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Table Of Contents
Prepping Like A Pro 12 I. Storage Spaces 14
II. Long-Term Preservation Methods and Techniques 16
1. Dehydration 16
1.1 How to dehydrate vegetables 18
1.1.1 Green beans 18
1.1.2 Carrots 21 1.1.3 Broccoli 23 1.1.4 Spinach 24 1.1.5 Asparagus 26 1.1.6 Potatoes 28 1.1.7 Tomatoes 29
1.2 How to dehydrate fruits 31 1.2.1 Apples 31 1.2.2 Bananas 33 1.2.3 Cherries 34 1.2.4 Watermelon 35 1.2.5 Oranges, lemons and limes 36 2. Freeze-drying 37 2.1 Recipes using freeze-dried fruits and vegetables 40 2.1.1 Basic chicken soup 41 2.1.2 Chicken salad with apples 41 2.1.3 Beans and pasta soup 42
2.1.4 Rice pilaf (Southwest style) 42
2.1.5 Blueberry pancakes 43
3. Oxygen-Absorbing Capsules 44
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4. Pickling 46
4.1 Pickle recipes 49
4.1.1 Grandma’s recipe 49
4.1.2 Minty pickled eggplant 50
4.1.3 Pickled tomatoes 51
4.1.4 Pickled minty carrots 51
4.1.5 Pickled grapes 52
5. Canning 53
6. Homemade alcohol 56
6.1 Wine recipes 59
6.1.1 Basic red wine 59
6.1.2 Peach wine 60
6.1.3 Dry figs wine 61
6.1.4 Pear wine 62
6.1.5 Rose petal wine 62
How To Store Eggs For Long Term 64
Introduction 65
How to store fresh eggs 66
Storing fresh eggs at room temperature 67
Storing fresh eggs at low temperature 68
How to determine whether an egg is still fresh or not 70
How to pickle eggs 71
How to dehydrate eggs 75
How to store eggs in mineral oil 78
Getting Ready For Winter 82
Introduction 83
Vegetables and fruits – the basics 84
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Harvesting 84
Selectiveness 85
Cleanliness 86
Moisture 86
Temperature and humidity levels 87
Storage facilities 89
The root cellar 89
The cold room (non-basement) 90
The buried container 91
The pit 92
The tile storage space 93
The makeshift cellars 95
Vegetables 96
Potatoes 96
Root vegetables 96
Garlic and onions 97
Cabbages 98
Tomatoes 99
Fruits 100
Apples and pears 100
Grapes 100
Citrus fruits 101
Growing Mushrooms With Minimal Costs 103
Chapter 1: General considerations 105
Short history 105
Benefits of mushroom cultivation 106
Morphology of mushrooms 109
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Nutrition 112
Chemical composition and nutritional value 114
Medicinal value 122
Proper reasons for mushroom cultivation 125
Mushrooms that can be grown with minimal costs 126
Chapter 2: Classic mushroom production 127
2.1 Brief history of mycelium production 127
2.2 Obtaining mycelium from spores 128
2.3 Obtaining mycelium from tissue clone 132
2.3.1.1 Recipes for crop environment 134
2.3.1.2 Preparation 138
2.3.1.3 Preservation of crop environments 140
2.3.1.4 Preparing selected mushrooms for clone extraction 140
2.3.1.5 Inoculation in boxes without laminar flow currents 142
2.3.2.1 Preparing recipients for working 151
2.3.2.2 The support for mycelium production 151
2.3.2.3 Washing the cereals 153
2.3.2.4 Boiling the cereals 154
2.3.2.5 Support homogenization with amendments 154
2.3.2.6 Filling the recipients 156
2.3.2.7 Support sterilization 156
2.3.2.8 Inoculation 157
2.3.2.9 Mycelium incubation or maintaining a constant temperature 157
2.3.2.10 Storage and refrigeration 158
2.3.2.11 The occurrence of contaminants 160
Chapter 3: Growing technology of Agaricus bisporus mushroom culture 162
3.1 Agaricus bisporus champignon or manure mushroom 162
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3.1.1 Preparing the compost 162
3.1.2 Calculation of compost needs 164
3.1.3 Compost recipes 165
3.1.4 Required space for compost preparation 166
3.1.5 Preparation of classic compost 167
3.1.6 Placing the compost, seeding and covering 171
3.1.7 Microclimate conditions during the incubation 174
3.1.8 The role and main components of the covering mixture 175
3.1.9 Microclimate conditions, care works and harvesting 180
3.1.10 Preventing attacks of saprophytic fungi and pests 189
3.2 Growing culture technology of thermophile mushrooms 198
3.2.1 Morphological characteristics 198
3.2.2 Microclimate requirements 199
3.2.3 Growing culture technology 199
3.3 Growing mushrooms in open, unprotected area 203
3.3.1 The first method of sowing mycelium takes place in ground holes 204
3.3.2 The first method of sowing mycelium takes place in ditches 205
3.4 Agaricus Brasiliensis 205
3.4.1 Morphological characteristics 207
3.4.2 Growing conditions 208
3.4.3 Preparing the compost 208
3.4.4 Setting up crop and microclimate conditions 209
Chapter 4: Culture technology of Pleurotus spp. in classical system 210
4.1 Pleurotus ostreatus - morphology and importance 210
4.2 Culture technology in classical system 215
4.3 Areas used in classical culture system 216
4.4 Setting up the culture area 217
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4.4.1 Ventilation system 217
4.4.2 Shelves placement 220
4.4.3 Disinfecting the culture area 221
4.5 Crop substrate 221
The Lost Art Of Preserving Food Off-Grid 226
Facts about smoking 228
How the chemical components in the meat affect the smoke 230
Smoke-induced flavour 230
Smoke-induced colo 230
Making the smoke 231
The smoking procedure 232
The 2 main smoking methods 234
Hot smoking 234
Cold smoking 235
Curing the meat 236
Dry Curing 236
Wet Curing 240
Game meat preservation 244
Smoked deer jerky 244
Hot pickled cured jerky 244
Dry meat 245
Capicola 245
Bresaola 246
Pancetta (homemade bacon) 247
Prosciutto 248
Jerky 249
Pemmican 251
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Biltong 253
Sausages 255
Hams 257
Homemade curing mix 257
Smoked fish 260
Smoked oysters 262
Smoked chicken 263
Dairy Products – Long-Term Safe Storage 266
Introduction 267
Frozen milk 268
Dehydrated milk 269
Dehydrated yogurt 272
Homemade yogurt 273
Refrigerated cheese 278
Dehydrated hard cheese 280
Dehydrated soft cheese 282
Butter 283
Tips and tricks for butter storage 284
The Mushroom Cookbook 286
Introduction 287
Health benefits of mushrooms 287
Cholesterol levels 288
Breast cancer and prostate cancer 289
Diabetes and bone health 290
Nutrient absorption 290
Immune system strength 291
Blood pressure 291
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Copper and selenium content 292
Weight loss 293
A few words of caution 293
Mushroom Manchurian recipe 295
Mushroom Biryani recipe 298
Kadai mushroom recipe 301
Methi mushroom restaurant-style recipe 305
Chili mushroom recipe 308
Mushroom tikka recipe 311
Dhingri dolma recipe 314
Mushroom pulao recipe 317
Goan mushroom vindaloo recipe 320
Mushroom cheese omelet recipe 322
How To Preserve And Store Mushrooms 325
Introduction 326
What is a mushroom? 326
Mushroom morphology 327
Where and when mushrooms grow 328
Can mushrooms be preserved or stored? 328
Chapter 1: 4 ways to preserve fresh mushrooms 329
Freezing cooked mushrooms 329
Blanching and freezing mushrooms 331
Freezing uncooked Morel or Morel-type mushrooms 332
Duxelles 333
Chapter 2: How to freeze fresh mushrooms for preservation 332
The step-by-step process of freezing white button mushrooms 334
The white mushroom blanching process 337
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How to tell when white mushrooms are bad 338
The process of freezing oyster mushrooms 338
Chapter 3: How to store mushrooms 342
Cleaning 342
Cooking 344
Dehydrating mushrooms 345
Oven drying 345
Salting 347
Powdering 348
Pickling 348
Packed in oil 349
Chapter 4: Types of mushrooms 350
White mushrooms 350
Portobello 351
Chanterelle 351
Morels 352
Truffles 352
Shitake 353
Enoki 353
Oyster 354
Crimini 354
Maitake 355
Nutrition 355
Facts regarding toxic mushrooms 356
False morels 356
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PREPPING LIKE A PRO
STORING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES OVER LONG
PERIODS OF TIME
When it comes to prepping issues and surviving over long periods of
time, people have a tendency to automatically picture guns, hunters, and
huge trucks full of survivors holding the American flag, perhaps while
fighting off wave after wave of brain-eating zombies—and winning too!
Sure, there is an uncontestable level of excitement surrounding the
preppers/survivalists, but truth be told, making it out alive in a serious
SHTF situation requires so much more than a huge arsenal and being a
good shot.
Preparedness is the key issue, and it means you’ll need to be ready for
any situation that could potentially go wrong. Your personal protection is
important, of course, but even more important (arguably) is making
provisions. Ideally, you’ll need to place in storage all sorts of foods in
order to maintain a balanced diet and keep yourself healthy.
Meat should not be much of an issue. You can store meat too, but
considering hunting’s an option, you can always go out hunting or setting
traps, and there you have it: Fresh meat’s back on the menu. But when it
comes to fruits and veggies, things differ a lot.
Having your own personal garden is fun and practical at the same time,
but that doesn’t change the fact that your crops will need to be safely
preserved over winter or out of reach of possible thieves.
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I. Storage Spaces
The first thing you’ll need to figure out before undergoing any other
preparations for storing fruits and vegetables is to figure out where
you’re going to deposit everything that will go into storage. Don’t do
anything before deciding on a suitable storage place, as you risk ending
up with a lot of ready-for-storage food and no place to store it. Before
picking a spot, it’s very important to be aware of what a storage place
should be all about. First of all, it should be a cool and dry place with as
little humidity as possible. Fruits especially tend to be very pretentious
when it comes to storage spaces, as they tend to eliminate certain gases
that can cause them to spoil very rapidly. So spread them out if you
must, and secure their position so they don’t necessarily touch each
other.
Another important factor to consider is room temperature. Ideally, the
room temperature in your storage space should be somewhere between
40–60°F. Keeping the temperature constant could result in headaches,
especially if you don’t have a proper storage space, which could mean
you’ll need to move the stored food around the house, from one cool
place to the next. Do it quickly, however, as high variations of
temperature could mean a significant loss of nutrients in the stored food.
