What Are Pink Oyster Mushrooms?

Pink Oyster mushrooms are also known as  "Phoenix wings" because they resemble chicken feet (Chinese style) with two tiny claws on either side.

Pink Oysters come in a variety of species like Pleurotus salmon or Pleurotus djamor, but they all have certain features in common.

The average length of the pink oyster mushroom is 2-4 inches.

Health benefits of Pink Oyster Mushrooms

The pink oyster mushroom is a medicinal mushroom with antioxidant properties that can also be used as an immune system booster.

Pink oyster mushrooms are recognized as safe and labelled as GRAS by the FDA.

This mushroom has been used as a medicinal mushroom to treat illnesses such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and cancer.

Pleurotin has also been shown to have a preventive effect against breast cancer, prostate cancer, and lung tumours in laboratory studies.

Step by Step Guide On How To Grow Pink Oyster Mushrooms At Home

Compared to other types of Oysters, pink oyster mushrooms are heat tolerant and thrive well in mid-summer and in tropical climates.

They also don't require a lot of fresh air.

How to Grow Pink Oyster Mushrooms At Home using A Growing Kit

What you'll need:

• A clean work area 
• Clean gloves 
• Spray bottle filled with water 
• Empty jar with a tight lid 
• Spore syringe (

Steps:-

1. Cut open the top of your sterile jar.

2. Place your spores inside and close immediately.

3. Spray down your spores every day to keep moist inside the jar

4. After 5-7 days, no visible growth will show up so it means that spores are dead, throw away your old spore syringe and get another one if you wish to continue growing then repeat steps 1-4 again until you see small white spots appear on the surface of your jar

5. Once small white dots start appearing, this means pinheads are ready to harvest

6 . Pick off pinheads and place them in an open area

7. Allow them to grow for several days

8. Harvest every 100+ mushrooms by twisting their stems or cutting them off using clean hands. After every four harvests (1 month), allow two weeks for your mycelium to recuperate. This is because they are living beings and need time to "breathe" and recover

10. Store your harvested mushrooms in paper bags or eat immediately

How to grow Pink Oyster Mushrooms using a Spore Syringe

Materials needed:-

• 1 paper grocery bag
• Plastic film (shoebox top, freezer bags)
• Sterilized moist substrate (compost or coir)
• Spore syringe or spore tape at least 0.5 cc in size - optional if you have spores for inoculation.

Steps:-

1. Punch holes all over your bag using a fork, about 10-15 holes for an 8" X 8" plastic grocery bag.

2. Fold the base of your bag to create a small shelf at the bottom so you can fill it with the substrate.

3. Pour in around 1-2 cups of moist substrate/compost/coir inside, spread it evenly and pat down gently

4. Open up your spore print or syringe without touching any part of it, avoiding direct contact with its contents

5 . Inoculate each hole by inserting spores into them

6 . Seal up your inoculated grow box using two layers of plastic film (freezer bags are more durable) - be careful not to prick yourself on sharp edges

7 . Place your inoculated grow box in a shaded but cool area

8. Mist down your boxes to provide additional moisture (optional)

9. Keep misting every other day until the white mycelium starts appearing - this usually takes around 10 days depending on strain and substrate used

10. Wait for small mushroom 'pins' to appear then harvest them once fully grown.

11. Repeat steps 5-10 two or three times before allowing your kit to be dormant (rest) for 2 weeks

12. Refill the box with substrate and start all over again

Tips:- 

1 . Be sure that all holes are punched before the inoculation process

2. You can use a heated needle or a candle flame to make a hole quickly 

3 . If your bag material tears during inoculation, patch it up using scotch tape

4. After you see a white mycelium network has formed on your substrate, start withholding misting if you want the mushrooms to grow bigger

5. Be aware of how much water your bag is absorbing and avoid watering too much by misting lightly 

6 . Use black plastic bags instead of paper grocery bags - they tend not to stick as much during incubation

7 . Do not overcrowd the fruiting chamber with mushroom boxes

8 . Keep all newly inoculated bag sides facing down at all times so that dirt from their contents does not contaminate the gills

9 . Store your growing supplies (spore prints, spore syringe, and grow boxes) in a cool and dry place

10. Use tweezers or gloves to inoculate mushroom bags

11. Keep the humidity inside the fruiting chamber around 90% by spraying lightly; avoid creating puddles on top of your substrate

12. You can use a non-stick cooking spray as an alternative to plastic film for covering holes

13 . Make sure that there are no 'pinholes' at the very bottom of your bag, these create uninvited entry points for contaminations

14. If you're using paper grocery bags as your substrate material, be sure they drill holes and tear off easily

15 . Don't forget to cut your substrate underwater 16. Be gentle when you are cutting mushrooms so they don't bruise or damage their gills

17 . When harvesting, leave at least one mushroom behind to let the others grow bigger 

How to store Pink Oyster Mushrooms

Place them in a ziplock bag and shrink wrap it, then place them in the freezer that way.

Pink Oyster mushrooms can be stored for up to two weeks if kept refrigerated below 5 degrees Celsius or frozen before cooking them.

They can also be dried using a food dehydrator to store and keep for longer periods.

How to Eat Pink Oyster Mushrooms

The pink oyster mushroom has a milder and more subtle taste than other Oysters. They're also very low in fat, sodium, cholesterol, carbohydrates, calories and are rich in dietary fibre.

It's also known for its soft texture, and it's ideal for salads or even filled with cheese and baked since it has very soft flesh when compared to other mushrooms.

They're also wonderful in soups, stews, and stir-fries. When used at this point in the cooking process, slice thinly or cut into bite-size pieces.

You can use them fresh or dried.

Conclusion

It's easy to grow pink oyster mushrooms. Follow all the steps and you should be harvesting your first batch of pink oyster mushrooms in as little as two to three weeks!

The most important thing is sanitation. Make sure you sterilize everything so that there are no chances of contamination. 

Have you ever grown pink oyster mushrooms before? How did it go?

Let us know in the comments!