What are the key technical points for harvesting edible fungi? Latest method tutorial

Edible fungi are a very common ingredient in our daily lives, and there are now more and more varieties of edible fungi. For example, shiitake mushrooms, lion's mane mushrooms, shaggy ink cap mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and oyster mushrooms all belong to the category of edible fungi. So in order to improve the economic benefits of edible fungi and ensure their quality, in addition to cultivation techniques, their harvesting techniques are also very important. So how much do we know about the harvesting techniques for edible fungi? Let us read the content below together.

1. Harvesting period

There is also an optimal time for harvesting edible fungi, but the optimal harvesting period differs for each type of edible fungus, so we need to judge its optimal harvesting period in the following way. Generally, edible fungi are harvested when they are 70 to 80 percent mature, because at this time their taste and appearance are excellent. The standard for identifying this is that the veil of the edible fungus has broken, but the cap has not fully opened; secondly, the gills have fully extended and their color has changed from white to the normal color corresponding to that mushroom, and at this point they can be harvested.

2. Harvesting technique

The harvesting technique for edible fungi is also very simple. When harvesting, we should all follow the principle of picking the large ones and leaving the small ones. When 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 upward. Also, when harvesting, do not touch the immature small mushrooms, otherwise it will affect the growth of the small mushrooms. There are also some mushrooms that grow in a cluster-like shape, so we mainly harvest them by cutting them from the base with a sharp knife, and we should maintain the shape of the mushrooms, as this can improve economic benefits.

3. Harvesting weather

When harvesting edible fungi, not all weather conditions are suitable for harvesting, so we also need to grasp the maturity period of the mushrooms and harvest in suitable weather. Generally, it is best to harvest on sunny days, as this is conducive to the processing of the mushrooms and can effectively ensure their quality. But if the mushrooms have already matured, then no matter whether it is raining or what the weather is like, they must still be harvested, because if they are not harvested in time, the loss will be even greater. Of course, for edible fungi such as wood ear fungus and silver ear fungus, we can still delay harvesting, but we should note that watering must be stopped, ventilation must be strengthened, and finally harvesting should be carried out after the weather clears.

4. Harvesting containers

In order to ensure the quality of edible fungi after harvesting, we need to choose suitable harvesting containers, because some containers are indeed not suitable for holding mushrooms, such as gunny bags, cloth bags, wooden buckets, water buckets, glass products, wooden boxes, and so on. Generally speaking, experienced growers use bamboo baskets or small baskets to hold the mushrooms, as this will not damage the mushrooms or affect their quality, can keep the fruiting bodies intact, and avoid squeezing them against each other.

The points above are what everyone needs to pay special attention to when harvesting edible fungi. At the same time, thank you all for reading, and I hope it can help friends in need. If you want to learn about the cultivation techniques for a certain type of edible fungus, you can leave a message for the editor below.