Containers are also a big deal when it comes to storing fruits and
vegetables. They should be airtight so that whatever it is you have in
storage doesn’t spoil and is also light-tight (if possible); light is also a
factor that can cause irreparable damage to your stocks. All sorts of
containers are available on the market (cans, plastic containers, jars,
etc.); it’s just a matter of what suits your needs best, depending on the
preservation method you go for. If you’ll be storing more than one item at
a time, it would be best to keep different food items separately, as some
tend to rot faster than others. Keeping them separate will ensure that the
more quickly rotting ones won’t spoil the others that are naturally more
resistant.
A proper storage facility is by far the best option. Whether you build
one from scratch or you improvise one in the tool shed or the basement,
it shouldn’t matter. As long as you respect the basic steps of food
preservation and you spare no expense in order to keep the place cool,
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dry, and dark enough, you’ll have no problems along the way. But if you
simply can’t afford one, you can also improvise as long as you do not
break the rules of the cool/dry/dark place.
If the situation gets “desperate” and you need a place to deposit all of
your stored food, there are many places around the house that will do
temporarily. These places, however, should serve as a transition
solution as they might not entirely fulfill the conditions required for proper
storage. But if they do, there shouldn’t be a problem. These are the best
spots around the house where you can store food supplies:
There is plenty of space you can create behind the furniture just
by pulling out the beds, couches, cupboards, etc. The empty space
can be filled with the stored food, but you’ll need to cover it with a
blanket or fabric to ensure a dark and dry environment.
The empty space under the bed should be one of the main
choices to consider. Things rarely go there, and food will be easy
to reach and maneuver. You can also devise a simple and
practical food rotation system by first lining out the perimeter. Once
the row gets full, depositing a can at one end will push out an extra
one at the other. This will make it easy for you to keep track of the
amount stored. Arial
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II. Long-Term Preservation Methods and
Techniques
Once you have decided on your storage space, the next step to take is
to start making provisions. So you’ll need to know all about the long-term
preservation methods and techniques if you want your food to stay fresh
and nutritious for as long as possible. Unfortunately, not all food
products have a long enough shelf life, but for most, there are ways to
prolong their shelf life. Here are the best methods that will keep your
stored food fresh for long periods of time.
1. Dehydration
Dehydrated food is probably the most available option for long-term
storage of food that the market has to offer. And because the process
itself isn’t as expensive as its counterparts, it’s also the most
inexpensive long-term survival food you can buy; this is extremely
convenient, especially for those on a tight budget. The average shelf-life
of dehydrated products can be as high as 25 years on average as the
food products lose about 90–95% of their water content during the
dehydration process. As a result of the constant exposure to hot air that
is being circulated (in order to induce dehydration), certain nutrients will
break down. So the nutritional value of certain fruits and vegetables will
be partially reduced. As the water is forced out of the fruits and
vegetables, they will become leathery and shriveled in appearance.
They are tougher to chew, and those of you out there who just don’t
have the teeth for it, don’t worry. Dehydration can be a reversible
process (partially at least). Just soak the dehydrated products in cold
water for as long as it takes; once they start recovering their original
aspect, you can take them out and eat them.
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Dehydrated food is not only an industrial method. You can easily
dehydrate your own fruits or vegetables at home simply by exposing
them to sunlight (in a controlled environment), or you can purchase
special food dehydrators, which are oven-like contraptions that will
dehydrate anything in a matter of minutes or hours. Generally speaking,
dehydrated food will last for long periods of time. Such products rarely
make a meal on their own, but they can be combined with or used as
ingredients for many tasty dishes. Most of them also lack seasoning, so
when cooking with dehydrated ingredients, remember to always add that
extra pinch of salt (or whatever else) to improve the taste. If you’re not a
great DIY-er and you’re not really keen on dehydrating the food yourself,
you can also turn to the already dehydrated products available on the
market. But no matter how you obtain your dried food, there are some
strict rules to follow to ensure the maximum quality for the longest
amount of time:
a) Storing dry food will require a cool, dry, and dark place.
Temperature plays a key role, so storage period should be
considered in direct correlation to the temperature of your storage
space: The higher the temperature, the shorter the storage period
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should be. The optimum storage life for fruits and vegetables
shouldn’t be longer than 12 months (also consider the fact that
vegetables have a 50% shorter shelf life than fruits). The best
temperature for a 12-month period is about 60°F. If the
temperature exceeds the that, you should gradually reduce the
storage period. Stored food should be checked regularly as
moisture tends to build up, no matter how dry you might think your
spot is. So if you want to avoid spoiled food, take a look at your
storage space periodically.
b) Packaging is also an important part of storing dried food. The
containers used play a vital role, and you should always go for
jars, boxes, or cans that have air-tight lids or that are made from
materials that are moisture resistant. Plastic bags should only be
considered if you are 100% sure you don’t have an insect or
rodent problem around your storage facility, as the bags don’t offer
any resistance towards such pests.
1.1 How to dehydrate vegetables
1.1.1 Green beans
Beans are very versatile vegetables, especially when it comes to
dehydrating them at home. There are many paths you can take in your
journey to achieving the perfect dehydrated beans, so you can’t
complain that this will be a dull and repetitive task. The green bean-
drying method that requires the least amount of equipment is the
sunlight drying method. You only need a big enough tray (or several
trays), some cloth netting, and a few bricks to build a platform for the
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trays to sit on. Carefully place the beans in the tray (with enough
distance between them), and place the cloth net on top of everything.
The mesh of the cloth shouldn’t be bigger than one inch, as it will need
to keep insects and all sorts of debris away from your drying green
beans. Next, you’ll need to make a platform out of the bricks (or anything
else really) and arrange them in such a way that air can easily circulate
underneath. After you’ve placed the trays in the sunlight, make sure to
come back and check on their progress two times a day and stir them
with your fingers so they’ll dry on all sides. If the nights in your area tend
to get moist, you can bring the trays inside and take them out again in
the morning. Once the pods are hard enough and they break evenly
when you snap them in half, you’ve accomplished your mission.
If you don’t live in a sunny-enough area, don’t worry. The oven drying
method works just as well, but it’ll require a bit more attention on your
part. Place the tray of beans of any sort (wax, green, snap, string) in the
oven, and keep the temperature constant at 120°F for about 60 minutes.
After the 60 minutes are up, you must increase the temperature to 140°F
until the beans are almost dried. Once this happens, lower the
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temperature to 125°F. This will prevent the beans from cooking
prematurely. Let them sit at 125°F until they’re done.
Another practical and efficient method for drying green beans is the
“hang them out to dry” method. The name of the method says it all;
it’s all about hanging the pods out to dry. Drying the beans via this
method requires only a sewing needle and some thread. Place the
thread in the needle, and pierce each pod above its center. After you’ve
tied the string, spread the pods apart so there are at least two inches in
between them. They should be hung in a dark room that is dry and well
aired. You’ll need to check on the beans once a day, and that’s about it.
No real effort is required from you for the “hang them out to dry” method,
but the process can be a bit slow (two to three weeks).
Recipe: Black bean/espresso
chili
Dried beans are excellent for
cooking and will do justice to
many recipes. Personally, I like
black bean/espresso chili a lot,
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and I’ll share the recipe with you. You’ll need to have the following:
1/8 cup of instant espresso powder (yes, you read that right)
1 /4 cup of olive oil
1/8 cup of chili powder
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (for extra flavor)
1/8 cup of ground cumin
1½ tablespoons of salt
3 tablespoons of honey
1 cup of water
6 cups of pre-cooked black beans
3 chopped onions
3 minced garlic cloves (large)
some ground cinnamon
28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
This is enough for about four portions, so keep that in mind before
inviting too many people for lunch. For starters, preheat a large-enough
pot at medium heat, and add the onions. Stir them gently for about 7
minutes. Next, throw into the mixture the 1/8 cup of chili powder and the
espresso power, and let it cook for one minute more. Once the minute is
up, add the honey, garlic, and tomatoes, and bring everything to a
simmer. When the simmering begins, bring the heat down to medium-
low, put the lid on, and let it simmer for 25–30 minutes. Add the cup of
water, let it sit for another minute, and then add the chipotle chili powder,
beans, cinnamon, and salt. Increase the heat until you bring everything
to a boil. Once the boiling starts, reduce the heat again, and stir
everything until the mixture starts to thicken (about 15–25 minutes).
1.1.2 Carrots
Carrots are more easily dehydrated with a dehydrator machine. The first
thing to do is to peel the carrots and remove the extremities (the tips and
the tops). Once they’re nice and clean, you must chop them up into 1/4-
inch slices. In order to maintain the nutritional value of the carrot and
prevent the loss of vitamins and minerals, you must steam blanch the
carrot slices. Steam blanching will also kill harmful bacteria and speed
up the dehydration time. This is done by placing the carrot slices in hot
boiling water for a period of –four to five minutes. After you’ve placed
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them in the water, put the lid on the pot. When you take the carrot slices
out, they should still be hard. If they’re soft to the touch, you overdid the
procedure.
After the five minutes of steam blanching are up, take out the carrots
and dip them in cold water; they’ll cool immediately. After they’re cool
enough, place them carefully in the dehydrator, and adjust the setting to
about 120–130°F. In 10–12 hours they should be done. Once they’ve
shriveled, you can take them out, store them in a glass jar preferably,
and place the jar in your designated storage space. If you decided to
shred your carrots instead of chopping them into slices, nothing really
changes except for the fact that you can also keep these in an eco-
friendly Ziploc bag after the dehydration process is finished.
Recipe: Carrot chips
There’s a really nice array of
choices when it comes to serving
dry carrots, but in my opinion, the
best one is the carrot chips, which
is nothing more than an improved
dehydration method. You’ll need
carrot slices, a pinch of salt (according to taste), melted coconut oil, and
a pinch of cinnamon. Throw everything together in a bowl, and mix
gently with your fingers. After mixing for one to two minutes, place the
carrot slices into the dehydrator and dry at 120°F for about 10–11 hours.
Once they’re done, take them out and cool them at room temperature.
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When cooled, they can be stored in a jar or any other sort of airtight
container.
