Hypsizygus marmoreus (shimeji) seafood mushroom pairing taboos: which foods it cannot be eaten with and its cultivation techniques

Seafood mushroom is one of the fungi we eat relatively often; in Japan it is also called “crab-flavor mushroom” and “seafood mushroom”. It is also known as jade mushroom, Hypsizygus marmoreus, and shimeji. So how many steps are there in seafood mushroom cultivation techniques? What are the seafood mushroom pairing taboos? Which foods can seafood mushroom not be eaten with?

I. Seafood mushroom pairing taboos

1. Seafood mushroom + cold-natured ingredients

If seafood mushroom is paired with many cold-natured ingredients, the whole dish will become even colder; being too cold-natured is actually not good.

2. Seafood mushroom + beer, red wine

Pairing seafood mushroom with alcoholic drinks generally affects our absorption of the nutrients in seafood mushroom; this is also one of the not particularly good pairings.

II. Which foods can seafood mushroom not be eaten with?

Eating seafood mushroom together with quail meat or quail eggs can easily lead to the formation of black spots on the face; they are incompatible foods, so everyone needs to pay attention.

III. Seafood mushroom cultivation techniques

1. Crop scheduling

Production seasons are arranged according to local climate conditions and the characteristic that seafood mushroom has a relatively long growth and development period. In the southern provinces of China, substrate bags are generally made in September each year when the temperature stabilizes below a maximum of 28°C, with mycelial growth and post-ripening culture from September to November, and fruiting from November to December when the maximum temperature is below 18°C. In the north, this is correspondingly earlier as latitude increases. In most areas of Shandong, Henan, and Hebei, substrate bags are generally started in late August, with mycelial growth and post-ripening culture from August to October, and fruiting from mid-to-late November to mid-to-late December. In provinces such as Gansu and Ningxia, inoculation is generally done before May each year, substrate bags are started in mid-June, with mycelial growth and post-ripening culture from July to September, and fruiting from late September to mid-to-late October; in Northeast China it is correspondingly even earlier.

2. Substrate preparation

Seafood mushroom cultivation requires substrate materials that are relatively hard. The porosity (air permeability) of the medium is also very important, as it determines the growth speed and vigor of the mycelium. The choice of nutritional additives will greatly affect the quality of seafood mushroom. Of course, ultimately the types and amounts of nutritional additives (supplements) used must be decided on the basis of cost accounting. The quality of nutritional additives has a great influence on the mycelial growth and development of seafood mushroom and on the quality and yield of the mushrooms. There are many substrate formulas to choose from; according to local conditions, the following formulas can be used for reference:

①. Broadleaf: coniferous wood sawdust 79% (weight ratio, same below), rice bran or wheat bran 18%, white sugar 1%, lime 1%, gypsum powder 1%, water content 65% (suitable for main sawdust-producing areas);

②. Cottonseed hulls 98%, gypsum powder 1%, lime 1%, water content 65% (suitable for main cottonseed hull-producing areas);

③. Cottonseed hulls 48%, sawdust 35%, wheat bran 10%, corn flour 5%, lime 1%, gypsum powder 1%, water content 65% (suitable for areas with more cottonseed hulls and sawdust);

④. Corn cobs 40%, sawdust 40%, wheat bran 12%, corn flour 5%, gypsum powder 1.5%, lime 1.5%, water content 65% (suitable for areas with more corn cobs and sawdust);

⑤. Corn cobs 30%, cottonseed hulls 46%, wheat bran 16%, corn flour 5%, lime 1.5%, gypsum powder 1.5%, water content 65% (suitable for areas with more cottonseed hulls and corn cobs);

⑥. Corn cobs 80%, wheat bran 12%, corn flour 5%, gypsum powder 1.5%, lime 1.5%, water content 65% (suitable for main corn cob-producing areas). Raw materials must be fresh and free of mold; corn cobs should be crushed into particles 3-4mm in diameter. Based on local materials, use nearby sources, select a formula, weigh accurately, add water and mix evenly, and adjust pH to 7.15-8.15 with lime water.

3. Bagging and sterilization

Use low-density polyethylene gusseted bags with a folded width of 17cm and a length of 30-33cm, filling each bag with about 500g of dry material. The material height is 18cm; bagging should be moderately tight. Use a 2.0cm diameter steel bar to make a cylindrical hole in the center of the bag, stopping 3cm from the bottom of the bag (do not reach the bottom or puncture the bag), and finally tie the opening. Making the hole allows the material in the center of the bag to be fully decomposed and utilized, and helps waste gas accumulated in the material during mycelial growth to be discharged from the bag in time. When making the hole, do not move too fast; it should be done straight at a uniform speed, and a depth mark should be made on the steel bar to avoid breaking the bottom of the bag. After bagging is completed, immediately use normal-pressure sterilization (100°C) for 14-16h.

4. Cooling and inoculation

After sterilization, when the temperature of the bags drops to about 60°C, promptly move them to a cooling room and cool to below 30°C before inoculation; strictly follow aseptic procedures during inoculation. Inoculation amount: one 500mL jar of spawn is used to inoculate 25-30 bags; one 250mL bottle of spawn is used to inoculate 10-15 bags.

5. Mycelial culture

After inoculation, move the bags onto pre-disinfected culture shelves for cultivation, controlling the temperature at 20-25°C. Control the relative air humidity at 60-65%. Ventilate 3-4 times/d, for more than 30min each time, and culture in the dark for about 50d, after which the mycelium can fill the bags.

6. Post-ripening culture

After the seafood mushroom mycelium has fully grown, it must be cultured at 20-25°C for about another 50d; fruiting can occur only when physiological maturity is reached and sufficient nutrients have been stored. The signs of physiological maturity of the bags are: the mycelium in the bag changes from pure white to earthy yellow; the bag loses water and becomes lighter in weight; the substrate shrinks into an uneven, wrinkled state; and there are no diseases or pests. After post-ripening culture is completed, if it is still a high-temperature season and not suitable for fruiting, the bags should be moved to a cooler, clean, ventilated, and dark place for storage until the climate is suitable for fruiting.

7. Scratching and watering

When the fruiting season arrives, take out the culture bags and stand them on the ground or on bed frames, untie the bag openings, and let them fruit upright from a single end. Gently remove the old spawn from the surface of the substrate to stimulate the formation of fruiting bodies on the surface. The quality of scratching directly affects the formation of fruiting bodies and the yield. After scratching, pour clean water into the bags in turn, and after 2h pour off the remaining water to induce budding.

8. Bud induction

After scratching and watering, place the bags neatly, cover the bag openings with non-woven fabric or newspaper, spray water to maintain moisture, and keep the mushroom house temperature at 10-16°C. The relative air humidity should be 90-95%, and the carbon dioxide concentration should be below 0.1-0.2%. After irradiation with weak light (light intensity 10-30lx) for about 7d, a layer of pale white aerial mycelium can grow on the substrate surface at the bag opening, forming a mycelial film. At this time, regulate a day-night temperature difference of about 8°C; within a few days the mycelial film gradually changes from white to gray, marking that primordia are about to form. At this point gradually increase humidity and raise light to about 50-100lx; after 3-5d, dense fine primordia will appear on the surface of the gray mycelial film and gradually differentiate into mushroom buds.