How to Harvest Edible Mushrooms? Master These 4 Key Technical Points
Edible mushrooms are a very common ingredient in our daily lives, and there are now more and more varieties of edible mushrooms. In order to improve the economic benefits of edible mushrooms and ensure their quality, in addition to cultivation techniques, harvesting techniques are also very important. Below is an introduction to the 4 key harvesting technical points for edible mushrooms!
1. Harvesting Period
There is an optimal time for harvesting edible mushrooms, but the optimal harvesting period differs for each type. So we need to judge the optimal harvesting period in this way: generally, edible mushrooms are harvested when they are 70-80% mature, at which point their taste and appearance are excellent. The criteria for judging are: the veil of the edible mushroom has broken, but the cap has not fully opened; next, the gills have fully extended, and the color has changed from white to the normal color corresponding to that mushroom. At this point, they can be harvested.
2. Harvesting Techniques
The harvesting techniques for edible mushrooms are also very simple. When harvesting, the principle of picking the large ones and leaving the small ones should be followed. During harvesting, be careful not to damage the mushrooms. Generally, use your thumb and index finger to pinch the base of the mushroom stem, then twist left and right, and finally gently pull it up. Also, when harvesting, do not touch the immature small mushrooms, otherwise it will affect their growth. There are also some mushrooms that grow in cluster shapes, and these are mainly harvested by cutting from the base with a sharp knife, while maintaining the shape of the mushrooms, which can improve economic benefits.
3. Harvesting Weather
When harvesting edible mushrooms, not all weather conditions are suitable for harvesting. You also need to grasp the maturity period of the mushrooms and harvest in suitable weather. Generally, it is best to harvest on sunny days, which is beneficial for processing the mushrooms and can effectively ensure their quality. However, if the mushrooms have already matured, then regardless of whether it is raining or what the weather is like, they must be harvested. If they are not harvested in time, the losses will be greater. Of course, for edible mushrooms like wood ear mushrooms and silver ear mushrooms, harvesting can be delayed, but note that watering should be stopped and ventilation increased, and finally harvested after the weather clears up.
4. Harvesting Containers
In order to ensure the quality of edible mushrooms after harvesting, it is necessary to choose suitable harvesting containers, because some containers are indeed not suitable for holding mushrooms. For example, burlap sacks, cloth bags, wooden buckets, water buckets, glass products, wooden crates, etc. are not good harvesting containers. Generally, experienced growers use woven baskets or small baskets to hold mushrooms. This will not damage the mushrooms or affect their quality, can keep the fruiting bodies intact, and avoid squeezing each other.
The above is Tuliu.com's introduction to the key technical points for harvesting edible mushrooms. These are the points that everyone needs to pay special attention to when harvesting edible mushrooms, for reference only. Straw mushrooms originated in China and have a history of more than 300 years. They are mostly produced in Guangdong and Guangxi, Fujian, Jiangxi, Taiwan, China and other regions. China's output ranks first in the world. They are named because they often grow in moist, rotting rice straw.