Welcome to the Nelson's Gourmet Mushroom Farm |
The Shiitake Mushroom (pronounced "sheetockee")
Originating in China, this is the primary mushroom that we grow and sell. It's greek name is "Lentinula Edodes" and it grows on hardwood logs. In order to get a good, robust crop from each log, the logs can only be cut at a certain time of the year. The mushroom "roots" or mycelium, take one year to colonize a log. After the first year, the log can then be 'force fruited' to produce mushrooms, although they will often fruit on their own after a good rain. These mushrooms are VERY good tablefare and are considered a delicacy in fine restaurants. They have a slight nutty flavor and are excellent sauteed in butter. On top of all that, they have awesome health benefits, like stimulating the body's immune system. Check out the medicinal benefits of Shiitake mushrooms on the internet....the scientific evidence and information is really impressive! |
The Oyster Mushroom
The Oyster mushroom can be found growing wild, in the woods, but man has isolated the strain and made it available for cultivation. The Greek name for this species is "Pleurotus Ostreatus" and it, too, likes to grow on hardwood trees. This specie is an aggressive producer and will provide a lot of mushrooms if the growing conditions are just right. The Oyster mushroom has a great flavor when fried in butter and can be used in soups and gravy as well. Each individual mushroom cluster can grow rather large, but we try to harvest them when they're smaller. The flavor seems to be a little bit better and they crisp up better in the frying pan. Just a note...these mushrooms reduce to half their size during cooking, so don't be afraid to buy in bulk and cook quite a few at a time. We recommend you dehydrate any of our mushrooms that you don't intend on using within a weeks time....keeps them from spoiling and gives you product for the future (of course, fresh is always better than dried...) |
Ready for an unusual one? |
The Lions Mane Mushroom
This is the Lions Mane, so called for the resemblance to a head of hair. It's Greek name is Hericium ErinaceusII and it doesn't taste anything like hair! In fact, people have often compared it to lobster! We agree, it tastes great! The fact that it takes so long to grow AND it tastes so good, is what makes it so expensive. It takes anywhere from 3 to 5 years after inoculating ("planting")premium selected hardwood logs with the mycelium ("seeds"), before you'll see any mushrooms. Then, a grower has to take care to not let some other destructive organism take over and ruin the crop! To top it all off, this mushroom isn't a prolific producer! We don't have a big quantity on hand at any one time, but trust us, the wait and vigilance is worth it! There is no better way to prepare these than to slice them into thin strips and fry in a pan of butter. Add some mild flavored, finely diced onions and fry until slightly golden brown. Absolutely to die for! Contact us for availability. |
For Your Safety....
We're a small, family run farm that grows our mushrooms 100% organically. We are registered and licensed with the FDA and USDATCP. We can assure you that none of the species of mushrooms we grow, are of the poisonous kind and are entirely safe to eat. We DO feel the need to inform you that, in some VERY RARE instances, some people might have a mild allergic reaction to certain mushrooms. This does NOT mean the mushroom is poisonous, it just means it doesn't 'agree' with the person who ate it. This allergic reaction is usually limited to stomach discomfort and digestive tract irritation and is more prevalent in individuals who have their minds already made up and are convinced that they're not going to like it or it'll make them sick. It IS recommended that individuals who have a history of gastreointestinal sensitivity, consume a SMALL amount of the mushroom first and wait to see if there is a negative reaction. If not, CHOW DOWN! It is also always recommended to fully COOK our mushrooms...never eat them raw. Check the internet for a wide variety of recipes utilizing our species of mushrooms. Contact us via Email(KLNCAMPFIRE@JUNO.COM) with any questions you may have or to place an order. |