Organic Hen of the Woods (Maitake) Mushroom Sawdust Spawn

Hen of the Woods (Grifola frondosa) is a tasty polypore that has an earthy, rich flavor. They frequently weigh twenty pounds and resemble small hens covered with leaves. Hen of the Woods mushrooms are great for enthusiast growers who have had some success with other species. Hen works best when logs are steam sterilized and incubated in filter patch bags. Fully colonized logs are buried underground.

Cultivation:

We only recommend hen of the woods sawdust spawn for log projects.

To grow on logs, you need an Inoculation Tool. For larger projects you may want to purchase an Angle Grinder Adapter and specialized 12mm drill bit.

Sawdust spawn is ideal for larger mushroom log projects (10 or more logs) or for use by those wanting to inoculate logs every year.

Inoculation:

Hen of the woods will only fruit in oak logs. After a 1-year colonization period above ground, hen of the woods logs may be partially buried under 2 inches of top soil to mimic their natural place in an ecosystem. The mushrooms will fruit from logs and emerge out of the soil.

It should be noted that hen of the woods is prone to being out competed by other fungi and is not a reliable producer without first treating your logs. To limit variables we strongly suggest you sterilize 8" by 8" segments of oak log before inoculation and incubate your log segments for a few months in sealed filter patch bags until they are completely colonized. Remove them from the bag and partially bury them in a shady location. (You can sterilize your log segments in a 22 qt or larger pressure cooker such as an All-American.)

Cooking:

Hen of woods has a semi-firm texture and earthy flavor. It can be ripped into small pieces and added to a dish or left large to be the centerpiece of a meal. We love to confit hen of the woods by slow cooking it at a low temperature in an oven submerged in extra virgin olive oil. After 4-5 hours the Hen of the Woods will be crispy and delicious and you'll have mushroom infused olive oil!

All things Mushroom (substrate, grow kits, spawn, etc.) are shipped separately from seeds. The flat shipping rate per order for Mushroom goods is $10.00.