Review: Espresso Mushroom Company

I love to watch things grow. You might have realised this if you follow my blog and social media – I am all about the country life since moving to Kent and enjoy growing my own vegetables in my little garden patch as well as filling my house and garden with amazing flowers and plants. When the Espresso Mushroom Company recently got in touch offering me the chance to grow something different – mushrooms – I jumped at the chance to try something new!

I was sent a self-contained Pearl Oyster mushroom garden* in a box along with instructions for getting my fungi started. There are 4 steps:

1. Open Up – remove the grow bag (full of coffee grounds!) from the box, carefully cut along the marked lines and make a little window in the cardboard box by removing the perforated panel.

2. Water – submerge the grow bag in cold water for 12 hours (I did mine overnight), train and squeeze out extra air. Place growbag back into the cardboard box and place in a cool, light and airy spot, out of direct light. I placed mine on my kitchen windowsill behind my sink.

3. Grow – keep your mushrooms hydrated with a water spritz at least twice a day (I tended to do it every time I washed my hands in the kitchen, so I didn’t forget). The mushrooms take a little while to get started, but 7 or so days in start poking their way out of the grow bag and start doubling in size every day!

4. Harvest – when the mushroom caps start to turn up they are ready to harvest, take them all in one go by clasping the bouquet at the base and twisting gently.

Oyster mushrooms are great in all sorts of dishes,  the Espresso Mushroom Company website has many recipe suggestions. The mushrooms have an interesting velvet texture when raw and maintain a firmness after cooking, with a delicate peppery flavour. They are very versatile and can be used in soups, risottos, casseroles– or luxurious mushrooms on toast!

Oyster mushrooms are not only tasty but have some great nutritional benefits, they are high in protein and fibre, low calorie and contain zero fat and cholesterol. They are rich in vitamins and nutrients including vitamin B and vitamin C and significant levels of zinc, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, folic acid and niacin. They are a lot more fun to consume that vitamin tablets!

I had so much fun watching my mushrooms grow, and of course enjoyed harvesting and eating them! I love the concept of growing your own mushrooms and think the kits would make great gifts for kids and adults alike. I award the Espresso Mushroom Company 5 out of 5 stars and can’t wait to give some to my friends and family!