1.1.3 Broccoli
Broccoli might not be a favorite among teens when it comes to
vegetables, but its nutritional value is uncontestable. So having it in your
pantry makes it an asset nonetheless. Wash the broccoli, and then place
it in salt water for about 10–12 minutes. This will clear any impurities that
are left and will also remove insect eggs. Next, cut the florets into
smaller pieces (half-inch bouquets will do). The stalk can also be
dehydrated, so don’t throw it away. Cut half an inch out from the bottom
and peel it; discard the remaining outer layer. You can cut the stalk
lengthwise into two to four separate pieces. Each section should be
again cut lengthwise into five rows. Steam the broccoli for about eight
minutes. Once the steaming process is done, take them out and spread
them carefully onto a non-stick sheet in the tray of the dehydrator. Keep
them at 130°F for about seven hours. Take them out and place them in
storage in plastic or glass jars.
Recipe: Broccoli soup
A really nice dish you can make
for a family of four is broccoli
soup. It’s easy to make, and it
shouldn’t take you longer than
30 minutes provided you have
any experience at all in the
kitchen. In order to make the
broccoli soup, you’ll need the
following ingredients:
3 cups of chopped broccoli
a pinch of salt (according to taste)
half a bell pepper (chopped)
1 potato (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
a sprig of cilantro
3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
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3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white flour
1 tablespoon pepper powder
2½ tablespoons fresh cream
½ tablespoon cumin powder
Firstly, heat the olive oil in a pot, and add the garlic, chopped onions,
broccoli, potato, bell pepper, and cilantro. Stir gently for 2–3 minutes.
Once the sauté is done, add the flour to the mix, and let it fry for one
more minute. Add a cup of chicken or vegetable stock, and cook for 10
minutes. After the 10 minutes are up, turn off the stove and let the
mixture cool. Once it’s cooled, blend it. Return the homogenous mixture
back to the pot, and add the remaining 2 cups of stock. After you’ve
turned the heat back up, add the salt, cumin, and pepper. After 5
minutes, last but not least, add the cream, and there you have it: broccoli
soup!
1.1.4 Spinach
Spinach, just like broccoli, is an extremely beneficial vegetable and
works wonders for the blood flow and the digestive system. It also has a
very distinct flavor, which makes it perfect for all sorts of soups, stews,
and even salads. Dehydrating spinach via a dehydrator will be a bit
tricky as spinach leaves are quite large and will take up a lot of space.
You’ll just need to make more of an effort and dehydrate two or three
times the normal quantity you would other vegetables. But if you don’t
have the time or the will, you can always go for a smaller amount or
simply fold the spinach leaves in two (although this is not
recommended). Place the spinach leaves on the dehydrator tray, set the
temperature at about 120°F, and let them sit for about two to two and a
half hours.
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During this time, the leaves will shrivel and shrink enough for you to
spread them out even more. Place a mash sheet over the leaves, and
put them back in the dehydrator for approximately two more hours. Once
they’re done, you can either grind them into a fine powder or store them
in jars that you can keep in your storage space.
Recipe: Spinach quiche
It’s a great recipe, fairly easy to make,
tasty, and nutritious. The necessary
ingredients are as follows:
10 ounces of dried spinach
(chopped)
8 ounces of shredded cheese
(preferably cheddar)
6 ounces of herb and garlic
feta (crumbled)
1 small onion (chopped)
2–3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
½ cup butter
1 can of mushrooms (4.5 ounces, drained)
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4 eggs (beaten)
1 cup of milk
salt and pepper (according to taste).
First and foremost, preheat the oven to 375°F. Turn on the stove, take
out a skillet, and melt the butter over medium heat. Throw the garlic and
onion into the mix, and sauté for about 5–7 minutes, or for as long as it
takes for the mixture to turn light brown. Next, add the spinach, feta,
shredded cheese, and mushrooms, and start stirring. Let it cook for a
couple of minutes, and then add the mixture into the pie crust. In a bowl,
mix together the eggs and milk, and add salt and pepper to enhance the
taste. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the pie, and let it combine with
the spinach mixture. Place the pie in the preheated oven, and sprinkle
the remaining cheese on top of the pie. Cook for 30–40 minutes.
1.1.5 Asparagus
Asparagus is an all-purpose
vegetable and is a must-have for
serious preppers. It has a large
variety of vitamins and nutritious
substances, plus it does very well in
storage conditions. Firstly, you’ll need
to cut the asparagus into small pieces (about 1–1.5 inches long). Briefly
blanch the asparagus cuts in boiling water (for about one to two minutes)
so that it will retain its nutritional properties. After the blanching is done,
place the asparagus in the tray of your dehydrator. You don’t need to
spread it out, as asparagus will dehydrate easily. There is no strict
temperature requirement either; just set you dehydrator to the
“vegetable” setting, and turn it on. The process isn’t complicated at all;
just let the asparagus sit until it’s done. It shouldn’t take longer than five
hours, but just to play it safe, turn off the dehydrator and check it after
three hours. Based on its condition, decide for how much longer you’ll
keep the asparagus in the dehydrator. After it’s done, apply the standard
procedure for most vegetables: Take it out and let it cool at room
temperature a bit. Once it’s cool, place it in glass jars or plastic
containers. For maximum efficiency, you can also add oxygen-absorbing
packs in the containers.
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Recipe: Scalloped asparagus
There are plenty of things you can
use dried asparagus for, but one
of the tastiest (by far) is scalloped
asparagus. In order to make this
delicious recipe, you will need the
following:
1 cup dried asparagus
(torn into small pieces)
1 cup water
1 cup milk
¼ cup grated cheese
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon dried pimiento
1 tablespoon salt
2 sliced hardboiled eggs.
If your list is complete, you can get started. Start by boiling water in a
pan. Add the pimiento and dried asparagus, stir for a couple of minutes,
and then remove the pan from the heat; let it cool for about 25–30
minutes. Drain and save the cooking liquid. Preheat the oven to 350°F,
and grease a casserole dish. The pan with the asparagus and pimiento
should be returned to the heat and simmer until tender (about 10–20
minutes). Add the cup of milk to the resulting cooking liquid. Place
another pan on the stove, in which you’ll melt the butter; add the flour
and salt. Pour the milk and liquid mixture in the second pan while
continuously stirring. Turn the heat low, and continue stirring until the
mixture becomes smooth and thick. Throw in the egg slices and drained
vegetables, and keep on stirring. When everything is homogenized
(about one minute), take the resulting mixture and pour it in the
casserole. Sprinkle it with grated cheese, and bake until it gets slightly
brown (approximately 30–40 minutes).
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1.1.6 Potatoes
Going for long periods of time without potatoes (in some form or
another) would be unimaginable for most preppers. So get your hands
on as many potatoes as you can, and get to work! First, you must wash
and slice the potatoes into 1/8-inch slices. You can peel them if you like,
but it’s recommended not to as the peel also retains a certain number of
minerals and nutrients. Bring a large enough pot of salted water to a boil.
Place the potato slices in a vegetable basket, and dip them in the water;
from the second the water starts boiling again, you have about 7 minutes
at your disposal to fill a large enough container with ice water. After the
blanching is done (the 7 minutes are up), take out the basket and place
them immediately in the ice water; let them sit for 15 minutes. Next,
spread the slices on a towel, and blot them dry.
If you’re going to use a dehydrator, spray the racks or trays with
vegetable oil, and carefully place the potato slices so they’re not
touching each other. If the racks are vented, you won’t have to stop the
process to turn the slices over. The power and timer should be set
according to the manufacturer’s instructions. However, if you won’t be
using a dehydrator, the best option you have is to use Teflon cookie
sheets. Place them on the oven racks, and spread the potato slices so
they’re not touching each other; once they’re set, turn on the oven to its
lowest setting. Keep the oven door slightly opened so that the moisture
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can escape. Some slices will dry faster than others, so check the status
constantly (every 15 minutes) to ensure everything is going well. Once
they start getting crispy, you can take them out and let them cool at
room temperature. Once cooled, you can store them in jars or plastic
bags or containers.
Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes
There is a very good scalloped potato mix you can make for the best use
of your dehydrated potatoes. First, you’ll need to make a sauce mix:
a pinch of black pepper
2 tablespoons non-fat milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon onion powder
Once the sauce mix is done, place it in Ziploc bags, but make sure you
remove as much of the air as possible before closing them. Take a large
enough jar, and place some dried potato slices on the bottom. Place the
Ziploc bags filled with sauce on top of the slices, and close the jar. Now
you have a ready-to-eat meal that you can add to a casserole or serve
as a side dish with fried meat.
1.1.7 Tomatoes
Tomatoes aren’t necessarily the easiest vegetables to dehydrate. Maybe
because tomatoes are fruits (technically) and not vegetables. All joking
aside, drying them is a bit more difficult due to the high amounts of water
that tomatoes hold. Although drying tomatoes might be tricky, it is
nowhere near impossible. Fortunately, the problem has many solutions.
If you won’t be using a dehydrator, you can simply sun-dry your
tomatoes. First and foremost, choose the tomatoes that will undergo the
process, and wash them thoroughly. Once they’ve been washed,
remove the stem, and slice them up into about ¼-inch thick slices. You
can also remove the skin if you like, but it’s not necessarily
recommended. Tomatoes require about a minute of blanching in hot
water. Next you should immediately move them to ice water. This will
make skinning easier if you still decide to do it this way. Take a tray that
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it’s large enough, and place the tomato slices gently onto it. In order to
keep debris and pesky bugs away, you’ll need to cover them with
cheesecloth. Set them out to dry in the sunlight, and check on them –
four to five times a day. They should be done in about three days. You
can sprinkle them with sea salt, and this will enhance the flavor and
speed up the dehydration process.
If you’ll be using a dehydrator, all you need to do is place them on the
dehydrator racks, spread enough so that air will flow freely around them,
removing excess moisture in the process. You can add salt too; in this
case, it’s for the flavor more than anything. Turn on the heat to 140°F,
and check on them periodically, every five to seven hours. The whole
process shouldn’t take longer than 20 hours. Tomatoes can also be
dehydrated in an oven, but thesetting will be harder to control in this
case. You could easily overcook the tomatoes unless you’re wasting
most of your time supervising the operation. You can put the dry
tomatoes whole into air-tight jars, or you can grind them and place the
resulting powder in Ziploc bags. Store the containers in a cool and dry
place.
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Recipe: Sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
Sun-dried tomatoes can be used as an
ingredient in many dishes, and one of
the best and easiest to make is sun-
dried tomatoes in olive oil. You’ll need
the following ingredients:
about 5 lbs. of sun-dried
tomatoes
a few leaves of fresh basil
kosher salt
4 minced garlic cloves
3 cups olive oil
½ cup dried oregano.
