Detailed Explanation of Straw Mushroom Harvesting Methods and Technical Key Points

Under normal conditions, 7-10 days after spawning, small mushroom buds can be seen on the surface of the compost. When the buds first emerge, they appear grayish-white; after one or two days they rapidly grow to the size of a bird's egg, and after 3-4 days they become as large as a quail's egg. When the straw mushroom changes from a pagoda shape with a wider base and slightly pointed top into an oval shape, with the fruiting body plump and smooth, changing from firm to loose, and the color changing from dark to light, with the wrapper membrane unbroken and the cap and stipe not yet protruding, it is best to harvest. At this time the mushroom is delicious, high in protein content, and of the best quality. Therefore, straw mushrooms should be harvested promptly at the egg-shaped stage before the wrapper has broken, generally once each in the morning, at noon, and in the evening. When harvesting straw mushrooms, the movements should be gentle: hold down the part where the straw mushroom is growing with one hand, and with the other hand twist the straw mushroom left and right, and gently pick it off. Never pull it out, so as to avoid disturbing the mycelium, disrupting the compost pile, and affecting subsequent mushroom production. If they are clustered mushrooms, it is best to wait until most of them are suitable for harvest and pick them all together, so as to avoid causing the death of large numbers of young mushrooms due to harvesting individual mushrooms. After harvesting, straw mushrooms should be processed immediately. The processing method is to send them immediately to market for fresh sale, or to a canning factory for canning, or quick-freeze them, or dry them to make dried straw mushrooms. According to foreign trade export needs, salted straw mushrooms can also be made.