Florida Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a specialty crop that are cultivated in Florida. Mushrooms are grown all year long and thrive in conditions that are moist, cool and ventilated. These conditions lead to mushrooms mostly being grown indoors in a controlled environment however; there are numerous ways to grow mushrooms.

All mushroom growth involves the use of mushroom spawn. The purpose of mushroom spawn is to transfer mycelium onto the growth medium. Mycelium is the vegetative part of the fungus and acts as the base of the mushroom colony. To grow mushrooms indoors, trays or bags of organic matter are used. Mushroom spawn are inserted into the organic matter. Mushroom spawn can also be inserted into logs and grown outdoors. The mushroom will begin to grow and spread on the surface of the medium. After 3-4 weeks, mushrooms can begin being harvested and will reproduce for about seven weeks.

There are various types of mushrooms and they are typically categorized by color. Mushrooms are either white, cream or brown. The stems and caps of the mushrooms are eaten and can be enjoyed in various ways! Check out the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recipe for marinated mushrooms below!

To learn more about mushroom production visit: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mv095