If you have a wide-mouth, large enough jar, you’re halfway there. What
you must do first is clean the jar properly; sterilizing the jar would be
even better. Next you’ll have to set everything in layers, as follows (from
bottom to top): add a layer of dried tomatoes, add salt, add the garlic,
add the oregano, and finally add the basil. Repeat the process until the
jar is full. Once the jar is filled, add the olive oil. The oil will take some
time to settle, so take your time, and pour as much as it takes. Stop only
when the final layer is covered in olive oil. Close the jar tightly, and place
it in a cool and dry spot, away from sunlight. In about seven days, the
chemical reactions will have been completed, and you can dig in.
1.2 How to dehydrate fruits
1.2.1 Apples
Apples are probably the first fruits that surface on a prepper’s to-do list.
This is justified by the fact that apples are nutritious, delicious, and easy
to find or grow. The first thing to do before anything else is to wash the
apples thoroughly to remove any impurities or pathogens that could put
your health at risk. If the apples are squeaky clean, they’re ready to be
processed. First, peel the apples and remove the cores. You can either
do this manually or get a mechanical apple peeler. The device will be
necessary if you plan on storing huge amounts of apples. If you don’t
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plan on getting such a device, don’t worry. You can still do it all by hand.
Remove the damaged areas from the peeled apples, and cut them into
thin slices; a ¼ of an inch will do just fine. Once the apples are sliced
just right, move them quickly to the tray of the dehydrator, and start
“cooking.” Set the temperature at 130°F, and in about eight to nine hours
the apples should be ready. Take them out of the dehydrator, and store
in jars or plastic Ziploc bags.
You can add cinnamon before storing them to increase flavor. You
should work quickly because apples will oxidize and spoil in no time, so
the faster you are, the better.
Recipe: Dehydrated apple chips
A very tasty and easy-to-make
recipe with dehydrated apples is
(you guessed it) dehydrated apple
chips. This is a very sweet and
savory treat and requires apples,
cinnamon, and a sweetener of your
choice (sugar, honey, etc.). The
process is easy and follows
basically the same steps as the
standard dehydration method; it
can be done by either using the dehydrator or the oven. However, it’s
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best if you cut the apples into full slices instead of orange-like ones.
Arrange the apples accordingly in the tray, and sprinkle cinnamon and
sugar (or pour honey) to your heart’s content. If you’re using the oven
instead of the dehydrator, preheat at 190–200°F, bake one hour, stop
the process, and flip the slices. Bake for another hour, and your apple
chips should be ready. You can store them in jars or any other air-tight
container, which should be deposited in a dry and cool place.
1.2.2 Bananas
The banana has a bit of versatility when it comes to dehydrating it. The
banana chips are real easy to make, especially if you’ll be using a
dehydrator. Peel the bananas, and slice them into thin, even layers. If
you don’t feel like doing it by hand, you can simply break the fruit in half
and place it in an egg slicer, and the cutting device will do the work for
you. There are similar devices, made especially for bananas, but they’re
harder to find; besides, an egg slicer is all you need. Spread the slices
evenly on the dehydrator rack, and turn on the heat. Depending on how
long you’ll let the bananas sit in the dehydrator, you can get two results:
soft and chewy like taffy (for less time) or crispy and crunchy (for a
longer period of time). Depending on the banana’s state of ripeness, it’s
a bit hard to anticipate how long it will take exactly, so check on the
progress once every two hours. Set the machine at about 130°F, and
you should get leathery and chewy bananas in about 10–12 hours; a full
day’s time (approximately) will get you hard and crispy banana chips. If
you are not keen on the whole slicing business, you could go for banana
leather. Just smash the bananas by hand or use a rolling pin, and put
the mush in the dehydrator. Make the surface as flat as possible, and
turn on the dehydrator at 130°F; it should take about eight hours for the
process to be completed. Once it’s done, store it in an airtight container,
and store it under the right conditions.
Recipe:Honey-glazed banana chips
The banana chips will make a great main
ingredient for the honey-glazed banana
chips. After slicing the fruits, dip them in
lemon juice, and let them sit for a couple of
minutes. After a few minutes, take them out
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and place them in the dehydrator. When placing the banana in the
dehydrator, glaze the surface of the chips with honey, and start baking.
For extra flavor, you can add cinnamon too. The chips will be very tasty,
especially for those with a serious sweet tooth.
1.2.3 Cherries
Cherries make for an excellent dessert, and having them at your
disposal throughout the year will make your efforts worthwhile. Because
of their shape, cherries can be dehydrated almost whole. All you need to
do is remove the pit. Placing the cherries whole (almost) in the
dehydrator is a good idea, especially if you’ll be planning on making all
sorts of muffins or similar pastries that require big chunks of fruit. If this
is not the case, you can simply cut them in half. This way you’ll remove
the pit easier and the dehydration process will be faster. Because
cherries are fruits that have high amounts of sugar, they tend to vary in
ripeness. So keeping them an exact amount of time in the dehydrator is
not exactly the way to go. You’ll need to check on your progress every
three hours and make sure that everything is going fine. After you’ve
sliced your cherries (or not), spread them on the dehydrator rack. Keep
them cooking at about 120°F for 12–24 hours depending on how ripe
they are. They should be stored in airtight containers, preferably with
oxygen-absorbing packs. Cherries tend to spoil quickly, even after being
dehydrated, so take all the right precautions.
Recipe: Wild rice salad
Cherries will add a dash of
color and a lot of flavor to
anything they come in contact
to. They’re best for salads, like
a variation of the wild rice
salad. The ingredients for the
wild rice salad are as follows:
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2 cups wild rice
7½ cups water
2 cups dried cherries (sour)
1 cup parsley leaves (chopped or whole)
2 shallots (thinly sliced)
3-inch pieces of ginger (peeled and thinly sliced)
2 tablespoons salt
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic.
Take a large-enough pan, and stir together the rice, 1 tablespoon of salt,
and water. Bring everything to a boil over above-medium heat, after
which you’ll reduce the heat to low, put the lid on, and simmer until the
rice gets tender (about 45 minutes). After the 45 minutes are up, drain
the excess water. In a bowl, mix and stir in the vinegar, lemon juice, and
sugar. Take a sauce pan, and heat oil over medium-high heat; then add
the remaining salt, shallots, ginger, and garlic. Stir everything for about
three to five minutes, until the shallots turn translucent. Last but not
least, throw in the cherries and water, and continue stirring. In about 12
minutes the cherries will become plump; this means you must remove
from the heat; add the sugar, vinegar, and lemon juice mixture; and stir
some more. Combine the rice and cherry mixture in a large dish, and
cover; let it sit overnight. Before serving, add the parsley.
1.2.4 Watermelon
Watermelons can be
dehydrated too, despite the
fact that they’re made up of
90–91% water. But to get
good results, you’ll need to
pick the right melon. Look for
a large watermelon that has a
yellow spot somewhere along
its body. This is an indicator of
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the fact that the melon was left to ripen naturally, on the ground, and
hasn’t been picked early. Cut the front and back ends, and slice the
watermelon into equal slices of about half an inch thick. The round slices
will be cut into four to five vertical strips, and the rind will be removed in
the process.
Before adding the fruit into the dehydrator, it’s best you let them sit on
the dehydrator trays or racks for a while so that they’ll lose as much
water as possible. Once the dripping stops, put them in the dehydrator at
135–140°F. It shouldn’t take more than 10 – 12 hours, but of course,
variables may differ depending on the size of the fruit. If you don’t have a
dehydrator, you can also use the oven. Dry the melon at 140°F for about
15–20 hours. Check on the progress every two to three hours, and leave
the door cracked so the moisture can escape easily. Place in airtight
containers (preferably airtight glass jars), and deposit in a proper storage
space.
Recipe:Dehydrated watermelon
The dehydrated watermelon is not
known for any particular recipe, so
it’s up to you to try different things
and experiment. It’s the type of
food that stands perfectly on its
own, and you can enhance its
flavor in many ways. Watermelon
jerky will last for a long time, and
although it is sweet and savory
enough on its own, you can throw
it in the mix in all sorts of pastries and fruit salads and even serve it with
a glazing of honey, syrup, or lemon juice.
1.2.5 Oranges, lemons, and limes
Citrus in general is probably the best natural source for vitamin C, which
helps boost the immune system immensely. So these would make a
great addition to your dried food collection. Begin by washing the fruit;
this will remove any impurities and pathogens that might live on the
outer layers of the rind. Next you’ll have to slice the fruits into thin slice
(as thin as possible). You can either do it by hand or with a slicer
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machine; the latter would be a lot faster. You can place the slices whole,
or you can remove the peel and grind it into a thin powder, which can
then be used as a seasoning, as a baking ingredient, or for tea. Place
the slices carefully on the tray in a single layer. Turn the heat on to
120°F, and check in on the process every three to five hours. It shouldn’t
be longer than 18–20 hours before they’re done. After they’re done,
store them in airtight jars.
Recipe: Citrusy granola
Although the resulting citrus crisps are tasty and hold a lot of vitamins,
it’s the dried, ground peels that have loads of usefulness when it comes
to cooking. The citrusy granola is a very tasty recipe that requires the
following:
1 teaspoon dried orange
peels
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
a pinch of sea salt
4 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
Start by preheating the oven to 325°F. Take a small tray, and place
baking paper on top of it. Take a large-enough bowl and mix together
the orange peel, brown sugar, cinnamon, and oats. Next add the vanilla,
the coconut oil, and the maple syrup. Place the granola on the baking
sheet, and use a rolling pin to even out the layer. Bake the granola for
15 minutes; then rotate and bake for another 15 minutes. The layer must
be light brown and crispy. Remove and let it cool completely. Break into
crumbles, and store in an airtight container for about a week or two.
2. Freeze-drying
Freeze-drying is one of the oldest methods used as far as food
preservation goes, and throughout time, it’s known many forms, but the
core was always the same. It’s a variation of the drying method but
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much faster. Instead of leaving fruits and vegetables out in the open,
exposed to the gradual process of drying under the sunlight, we can now
dehydrate them more efficiently thanks to cryogenic freezing and
vacuum drying. The outcome is that the food will lose as much water as
possible, making it viable when it comes to storing it over long periods of
time. What sets it apart from traditional dehydration is that freeze-dried
food retains a larger quantity of nutrients. The nutritional value remains
pretty much constant because large amounts of vitamins, nutrients, and
antioxidants won’t be flushed out with the water.
Another upside to freeze-dried food is the overall taste. Although
dehydrated food will be lacking in any sort of spices, seasoning, or taste
enhancers, a freeze-dried meal will not. Many preppers and survivalists
that have reviewed these products have agreed that many of them taste
as good as the real deal, many being comparable to actual home-
cooked meals. So when it comes to taste, you’ll definitely get your
money’s worth of delicious food.
