The blue oyster mushroom is a beautiful and delicious mushroom. Discover much more about this mushroom, including why and the reasons for growing it
Pleurotus ostreatus, the blue oyster mushroom, is a lovely mushroom to watch grow and to eat. This mushroom’s name comes from the resemblance it has to bivalve mollusk found in the ocean.
Today we are looking at the benefits behind eating the blue oyster. I also go into how to grow blue oyster mushrooms at home so you can grow and eat your own blue oysters whenever you want.
Blue oyster mushroom benefits: Why people love to eat this mushroom
For starters, some studies have shown that oyster mushrooms lower cholesterol in rats significantly and may do the same in humans.
Oyster mushrooms also contain a plethora of valuable constituents, like proteins, amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. They are rich in vitamin B and vitamin D. Iron and potassium are also present in these mushrooms.
Blue oyster calories: It is said that a cup (86 g) of sliced blue oyster mushrooms has 37 calories.
Another test-tube study showed that oyster mushrooms helped reduce the secretion of inflammation markers throughout the body.
Two additional studies looked at oyster mushrooms and cancer. One study conducted by the Methodist Research Institute’s Cancer Research Lab found oyster mushrooms inhibiting the growth and spreading of breast and colon cancer cells.
A study entitled Anti-Cancer Effects of Protein Extracts from Calvatia lilacina, Pleurotus ostreatus and Volvariella volvacea concluded that blue oysters can “be considered as a source of potential cancer therapeutic agents.”
Blue oyster mushroom spawn options for growing at home
You can learn how to grow blue oyster mushrooms with our help. We provide a variety of spawn options for growing blue oyster mushrooms (as well as yellow and pink oysters) at home.
Blue oysters can be cultivated on straw, wood, coffee grains and a bunch of other cellulose-rich materials. For wood and straw we often use grain spawn. These mushrooms will be a vibrant blue color when they are young and you will get large fruited bodies. Sawdust spawn is another great option here. Finally, you can also use our plug spawn for growing oyster mushrooms outdoors in your garden. They are a colorful addition to any garden bed and would go well cooked with many of the other fresh vegetables you may be growing alongside the oysters.
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Blue oyster mushroom grow kit is another option for you
Interested in how to grow blue oyster mushrooms easily? This oyster mushroom growing kit is capable of fruiting up to two pounds of blue oyster mushrooms over the course of three months. Simply cut several holes in the side of the bag and the mushrooms will fruit out of the holes. Any of our oyster grow kits are great to grow indoors or outside when temperatures are between 40° F and 80° F. Once the kit is spent, use it to inoculate paper waste, coffee grounds, or your compost! You will know the kit is ready for the compost, paper waste of coffee grounds when the block has broken apart and is starting to crumble. You will be able to still grow some mushrooms at this time, although the yields will be smaller.
Buy your oyster mushroom grow kit today!
Blue oyster mushroom recipes: Two tasty options for you
I like to saute blue oysters for a simple but tasty dish. Here are the ingredients and steps to a simple blue oyster mushroom recipe.
- 6 ounces of blue oysters
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- 4 teaspoons fresh, chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons of minced garlic
- ⅛ teaspoon of sea salt
- cracked pepper to taste
Begin by melting the butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the blue oysters and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the other ingredients and saute for another 4-5 minutes. Be sure to not burn the garlic
Want more blue oyster mushroom recipes? Another option is a blue oyster mushroom and veggie roast. You can use similar ingredients as above, as well as additional veggies that you like. Sometimes I will use olive oil instead of butter for this recipe. Halved tomatoes are a great option, as well as potatoes sliced into smaller chunks. Onions and green peppers also work well, too.
Begin by preheating your oven to 400° F. Place your oyster mushrooms in a bowl with all of your other ingredients. Use the olive oil to gently coat all of the ingredients. Tossing will help in this process.
Once your ingredients are properly coated with the olive oil, spread then all out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place the sheet in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Be sure to turn the ingredients halfway through the roast. Once you remove the sheet from the oven you can add additional herbs and spices you may like. Then enjoy!
Remember, you can buy oyster mushroom spawn and grow kits from us! You can also get dried oyster mushrooms from us if you don’t want to grow your own. And we hope you try the blue oyster mushroom recipes listed above.
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