Shiitake - aka Lentinula edodes

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Although not native to the US, this delicious mushroom endemic to East Asia is non-invasive and is the undisputed heavyweight champion of fungal agroforestry worldwide. Thanks to its amazing flavor, health benefits, and heavy production, we plan to always keep growing shiitake!

• Store in fridge 7-14 days - longest shelf life of all our species - always refrigerate and thoroughly cook all varieties of fresh mushrooms
•  Can be frozen after par cooking
•  Excellent for dehydration - always review food safety guidelines when preparing food for long term storage!
• Wipe debris from outdoor grown mushrooms with a damp cloth - rinse and pat or spin dry only if necessary. Shiitake are usually very clean.

• Extremely dense and meaty texture
• Unique delicious strong umami flavor 
• Requires a longer cook time - stems inedible but can be used for broth or mushroom salt
• An excellent choice for soups and stews, dehydrates easily
• A great all purpose mushroom 

• Habitat - Grows on decaying wood, unlikely to be found wild in the USA
• Deep brown caps, sometimes with pale patches along the margins 
• Tough curved stem, no ring, stem is smooth with a barely fuzzy texture
• White gills that are not attached to the stem
• Cap flesh is white when cut, stem bruises dark brown when damaged
• Spore print is white 
• Season - Shiitake can be force fruited outdoors spring-fall 

• Cultivation difficulty - outdoors on logs: easy, indoors on sterilized sawdust blocks: advanced
• Requires full shade and protection from wind
• Season - early spring through early winter
• Requires patience! Indoor bags take up to 18 weeks, outdoor logs 1 year +