When it comes to storing ready-to-eat freeze-dried meals, you’ll need
very little space at all. These meals come in very durable packs that
have been vacuumed and sealed tightly. They are tiny in size, so you
won’t require much space to store them. Thanks to the extremely
advanced packaging methods used as a standard by all manufacturers,
these meals have the ability to last for a lifetime. You might think that as
far as variations go, there aren’t many options available. But you’d be
wrong as these types of meals consist of a multitude of combinations of
meats, vegetables, herbs, and spices, replicating your mother’s cooking
with success. And the best part is that you can try them out for yourself;
you don’t have to take my word for it. Here are some of the best freeze-
dried meal packs available on the market.
a) Backpacker’s Pantry is one of the biggest names in the business,
and they are from Boulder, CO. For $11, you can get a great meal
for two consisting of sweet and sour chicken. The dish is
comprised of bits of chicken and pineapple, and overall, it is really
tasty with a pleasant smell.
b) Good to Go is a relatively new name on the scene, and it’s a
family brand from Maine. The Herbed Mushroom Risotto is a
ready-to-eat meal that costs $11 and will feed two people. The
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meal is rich in flavor, and the ingredients used are of the highest
quality.
c) Mountain House is one of the oldest companies, and it has been
producing freeze-dried food for the military for more than 50 years.
They’re top class, and they specialize in vegetarian meals, which
are extremely tasty, and they can come as cheap as $7 per meal.
But enough with what the market has to offer as freeze-drying is a
process that can be easily achieved as home just as well. The first thing
a DIY-er needs to understand about the process is that the fruits or
vegetables that are suited best for freeze-drying are the ones that
contain the highest amounts of water. The more water they originally
have, the more intact their structure will remain after the process is done
and over with. In order to ensure the maximum number of nutrients and
the best taste possible, you should always freeze-dry the fruits and
veggies at the peak of their ripeness, in full season. If you want to do
things by the book, these are the steps you’ll need to follow:
Step 1: If the vegetables or fruit you want to freeze-dry are ripe and
juicy, you’ll need to give them a thorough wash before doing anything
else.
Step 2: The best way to ensure that most of the excess moisture will be
removed is to slice the fruits or vegetables in question into small chunks
or pieces.
Step 3: Spread out the pieces as much as possible on at tray so that
they are not touching each other.
Step 4: Place the food in the fridge at the lowest setting possible, the
colder the better; a deep freezer would be best; the process in itself can
last for about a week, so if you’re planning on using your freezer for
freeze-drying, empty it of anything else before doing so.
Step 5: The freezer should be opened as little as possible for as long as
the freeze-drying process takes. For a period of seven to nine days the
moisture will be gradually removed out of the food you placed in the
freezer; after seven days, take out a piece of fruit, and let it sit for a
while; if it turns black, there’s still some water left, so continue freezing.
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Step 6: Once you’ve made sure the process is complete, you can move
the freeze-dried food into air-tight freezer bags; you can grind the food
into fine powder or not.
Step 7: Place the freeze-dried food in the freezer or in a designated
storage facility that’s cool enough.
2.1 Recipes using freeze-dried fruits and vegetables
2.1.1 Basic chicken soup
The basic chicken soup is an excellent dish that can be done even by
the clumsiest cook. All you need is the following ingredients:
½ cup freeze-dried tomatoes
1 cup freeze-dried chicken
½ cup chopped onions
1 cup freeze-dried corn
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon chipotle pepper
Seeing as the main ingredients (the chicken and tomatoes) are already
freeze-dried, making the soup will require no effort at all. Just take a
large pot and throw everything in. Add about 7–8 cups of water, and let it
simmer for about 20–25 minutes. While the soup’s cooking, you can take
your time and heat some tasty tortilla chips, which go great with this kind
of soup.
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2.1.2 Chicken salad with apples
The taste of chicken salad with apples is very interesting and fresh at the
same time. The ingredients required are as follows:
salt & pepper
3 cups water
1 cup freeze-dried apples
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup olive oil
½ cup freeze-dried celery
1/3 cup cranberries. Place a sauce pan on the stove over high
heat. Throw in the water, chicken, and apples. Once
everything is brought to a boil, turn the heat to low, and let it
simmer for 10–12 minutes. Next you must add the celery and
the cranberries; the cranberries will add more flavor if they’re
cut in half before adding them to the mix. Cover the pan, and
let it sit for another 10–12 minutes. After the time is up, place
the mixture into a colander, and let it drain for about 7
minutes. Once all the excess moisture is out, add the mayo,
salt, oil and the pepper. Put in the fridge until it’s cool. It’s best
served on tortillas or sliced bread.
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2.1.3 Beans and pasta soup
This particular dish is made up of a lot of complementary ingredients. It’s
easy to make and to store and even easier to consume. You’ll need the
following:
1/3 cup freeze-dried celery
½ cup penne pasta
½ cup freeze-dried chopped onions
¾ cup instant pinto beans
¼ cup carrot slices
½ cup tomato powder
¾ cup freeze-dried ground beef
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ tablespoon basil
¼ tablespoon pepper
½ tablespoon oregano
½ tablespoon thyme
Take a large jar, and place the ingredients in the following order (from
bottom to top): carrots, pasta, onions, pinto beans, ground beef, tomato
powder, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, pepper, celery, and bell peppers
(optional). Repeat the process until the jar is full. To make the soup, get
a pot and add seven to eight cups of water. Pour the contents of the jar
in the pot, and simmer for about 20 minutes. It’s best served with garlic
bread.
2.1.4 Rice pilaf (Southwest style)
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Rice pilaf prepared Southwestern style is a very delicious dish. The taste
will make you realize that your efforts were worthwhile. For this delightful
dish, you must have the following ingredients:
1 cup brown rice
3 cups water
1 clove fresh garlic
1/3 cup dehydrated carrots
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 cup freeze-dried corn
½ teaspoon ground oregano
1/3 cup freeze-dried onion
2 tablespoons chicken bullion
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons dehydrated bell pepper (red or green)
3 tablespoons freeze-dried chili
Take out a medium pot, heat it, and add the olive oil and garlic; stir until
the garlic becomes light gold. Next add all the ingredients, and stir to
homogenize the mix. Simmer the mixture over low-medium heat until the
liquid gets absorbed by the ingredients. The pilaf should be ready in
about 15 minutes. Take the pot off the stove, and let it cool for a few
minutes before serving.
2.1.5 Blueberry pancakes
All-American blueberry pancakes are an excellent treat, especially for
those who can’t get through their day without having something sweet to
eat (freeze-dried blueberries work too):
a pinch of salt
¾ cup freeze-dried blueberries
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 egg
knob butter
1.5 cups (350 ml) milk
1½ cups self-rising flour
sunflower oil or butter (to add to the frying pan)
maple syrup
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First, mix together the pinch of salt, baking soda, and flour; then beat the
egg with the milk. Make a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients, and
pour the milk to get a homogenized, thick paste. Place a pan on the
stove over medium heat, and add the batter. The pancake should be
about 3 inches in diameter, and once small bubbles start to appear on
the surface of the pancake, flip it and repeat the process. Each side
should take about 2–3 minutes to cook. Once it’s done, remove it, wrap
it in cooking paper to absorb the excess oil or butter (whichever you
added in the pan), and serve with maple syrup.
3. Oxygen-Absorbing Capsules
A great method of ensuring
that the food you’re trying to
store will last as long as
possible is to seal the food in
airtight containers. Oxygen
deprivation reduces oxidation
and exposure to aerobic
microorganisms that could
deteriorate and spoil the food
very quickly. There are plenty
of methods to reduce oxygen
levels when it comes to
stored food, and I’ll present to you one of my personal favorites: the
method of the oxygen-absorbing packs.
First and foremost, you’ll need to get yourself some five- to six-gallon
plastic buckets. You find these pretty much anywhere, and buying them
in bulk will get you a better deal. It’s important to know the type of plastic
the containers you just bought are made up of and whether they’re made
out of food-grade material or not. The food-grade plastic means you can
deposit your food directly in the container without necessarily having to
use a liner. But if the plastic is not food-grade, there’s no question about
it: You’ll need to place something in between the food and the plastic.
One of the best and most comfortable liners you can use is Mylar bags
or any sort of regular plastic bags. Here’s how it’s done:
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Step 1: Take the plastic buckets that will serve as containers, and have
them open and ready.
Step 2: Take the plastic or Mylar bags, and place them in the
bucket/container; the best bags for a five- to six-gallon bucket is the 20 x
30 inch ones.
Step 3: Next fill the bag with the fruit or vegetables you’re trying to
preserve for as long as possible.
Step 4: After the bag is filled with as much food as you see fit, you’ll
need to throw the oxygen absorbing bags into the mix. After you open
them, you’ll need to move as fast as possible in order to ensure their
maximum efficiency; if you don’t have oxygen absorbers, you could
always use CO2 (carbon dioxide from dry ice) instead.
Step 5: Squeeze out as much of the excess air as you possibly can;
then seal the Mylar or plastic bag shut with a hot iron.
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Step 6: After you’ve finished ironing and sealing the bag as air tightly as
humanly possible, roll the excess bag inside the bucket, and put the lid
on the plastic bucket
This method will ensure an airtight and light-tight environment for your
stored food. You can keep the sealed buckets in a cool and dark
environment for maximum efficiency. The plastic is too hard for insects
to get through, but it may not be enough protection for rats or other
rodents. So keep your storage space as clean as possible, and check on
the buckets regularly. Dehydrated vegetables will last in the airtight
containers for a period of about 8–10 years, and dehydrated fruit will last
for 10–15 years.
4. Pickling
Pickling is a food preservation method that has been used for many
centuries all across the globe. In the old days, when people didn’t have
access to better ways of preserving their vegetables (and even some
fruits) over the winter, they used to pickle them and store them for as
long as possible. Although the method is not necessary today, it still
works, and in case of an unfortunate calamity that might cause power
failure, it’s good to have an alternative that does not require fridges or
similar contraptions when it comes to storing your vegetables for long
periods of time. The process of pickling is all about preserving the food
items in a high-acid environment that kills off any potential harmful
bacteria that could cause the food to spoil. The acid environment will
consist of a solution that you’ll have to prepare at home.
You can have two basic types of pickling solutions: salt-based (dry salt
or brine) and vinegar-based. What you decide on using should be
based on taste more than anything. Both methods are efficient, but
they’ll either make your food taste saltier or sourer, depending on which
method you’ll go for.
