BLUE OYSTER MUSHROOM CULTIVATION

Pleurotus ostreatus: A fast substrate colonizer with a strong blue/gray hue.

Check out our Spawn FAQ to figure out what type of logs you need!

Plug Spawn - Great for first time mushroom log growers. Your spawn package can inoculate 1-2 4ft by 5 inch diameter logs.

Inoculation: Blue Oyster works well on both well shaded logs and stumps. Colonization is fast and may start producing in as few as 4-12 months, though fruitation is dependent on environmental triggers. They fruit best in the spring and fall and prefer softer hardwoods such as poplar and aspen, though they will also work well on sugar maple.

Difficulty: Beginner

Oyster mushrooms are a great mushroom for beginners. They colonize quickly and are reliable producers. Great for commercial cultivation, especially grown on straw. 

Cooking: Blue Oysters can easily replace button mushrooms in most recipes and pair well with many cuisines and flavors. Like all Oyster mushrooms, they retain water and may develop a viscous texture when undercooked. If you prefer a firm or dryer texture, continue to cook Oysters until their liquid has reduced and cooked off and they begin to brown.

Properties: The Blue Oyster mushroom has a high protein content, several B vitamins, and all the essential amino acids (Marley, 2009). Its medicinal benefits include promoting anti-tumor activity and lowering high cholesterol. Oyster mushroom fruiting bodies and distillations have been shown to reduce tumor size in several studies on mice, rats, and hamsters (Hobbs, 1995). Additionally, Oyster mushrooms have been used in the Czech Republic as the main ingredient in a dietary supplement used to treat high cholesterol (Hobbs, 1995). Studies in animals have shown that a diet of Oyster mushrooms reduced the development of plaque in major arteries (Bobek et al., 1995).