Key Points for Harvesting Edible Mushrooms After Fruiting and Methods for Disease Identification

1. Master the optimal harvest time. Harvest when 7/10 to 8/10 mature. Signs of maturity: the veil has broken, the cap has not yet fully opened, still slightly curled inward forming a "gong rim," and the gills have fully extended. Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) harvested at the right time have bright color, strong aroma, thick caps, and firm yet tender flesh, giving them high commercial value. If harvested late, the cap fully opens, the flesh becomes thin, the stipe grows long, and the gills discolor; at this point, the weight decreases and commercial value drops.

2. Pay attention to picking technique. When picking mushrooms, hold the mushroom stick with your left hand, and with your right hand pinch the base of the stipe tightly between your thumb and index finger, first twist left and right, then twist off. Do not leave the stipe base on the mushroom log to rot, as this affects subsequent fruiting. If the mushrooms are growing densely and the bases are deep, use a small pointed knife to dig out from the base of the stipe, taking care to keep the mushroom shape intact.

3. Weather influence. Harvesting shiitake mushrooms should also be done in stages and batches according to changes in temperature and climate, with different measures taken. When temperatures are low, shiitake mushrooms grow slowly, so the harvest period can be appropriately extended; if there is rainy weather, it is better to harvest slightly tender mushrooms early rather than harvest over-mature ones.

4. Use suitable containers. Freshly harvested mushrooms should be placed in small bamboo baskets or small baskets, handled carefully and gently to keep the fruiting bodies intact, preventing crushing and damage from pressing against each other, which would affect quality. Freshly picked mushrooms should be sorted by size and shape quality, not mixed together, and then placed separately in other containers for grading and processing.

5. Stop watering before harvest. Some mushroom growers water before harvest to increase weight, which seriously affects quality. If watered before harvest, the mushroom bodies have high water content; when processing fresh mushrooms, the gills turn brown, and when dehydrating and drying, the gills turn black. Excessively high moisture in the mushroom bodies also makes them prone to molding. Therefore, do not water before harvest; let the mushroom bodies maintain their original moisture. (Yutian County Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Bureau, Hebei Province)