Salt is probably the oldest food preservative known to man. Adding
enough salt to various food products will dry excess water and also will
create a very harmful and acid environment for all sorts of bacteria.
Salting works in most cases; all you need to do is add salt excessively to
food and let it sit. But more refined methods exist, so instead of adding
dry salt, you can make brine (a salty saline solution), in which you’ll
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immerse whatever it is you’re trying to pickle. When immersed in brine, a
natural and beneficial chemical effect will occur, which is based on
fermentation. The sugars in the food will be broken down into lactic acid,
which is a strong natural preservative. It’s the lactic acid that creates the
acidic environment (low PH) that kills off the bad bacteria that would
otherwise spoil the food. Not only that but it also gives that salty-sour
taste that we all know and love.
Vinegar will make for a much faster pickling process. There is no
fermentation process as far as vinegar is involved. First, the vegetables
will be left to sit in brine for as long as recommended in order to add
some flavor and crispness. They will be removed from the saline solution
and drained as well as possible. Once drained, they’ll be boiled into a
vinegar-based solution and added in jars (or some other sort of
containers). After carefully placing the vegetables in the jars, pour the
vinegary solution in, seal tightly, and place the jars in storage. The acetic
acid in the vinegar will create a very acid environment, killing off any
microorganisms that could spoil your vegetables.
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What you’ll need for pickling:
1) Fresh ingredients are a must. The fresher the fruits or vegetables
are, the better. Fresh products mean they haven’t been altered by
microorganisms, which will make them taste better and last longer.
2) Containers are a must as you’ll need something to keep your
pickles in. The best option you have are glass jars with strong lids
that can be sealed easily and tightly.
3) Cutting tools are absolutely necessary if you want to make the
best use of the jar space. Some vegetables can go in whole, but
most will require cutting into smaller fractions. Sliced vegetables
are better than placing them in whole; this will ensure more
exposure to the pickling solution, thus making the process as fast
as possible.
4) Sugar is optional and should be added according to taste. This is
a great choice for those who prefer a sweeter taste to a sourer
one.
5) Flavorings (herbs and spices) are a must if you wish to make
your pickles taste as good as possible. There are many flavorings
to consider, and the combinations of possibilities are endless.
6) Fresh water is an absolute must; you shouldn’t use water for
pickling that isn’t normally good for drinking.
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7) A proper storage space is required after the pickles have been
placed in the jars. The place should be cool, dark, and dry.
4.1 Pickle recipes
4.1.1 Grandma’s recipe
This recipe is simple to prepare and can be done even by the most
inexperienced cooks. The first thing you must do is wash the vegetables
properly. After they’re washed, some vegetables will require blanching
(soft boiling in water) before being processed. Only tougher vegetables
should be blanched, like peppers, ginger, beans, okra, etc. Simple
water-based vegetables like cucumbers or tomatoes require no
blanching at all. Next you should slice the vegetables as thinly as
possible and place them in jars. Once they’ve been carefully placed in
the jars, you’ll need to add flavorings to the mix. Flavorings can be either
fresh (horseradish, shallot, garlic, onion, dill, basil, etc.) or dry (celery
seed, dried peppers, mustard seeds, pickling spices, etc.). You can
make all sorts of combinations; you’re only limited by your imagination.
The last and final step consists of making the brine and adding it in the
jars. The brine can be sweeter (by adding an extra amount of sugar) or
sourer. I, for one, like the sour pickle brine best, and this is how you do
it: Mix 3 cups of distilled white vinegar (or cider vinegar), 3 cups of water,
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons sea salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a
large saucepan. Once it starts to boil, start stirring until the salt and
sugar are dissolved. Boil for 2–3 minutes more, and remove from the
heat. Once the brine is ready, pour it into the jars and seal tightly.
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4.1.2 Minty pickled eggplant
Get your hands on a canning pot and two clean jars. Get two new jar
lids, and simmer over low heat. Chop an eggplant into small pieces; two
pounds of eggplant will suffice. Get a pan, and fill it up with red wine
vinegar (2½ cups); set it on low-medium heat, and bring it to a boil. Once
the vinegar starts boiling, add the eggplant, and let it simmer for about
three minutes. After the three minutes are up, remove the pieces of
eggplant from the boiling vinegar and put in a bowl; also add chopped
garlic (1 tablespoon) and mint leaves (1/3 cup). Stir the mixture. Place
the mixture into the jars and pour the boiling vinegar, but leave about
two inches of headspace. You can tap on the jars to release as much
trapped air as possible. Wipe the rims and the lids, and place the lids on
the jars. Move the jars into a water bath canner for no more than 10
minutes (start countdown when the water starts boiling). After the time is
up, take out the jars and store them in a cool and dark place. They’ll be
fit to eat in about two weeks and can hold for up to a year.
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4.1.3 Pickled tomatoes
Start by getting about 1½ pounds of meaty, small red tomatoes. Get two
regular jars, and boil two new lids in water over low heat to kill any
possible pathogens that could get you sick. In a pot, combine 1½ cups of
red wine vinegar with 1½ cups of water, along with a pinch of sugar, 2
tablespoons of salt, and ginger slices (from a 2-inch piece of ginger).
Bring everything to a boil. Add to the bottom of each jar about 1
tablespoon of pickling spices. Peel the tomatoes, and carefully place
them in the jars. Pour the brine in the jars, but leave about one inch of
headspace. Tap the jars so trapped air can escape. On the top, you can
add some ginger for a taste boost. Place the lids on tightly, and put the
jars in the canner for about 10 minutes (start countdown when the water
starts boiling). Once the 10 minutes are up, take out the jars, dry them
with towels, and let them sit for about two weeks (in a proper storage
space) before eating.
4.1.4 Pickled minty carrots
First and foremost, start with about 1½ pounds of fresh carrots. Peel and
slice the carrots in about half-an-inch-thick slices. After the slicing is
done, add the carrots to a pot of salt water, and simmer over low heat
until they’re nice and tender. While the carrots are cooking, mix together
the following in a bowl:
a small clove of garlic (minced)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped mint
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3 tablespoons rice vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Once the carrots are tender enough, take them out and drain them of
excess water. Once they have drained, put them in the bowl filled with
the vinaigrette you prepared, and let them cool. Once cooled, put plastic
wrap over the bowl, and throw it in the fridge. The carrots should be
ready to eat in about two to three hours, and they can last for up to five
days in the fridge.
4.1.5 Pickled grapes
First of all, you’ll need to get the right grapes for the job. They should be
firm and without any wrinkles if you’re looking to make premium pickled
grapes. Get a pound of grapes, wash them, and trim the portion of the
grape around the stem. This way the pickling brine will have a much
easier time entering the grapes. Next get a small saucepan, in which
you’ll add ¼ cup of water, 1 cup of sugar (granulated), and 1 cup of
apple cider vinegar. Place the pan over high heat until the mixture starts
to boil. In a , place the following spices on the bottom:
a cinnamon stick
half a vanilla bean
¼ teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns.
Next place the grapes in the jar over the layer of spices. Pour the boiling
mixture over the grapes, and let them sit until they cool down. Place the
lid on tightly, and store in the fridge for about two days before eating.
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5. Canning
Canning is yet another method that has been around for a while and will
keep your fruits and vegetables “fresh” for long periods of time. The
whole process is very economical and is probably the cheapest way to
properly conserve and store your food. The reason it won’t put a strain
on your wallet is because the containers used (cans or canning jars) can
be reused year after year without having to purchase new ones—unless
of course you break the ones you have. You only have to spend money
on fresh fruits or vegetables (unless you grow your own) and new lids,
and that’s pretty much it. If done correctly, canning will provide you with
delicious and nutritious fruits and vegetables all year long, and they only
require proper storage conditions. With canning, you won’t be dependent
on electricity anymore, but that’s the whole idea behind it. As far as
canning methods go, there are two main techniques to consider:
The water bath technique is ideal for high-acid foods. This will work
perfectly for fruits, jams, jellies, fruit juices, fruit spreads, salsas, etc. If
you have your mind set on any of these, here are the steps you’ll need
to follow:
Step 1: Read the recipe you want to make first, and prepare your
equipment.
Step 2: Make sure that you have everything you’ll need and that there
are no faulty pieces of equipment (cracked jars, torn lids, etc.).
Step 3: Wash everything in hot, soapy water (the jars, the lids, and the
bands); rinse well and let dry.
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Step 4: Fill a large pan (or pot) with water, and place the jars in it (you
can also fill the jars with water to avoid flotation); now heat up the pot at
medium heat (not boiling) so the jars will warm up as well; warming up
the jars gradually will prevent them from cracking when adding hot food.
Step 5: Prepare the canner (or a large enough pot that can hold an
entire jar) by filling it half full with water; keep the water simmering and
the lid on until the jars will be placed in.
Step 6: Prepare a recipe of your choosing.
Step 7: Remove the jar from the hot water pot, empty it, and add the
fruits according to the recipe; you should also remove the excess of air if
the recipe requires you to.
Step 8: Clean the jar rim of any excess food, place the lid on tightly and
correctly, and lower the jars (according to the recipe) into the canner; the
jars should be immersed by at least one inch.
Step 9: Put the lid on, and bring everything to a boil according to the
recipe’s processing time. Once the time is up, turn off the heat, remove
the lid of the pan, and let the boiled jars sit in the canner for 5–7 minutes
before taking them out.
Step 10: Remove the jars, and wrap them individually in a towel for
about 24 hours; after the time is up, check each jar for signs of
deterioration.
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If everything turned out okay, the jars can be safely placed in storage. If
jars have been damaged or the lids haven’t sealed, you can always
repeat the process or refrigerate the contents of the damaged jar.
The pressure canning technique is favorable for preserving
vegetables and all sorts of low-acid foods in general. This method will
bring everything to a heat of 240°F, killing any potentially harmful
bacteria in the process. If you plan on canning a combination of both
high-acid and low-acid foods, you’ll go exclusively with the pressure
canning method. This is what you must do:
Step 1: Read the recipe you want to make first, and prepare your
equipment.
Step 2: Make sure that you have everything you’ll need and that there
are no faulty pieces of equipment (cracked jars, torn lids, etc.).
Step 3: Wash everything in hot, soapy water (the jars, the lids, and the
bands); rinse well and let dry.
Step 4: Fill a pressure canner and place the jars inside (you can also fill
the jars with water to avoid flotation). Now heat up the pot at medium
heat (not boiling) so the jars will warm up as well; warming up the jars
gradually will prevent them from cracking when adding hot food.
