widely cultivated culinary mushrooms globally. Shiitake produces a brown, umbrella-shaped cap with white gill tissue and a distinctive savory flavor profile. In the wild, Lentinus edodes grows on dead and dying hardwood trees, particularly oak, chestnut, and beech. In cultivation, Shiitake performs well on supplemented hardwood sawdust, oak logs, and masters mix substrates. It requires a cold shock or temperature drop to initiate pinning and benefits from high humidity and moderate fresh air exchange during fruiting.

Shiitake (Lentinus edodes) Cultivation Parameters

2. White Enoki (Flammulina velutipes) Liquid Culture

Flammulina velutipes, commonly known as White Enoki or Enokitake, is a cold-tolerant saprophytic fungus that grows naturally on the wood of broadleaf trees, particularly elm, ash, and hackberry, during late autumn and winter. The cultivated form produces long, slender white stems with small caps, distinct from the wild form which is darker and shorter. White Enoki is well suited to hardwood-based substrates and is notable for its preference for low temperatures during fruiting. Flammulina velutipes is one of the few gourmet species that fruits reliably at near-refrigeration temperatures, making it compatible with cool growing environments where other species would stall.

White Enoki (Flammulina velutipes) Cultivation Parameters

3. Portobello (Agaricus bisporus) Liquid Culture

Agaricus bisporus is the species responsible for several familiar commercial mushroom varieties including Button, Crimini, and Portobello — the differences between them reflect maturity and strain rather than distinct species. Portobello refers to the fully mature, large-capped form of Agaricus bisporus, while Crimini is the same species at an intermediate stage. Unlike the other species in this pack, Agaricus bisporus is a composting species rather than a wood decomposer, requiring a well-composted manure or straw-based substrate and a casing layer of peat and lime to trigger pinning. It is one of the more involved species to cultivate at home but also one of the most commercially significant culinary mushrooms in the world.

Portobello (Agaricus bisporus) Cultivation Parameters

4. Chestnut Mushroom (Pholiota adiposa) Liquid Culture

Pholiota adiposa, commonly called Chestnut Mushroom, is a wood-decaying saprophyte found growing in clusters on hardwood stumps and logs across temperate regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. It produces small to medium-sized caramel-brown caps with a slightly sticky surface and a mild, nutty flavor. Pholiota adiposa colonizes hardwood-based substrates effectively and is related to but distinct from the more widely cultivated Pholiota nameko. In cultivation, Chestnut Mushroom benefits from supplemented hardwood sawdust and responds to humidity and temperature drops to initiate pinning. It is a cluster-forming species, producing dense fruiting bodies well-suited to block or bag cultivation.

Chestnut Mushroom (Pholiota adiposa) Cultivation Parameters

5. King Oyster (Pleurotus eryngii) Liquid Culture

Pleurotus eryngii, commonly known as King Oyster or King Trumpet, is the largest species in the Pleurotus genus and differs ecologically from other oyster mushrooms. Rather than growing on wood, Pleurotus eryngii is a root parasite and saprotroph associated with the roots of herbaceous plants, particularly Eryngium and Ferula species, in Mediterranean and Central Asian habitats. In cultivation it is typically grown on supplemented hardwood sawdust or cottonseed hull-based substrates. King Oyster produces a thick, meaty stem and small cap, with a firm texture and mild umami flavor that holds up well to high-heat cooking. It fruits at lower temperatures than most Pleurotus species and benefits from restricted fresh air exchange during early pinning to encourage stem elongation.

King Oyster (Pleurotus eryngii) Cultivation Parameters

Gourmet Mushroom Liquid Culture — Cultivation Overview

Liquid culture syringes contain living mycelium suspended in a sterile solution of water and dissolved nutrients. Each syringe in the Gourmet Mushroom Cultures 5 Pack is prepared from isolated cultures and is intended for inoculation of prepared substrates. Liquid culture is injected directly into sterilized grain jars, agar petri dishes, or substrate bags through an injection port or self-healing lid. Colonization time varies by species, substrate density, and environmental conditions. All syringes should be stored refrigerated at 35–45°F and kept away from direct light. Shake the syringe gently before use to redistribute mycelium evenly through the solution.

Gourmet Mushroom Cultures 5 Pack — Taxonomy

Shiitake (Lentinus edodes) Taxonomy

•       Kingdom: Fungi

•       Division: Basidiomycota

•       Class: Agaricomycetes

•       Order: Agaricales

•       Family: Omphalotaceae

•       Genus: Lentinus

•       Species: Lentinus edodes

White Enoki (Flammulina velutipes) Taxonomy

•       Kingdom: Fungi

•       Division: Basidiomycota

•       Class: Agaricomycetes

•       Order: Agaricales

•       Family: Physalacriaceae

•       Genus: Flammulina

•       Species: Flammulina velutipes

Portobello / Crimini / Button (Agaricus bisporus) Taxonomy

•       Kingdom: Fungi

•       Division: Basidiomycota

•       Class: Agaricomycetes

•       Order: Agaricales

•       Family: Agaricaceae

•       Genus: Agaricus

•       Species: Agaricus bisporus

Chestnut Mushroom (Pholiota adiposa) Taxonomy

•       Kingdom: Fungi

•       Division: Basidiomycota

•       Class: Agaricomycetes

•       Order: Agaricales

•       Family: Strophariaceae

•       Genus: Pholiota

•       Species: Pholiota adiposa

King Oyster (Pleurotus eryngii) Taxonomy

•       Kingdom: Fungi

•       Division: Basidiomycota

•       Class: Agaricomycetes

•       Order: Agaricales

•       Family: Pleurotaceae

•       Genus: Pleurotus

•       Species: Pleurotus eryngii