This galaxy colored mushroom with greenish yellow and violet tinge hues is one of the most delicious mushrooms out in the woods. It has yellow tightly packed gills and it resembles oyster mushrooms, although they are not related at all. It fruits in the cooler weather usually on dead sugar maples, beech and oak. You will find it in the wild late fall. Its fruiting window is October-December. It is native to North America.
It is fairly easy to cultivate on logs and/or supplemented hardwood sawdust. Incubation period is about 18 months on logs, then the best method to fruit them out will be the raft method, illustrated here. These mushrooms love humidity.
Buttery in texture, this mushroom can be bitter if not cooked for longer than 15 minutes. Studies show that this mushroom is potentially great for lowering high blood lipid levels.
Sawdust spawn can be used to inoculate logs, it can be expanded onto more sawdust (requires lab) or it can be directly fruited out from MM spawn. The choice is yours.
This mushroom yields very high in temperatures under 55F. If it is too warm, the pins will be yellowish, and not their desired purple olive color.
Edibility and Taste: Savory, meaty, sweet and buttery. Can be bitter if undercooked. Allow at least 15 minutes of cooking.
Grows On: Hardwood logs outdoors: Broadleaf trees: sugar maple, beech, oak, black cherry, occasionally found on conifers in the wild
Fruiting Temps: 32-55F
Availability: Year-round
Directions | Fruiting from Logs
Directions | Fruiting Kit
Directions | Sawdust Expansion