Step 5: Prepare the pressure canner by filling it with 3 inches of water;
keep the water simmering and the lid on until the jars will be placed
inside.
Step 6: Prepare a recipe of your choosing.
Step 7: Remove the jar out of the hot water pot, empty it, and add the
vegetables according to the recipe; you should also remove the excess
air if the recipe requires you to.
Step 8: Clean the jar rim of any excess food, place the lid on tightly and
correctly, and lower the jars (according to recipe) in the canner; the
water level should be about 3 inches deep.
Step 9: Put the pressure canner’s lid on, turn on the vent pipe, and set
the heat to medium-high; once the steam starts escaping steadily, vent
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for 10–12 minutes to ensure there’s only steam (no air) left in the
pressure canner.
Step 10: When the pressuring time is up (according to the recipe),
remove the pressure canner from the heat, and let it sit until pressure
returns to zero (without touching the gauge). After 10–15 minutes (or
according to the manufacturer’s instructions), you can unlock the lid; let
the jars sit for another 10–15 minutes to adjust to external conditions.
Just as before, the jars should be picked up and left to rest for about 24
hours while completely wrapped in towels. After this period, the
undamaged jars should be placed into storage and checked from time to
time.
6. Homemade alcohol
Turning some of your fruit and even vegetables into alcohol is a fun
possibility that could spare you from the headache of proper storage.
Although almost any fruit or vegetable known to man can be fermented
and distilled into some sort of alcoholic drink (i.e., vodka being made out
of potatoes and sake being made out of rice), it’s the fruits that are
preferred when it comes to alcohol making, thanks to their sweet and
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rich flavors. We’re all aware of the rich and savory taste of red wine or
the powerful aroma of orange-based sangria. But when it comes to
homemade alcohol, know that the possibilities are many and almost
anything living (of course, anything living WITHOUT a pulse) can be
turned into alcohol. Here is how:
Fresh fruit juice-based alcohol
The 1st method is simple and easy to make. Get some of the fruits
you’re trying to save from improper storage conditions, and
squeeze them dry into a container to your liking. With the resulting
fruit juice, fill as many two- to two and a half-liter bottles as you
can. The fruit juice you’re using should be 100% natural, and it
shouldn’t contain more than 20 grams of sugar for the fermentation
process to be successful. Once you have filled your bottles with
juice, you can add the yeast, which will trigger the fermentation;
about 1/3 or half a packet (depending on the bottle size) should do.
After adding the yeast, apply airlocks to each bottle, and tighten
them up. The airlocks will allow the gaseous buildup to escape
gradually, avoiding an unwanted explosion. All you have to do is
let the bottles sit for a few days at room temperature, and that’s
about it.
The 2nd method is more of a DIY-er dream and is based on more
improvisation, but it is still as efficient as the first. First thing’s first:
Decide on the fruit you’ll want to base your alcoholic beverage on,
and juice it up. If you don’t have enough yeast, you can improvise
some as long as you have some fresh bread lying around the
house and a coffee filter. Break the bread into tiny pieces, and use
them to fill the coffee filter. Once this is done, staple the coffee
filter shut (as tightly as possible), and place it in a jar. Next boil
some water and then pour the boiling water into the jar over the
coffee filter (the jar should be half full). Put the lid on, and let the
jar sit for seven to nine hours. Next turn on the stove and add 2
cups (500 ml) of fruit juice and 1/3 cups (75 ml) of sugar. Mix and
let it simmer for one to two minutes; after the two minutes are up,
add the “dirty” water from the jar, and let it simmer for another
three minutes on low heat while stirring constantly. Place the
resulting concoction in a jar, cover with a coffee filter, and let it sit
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for about 10 days (leave it longer for enhanced alcohol volume).
After the time is up, pour the drink into a clean container without
removing the coffee filter, and there you have it!
Making apple cider is a great alternative to storing apples, which tend to
be very pretentious and spoil fast. So do the right thing, and turn them
into cider! The first thing you’ll need to prepare is must, which is a mix of
ingredients that will turn into cider later on. Take a two- to two and a half-
liter soda bottle, and fill it with one liter of water, 250 ml of apple juice,
and sugar according to taste. There’s really no such thing as too much
sugar for those who have a big sweet tooth; all that matters is for it to be
completely dissolved. Apart from the sugar, you can also add some
cinnamon for enhanced taste. Mix the ingredients so that they all
dissolve completely.
Once the must is done, set it aside and start preparing for the
fermentation process. If you’ll be using dry yeast, you can rehydrate it by
adding a little water and sugar. Have it sit in a dish for about 15 minutes.
After rehydrating the yeast, add it to the must, and shake. Next you’ll
need to install an airlock on the bottle, or you can always improvise one
by placing a plastic bag over the mouth of the bottle and tightening it
loosely with a rubber band (the loose rubber band will allow the
excessive gas to escape). In about five to seven days the initial
fermentation should have ended; this is obvious once the fizzing stops,
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and the yeast is collected at the bottom of the bottle. Now place it in
another bottle, and try to keep as much of the yeast as possible from
spilling into the second bottle. Once the cider has been moved, place an
improvised airlock on the second bottle, and repeat the process as
fermentation may continue. Once it stops, the cider is ready for drinking.
6.1 Wine recipes
6.1.1 Basic red wine
This recipe is as basic as it gets; nothing can go wrong as long as you
follow instructions. For this recipe, the following ingredients are required:
2 quarts water
5 pounds red grapes
2 pounds sugar
1 package wine yeast
First and foremost, crush the grapes in a wine fermenting container.
When the crushing is done, dissolve the sugar in water, and add to the
must (the crushed grapes).
Put three ounces of water in a pot, and add the yeast package. Heat to
about 105– 10°F. Don’t stir for the first 15 minutes; just let it heat up.
After 15 minutes, start stirring, and add the must. Note that you could
also let the wine ferment naturally, without adding yeast, but the
fermentation process will be prolonged. Stir the concoction well and
cover the fermenter, but do it loosely. Let it ferment for seven days, but
check on the progress and stir it some more one to three times a day.
After the seven days are up, remove the pulp, and siphon out the liquid
in another fermenter. These new containers should be secured with
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airlocks so that they’ll be able to eliminate the excess gaseous buildup
that will result from fermentation. Let the fermentation continue for four
weeks, and repeat the process (remove the pulp -> syphon -> move into
clean fermenter -> let it sit) until the fermentation is over. When
fermenting stops, bottle the wine, and let it sit for at least a year in a cool
and dark place.
6.1.2 Peach wine
To start it off, you’ll need about 10 peaches (preferably with no brown
spots). Wash the fruits, and cut each one into four parts, removing the
pit. The reddish meat around the pits must also be removed, but the peel
should be kept. Place the fruits into nylon straining bags, and add them
to the primary fermenting container; crush them so you’ll obtain as much
fruit juice as possible. After the juice extraction is done, add the following
ingredients:
1 teaspoon pectic enzyme (powder)
1 Campden tablet
1½ teaspoons acid blend
½ teaspoon yeast energizer
¼ teaspoon tannin.
Add hot water, and stir well; cover loosely, and let it sit for 24 hours.
After the time is up, add the wine yeast. Let the concoction ferment for
four to five days.
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Remove the residue, and siphon everything into a secondary (and clean)
fermenter. This process is called racking. Add an airlock, and let it sit for
another three weeks. Rack it again in three months. After three months,
the wine should be done, but you can rack it again and let it sit for up to
a year to get the best peach wine imaginable.
6.1.3 Dry figs wine
Dry figs wine has a very specific aroma and would make a great addition
to any prepper’s pantry. Get about two pounds of dry figs, and wash
them properly. Get a saucepan, and add two cups of water and two cups
of honey; place the mixture over medium heat, and bring it to a boil.
Foam will form repeatedly, so remove it until there’s no more foam
forming. When this stops happening, remove the mixture from the heat,
and let it cool at room temperature. Place the figs in a proper container,
and pour eight cups of hot water and a Campden tablet; let it cool at
room temperature. Once they’re cool, remove the figs, chop them
roughly, and repeat the eight boiling cups of water and Campden tablet
procedure, except that this time you’ll let them sit overnight. Strain the
liquid resulting from the figs, and remove the pulp; combine the two
resulting liquids (the dissolved honey and the fig juice) into a primary
fermenter. Add the following:
4 to 4½ cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon nutrients
1 orange (juice + rind)
1 lemon (juice + rind)
1 teaspoon pectic enzyme
Add some water until you reach one gallon. Finally, add a whole packet
of yeast. After a maximum of five days, you can strain the wine and
move it into a secondary fermenter; make sure to use an airlock. Rack
the wine for eight weeks initially, then every three months for a year.
After the one-year period, you can bottle the wine.
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6.1.4 Pear wine
Pear wine will require four pounds of firm, ripe pears. Wash them, dry
them, and remove the stems. Next, you’ll have to cut them in half,
remove the core, and slice each resulting half in two. Place the pieces of
fruit in a nylon straining bag, and juice them into the primary fermenter.
Add a crushed Campden tablet as the juice starts dripping so that you
can avoid spoilage. The pulp shouldn’t be discarded. Instead, tie the
straining bag, and place it in the primary fermenter as well. Next, add the
following ingredients:
3 quarts water
4 cups sugar
2–3 teaspoons acid blend
2 teaspoons of pectic enzyme
1 teaspoon yeast
Cover the fermenter, and let the concoction sit for 24 hours. After the 24
hours are up, add the yeast, and cover it again. Check on the progress
daily, and stir and squeeze the pulp. When fermentation reaches about
1.030–1.040 (in about four to five days), remove the residue and siphon
the wine into a clean secondary fermenter. When the second
fermentation process is done and the gravity reaches 1.000 (two to three
weeks), repeat the remove residue + change fermenter + airlock move.
Siphon again in two months, and repeat until the liquid becomes clear.
Store in bottles, and age for three to five months before consumption.
6.1.5 Rose petal wine
Rose petal wine is considered to be one of the noblest assortments of
wines ever created. Get a primary fermenter, and add the following
ingredients:
10 cups rose petals
10 ounces of white grape concentrate
2½ pounds white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons Campden tablets
3–3½ tablespoons vinacid R
½ teaspoon yeast nutrient
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½ teaspoon grape tannin
Add half a gallon of hot water, and stir until the sugar is dissolved; once
this happens, add a half a gallon of cold water. Cover the fermenter with
a plastic sheet. Measure the temperature, and once the must hits 72–
75°F, thrown in a package of wine yeast. Ferment for about five days or
until the specific gravity gets to 1.030 (and stir daily). Strain the pulp
through nylon bags, and press. Siphon everything in gallon jugs, and
attach airlocks. Rack for the first time in 10 days, and repeat the
procedure after four weeks. Continue the process until the wine is clear
and residue free. Once this happens, bottle it and store it properly.
