Porcelain Mushrooms
Porcelain mushrooms (Oudemansiella canarii) are a strikingly beautiful species of fungi known for their smooth and almost translucent white caps that resemble fine porcelain. Native to temperate forests, they typically grow on decaying hardwood, especially beech trees. These mushrooms thrive in moist, shaded environments and often appear in clusters. Though less commonly known than other edible mushrooms, they are prized for their delicate texture and mild flavour and can be used much like enoki mushrooms. Their aesthetic appeal also make them a favourite subject for nature photographers.
Each species of mushroom is a different growing experience. Even if you have grown mushrooms before, please read the instructions carefully before proceeding. If you run into any problems please see our FAQ.
Step 1: Open the box
Inside of this box, mycelium has has been happily breaking down the organic growing medium and converting it into energy.
This is an example of a well-colonised porcelain mushroom block. Note the white mycelium with brown patches on top.
This is a top down view of the block. The brown patches are normal for mature porcelain mushroom mycelium.
Generally speaking, we recommend starting your kit within 2 weeks of arrival as it should be ready by then.
If you're not sure about how your kit is looking, get in touch with us with photos as soon as possible so that we can take a look for you.
Step 2: Initiating Fruiting
Unfurl the folded over top of the bag and cut open the grow bag along this top edge. Without breathing into the bag, create enough room for your mushrooms to grow inside the bag. Roll the top of the bag down twice and seal with tape.
Next, cut a small slit just under the white filter patch the same width as the patch. This will provide some oxygen which will help the mushrooms to grow.
Step 3: Finding an Ideal Location
Porcelain mushrooms grow best when they are out of direct sunlight and have plenty of humidity and access to fresh air. Finding or creating the perfect environment is key to getting the most mushrooms out of your kit.
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Find a humid spot with ambient light to place your box. Near the kitchen sink is often a good choice. Ensure it isn’t close to direct heat sources and away from draughts. Do not enclose in a box or cupboard as your mushrooms need access to fresh air.
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If you've purchased a thermometer/hygrometer, a humidity reading over 50% and a temperature reading anywhere between 17°C and 25°C is ideal.
Step 4: Growing
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Give your kit a light mist through the slit under the filter patch around every 1-2 days, depending on how dry your environment is. You want there to be small droplets visible on the sides of the bag but you don’t want to mist so much that there is water pooling on the top of the mushroom block.
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Monitor the progress of your mushrooms. It should take from 2-4 weeks for your porcelain mushrooms to begin to pin.
Step 5: Harvest
Once the largest mushrooms have caps that are open and starting to flip upwards, they are mature and ready to harvest. Open up the top of the bag again and carefully pull the mushrooms away - they should come away easily. Take care to harvest all mushrooms at once, being careful to remove all stems from the block. Do not leave any parts of the mushrooms behind as this will hinder new growth for the next flush.
Porcelain mushrooms have tender stems and are great pickled in vinegar or stir-fried with noodles!
Step 6: Second Flush
After your first flush, you can return the kit to its location and resume misting. Times between flushes can vary from 2-7 weeks as your block builds more energy.
Step 7: What to do with your kit when it's finished producing mushrooms
Did you know that fungi play a key role in storing carbon? Trees and plants remove carbon from the atmosphere and fungi break down plant waste to create new carbon-rich soil. Clean air, healthy soil and delicious mushrooms: just one of the many ways fungi are incredible!
Once your kit has finished flushing, discard the bag in the general waste. You can now recycle the box and additional packaging and compost the block. Alternately, plant it in the garden to see if it will gain a some energy and produce one last seasonal crop for you! Simply dig a hole in a shady spot, bury the block and cover it over with around 5cm of soil. Water it occasionally to keep the soil moist.
We hope you've enjoyed growing your Enoki mushrooms!
We're passionate about sharing the diversity of the fungi kingdom & making more of its edible & medicinal delights easy to grow. Want to try another strain or learn how to cultivate mushrooms? See our full range of mushroom growing kits and cultivation workshops!