Storing fruits and vegetables is no easy task, especially when it comes
to storing them for longer periods of time. There are a lot of methods and
alternatives when it comes to long-term storing; you just have to find the
ones that work best for you. However, it’s common knowledge that even
for the simplest storing methods, fruits and vegetables shouldn’t be
deposited together. Fruits tend to ripen faster, which can cause a chain
reaction and spoil everything around them. Green vegetables should be
washed before placed into storage, while mushrooms and herbs should
not. Always plan ahead, and don’t be afraid to experiment a little before
going for the real thing. After all, practice makes perfect. They key to
succeeding in long-term storage is information. Take your time, and get
informed as best you can. Information is ultimate power, and it will pay
off. The more you know, the better you will be prepared.
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65
HOW TO EFFICIENTLY
STORE EGGS
All about fresh storage, pickling, canning,
dehydrating, or preserving eggs in mineral oil
INTRODUCTION
Eggs have a really bad reputation with many people. When it comes to
foods that do well in storage conditions, eggs aren’t necessarily among
the ones that score highest on the chart. Eggs and egg-based products
tend to spoil rather quickly because the natural proteins and nutrients
that are held within the egg start to turn; their main purpose is to serve
as raw material for constructing the embryo and to ensure a certain level
of nutrients. And if this doesn’t happen, the unstable molecular
structures will disassemble and cause the egg to spoil.
This is why eggs aren’t particularly easy to place in storage. But just
because something isn’t easy doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Man’s
ingenuity comes tothe rescue once more with solutions that will make all
the egg enthusiasts stand and salute. Various forms of egg preservation
have given great results throughout decades and centuries of trial and
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error. Pickling, canning, dehydration, and even oil preservation are
the best options a prepper has—especially one that can’t settle for
anything less than having eggs in his own storage facility. Not only that
but there are also ways of keeping eggs fresh under adequate storage
conditions.
No matter what technique you choose and no matter the shape, size,
and taste you prefer, all these methods and techniques have stood the
test of time as far as preserving freshness is concerned. As long as you
follow the steps correctly and do everything by the book, you can’t go
wrong.
HOW TO STORE FRESH EGGS
Cleaning Fresh Eggs
The first thing on the list before planning on doing anything else to eggs
that are destined for human consumption is that you’ll have to clean
them properly. Many chicken farmers or people who are used to having
fowls around the house will tell you a little dirt isn’t likely to kill anyone.
This is not entirely true. The egg has a rudimentary built-in mechanism
(the shell structure) that is supposedly enough to repel pathogens that
are responsible for diseases.
But these pathogens also
have a remarkable ability to
adapt and to be able to
overcome natural barriers. If
this happens, infestation is
imminent, and your health will
become seriously threatened.
If you buy your eggs from the
supermarket, give them a
proper washing under warm
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water to remove anything that shouldn’t be on the surface of the shell. If
you want to be extra careful, you can also add a pinch of dish detergent
to the mix.
If you happen to have your own chickens, then the cleaning bit will start
even earlier. The first step to keeping your eggs clean is to ensure that
yourhens are laying the eggs in the proper conditions. Freshly laid out
straw is the key factor. The straw doesn’t need to be changed daily
however; just throw out the large pieces of muck after collecting. There
is no such thing as an impeccable egg, so no matter how hard you work
at it, occasionally you’re going to find a bit of muck here and there. If an
egg is extra mucky, hold it under running warm water. and scrub it gently
with a cleaning pad.
Storing Fresh Eggs at Room Temperature
Fresh eggs might not last that well at room temperature, especially
because there are other factors to consider, like room humidity. Some
people seem to claim that eggs can be easily kept at room temperature
in regular humidity conditions for even up to a month before the eggs will
actually start to go bad, but this is myth, as it is very unlikely for chicken
eggs to actually last that long. The average “freshness threshold” is
somewhere between 7 and 21 days. Supermarket eggs last longer than
that, but that’s because they’re stored in way colder settings than room
temperature.
However, if cold storage isn’t an option for you, at least make sure the
room in which the eggs are kept is aired properly and dark enough.
Direct exposure to the sun will cause the eggs to spoil prematurely, even
in a matter of minutes. You can deposit the eggs on soft and comfortable
beds, be it in a basket filledwith straw, a box filled with shredded
newspaper, or egg cartons. Under these conditions, the eggs should last
without any trouble for even up to two to three weeks. Storing fresh eggs
at room temperature is fine unless you have no other option available;
but if you do, don’t bother. Stick them in the fridge as it’s less space
consuming and they’ll last much longer.
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Storing fresh eggs at low temperatures
This is the most recommended approach as far as storing fresh eggs
goes. The low temperatures provided by a functioning, standard
refrigeration unit are perfect for prolonging the life and freshness of
eggs. If fresh eggs will keep for two to three weeks at room temperature,
under cooler conditions, they can even keep for as long as four to six
months. So don’t bother keeping eggs that are destined for consumption
at room temperature unless you have no alternative.
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If by any chance a fridge won’t be available due to lack of electricity, you
can always improvise a Zeer pot. This contraption is indigenous to
people who live in hot climates. It consists of a smaller terra cotta pot
placed inside a bigger one. The space between the two pots should be
filled with sand or rubble as tightly as possible. The sand or the rubble
should be watered (with cool water only) as this will trigger thermal
isolation. Place the eggs inside the small pot,put a lid on it, and take the
Zeer pot to a dark and cool place. It’s not as efficient as a fridge, but it’s
better than room temperature storage.
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How to Determine Whether an Egg is Still Fresh or Not
Being able to distinguish a fresh egg from one that’s gone bad is an
absolute must. Rotten eggs can
be very detrimental to human
health and can cause a whole
range of problems, from mild
indigestion to life-threatening
symptoms.The starting point for
checking for bad eggs is straight
out of the henhouse. Hens tend
to be very random when
choosing spots to lay their eggs.
So upon picking up a batch of
fresh eggs, you might be getting
a few bad ones as well that you
previously missed. In order to
determine which eggs are fresh
and which are not, just take a
drinking glass and fill it with tap water. Drop each egg one at a time in
the water. The eggs that sink to the bottom are fresh and be eaten or
stored without any second thoughts. The ones that float aren’t, and they
should be discarded right away.
Another way of determining the freshness of an egg is to grab it, hold it
to your ear, and shake it gently. If you can hear the inside of the egg
slopping about inside the shell, then it’s gone bad and can’t be
consumed or stored anymore.
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HOW TO PICKLE EGGS
Pickling eggs is an extremely efficient way of making them last for long
periods of time. Pickled eggs aren’t hard to make, and they’re quite
delicious. They age really well, and it’s one of those foods whose taste
matures over time; they’re tastiest after two weeks of pickling, and they
will easily last for three to four months in proper storage conditions. If
you have your heart set on making this delicious and exotic treat, this is
what you’ll need to have:
6–10 eggs
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 cups of white vinegar (distilled)
1 tablespoon of pickling salt
1 tablespoon of pickling spice
8 teaspoons of minced garlic (dry)
half an onion (for extra flavor)
measuring utensils
knife and cutting board
a large pot
a strainer
a pitcher
a large enough jar with a good lid
The first thing to do is to boil the eggs properly. But before boiling, wash
them thoroughly! Once the eggs are clean, put them in the pot and fill it
with justenough water to cover the eggs. Put the pot on the stove, and
turn the heat to medium–low. When the water starts to simmer, start the
timer; hardboiled eggs are done in seven minutes.
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While the eggs are boiling, you can use the free time and cut the onions.
You can chop them up in small bits if you’d like, but it’s best if you don’t.
Bigger pieces are easier to stab with a fork and therefore easier to eat.
White onions or yellow are best for pickling; red onions lose much of
their flavor during the pickling process.
Once the time is up, take the pot off the stove and drain the hot water.
Take a bowl and fill it with ice-cold water, and transfer the eggs into it
one by one. This will ease the peeling process a lot. Also make sure to
use a spoon or spatula to transfer the eggs as they’ll be terribly hot after
boiling.
While the eggs are cooling down a bit, start making the brine. Mix the
salt, sugar, vinegar, garlic, and pickling spice in a large-enough pot.
Place the pot on the stove over high heat until it starts to boil; when it
does, cover and let simmer for 10–12 minutes. Stir gently every now and
then so that the sugar and salt crystals dissolve completely. If you have
any ventilation available, you should turn it on as boiling vinegar and
garlic tend to release very powerful odors.
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While the brine is simmering, you can start boiling the eggs. By now the
eggs should be cool enough, and peeling them should be as easy as it’s
ever going to get. However, just be gentle while peeling the hard-boiled
eggs. If you don’t pay attention, you could end up tearing the egg white.
Place the peeled eggs in a bowl.
After the brine has cooled down to room temperature, you can start
putting everything together. Take a large enough jar, and fill it three
quarters full with eggs and onions. Pour the brine in a pitcher first,
because pouring it into the jar directly from the pot might get a bit tricky.
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Once the jar is filled with brine, add some more onions and eggs, as
much as the jar can take without spilling. Once the jar is full to the brim,
put the lid on and cover the neck of the jar with some aluminum foil,
which you can strap in place with a rubber band. Put the jar into the
fridge, and give it two weeks for the taste to mature. Once the two weeks
are up, it’s ready for eating. It will keep in the fridge for as long as three
to four months.
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HOW TO DEHYDRATE EGGS
A dehydrated egg is a whole different approach to egg preservation. But
apart from storing eggs fresh, this is probably the easiest and safest
preservation technique there is. Although the process might change the
appearance of an egg, it makes it practical and still usable for all sorts of
baking endeavors.
Dehydrated eggs (aka powdered eggs) are a must for every serious food
storage, and you can purchase them ready-made from the Internet.
However, the prices are astronomical, and depending on the quantity,
they can vary from $25 to $200. It’s too much for an egg meal you can
make for yourself at home for an insignificant portion of that price. All
you need is a bunch of fresh eggs and a food dehydrator and you’re set
to go.
Home dehydrated eggs are better than the commercially dehydrated
ones as you have total control over the initial freshness of the eggs and
the level of cleanliness that is required before dehydration.
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Eggs can be dehydrated following two base methods: the dry method
and the wet method.
1. The dry method is where the eggs get beaten or scrambled and
cooked in a pan (just like you would normally prepare scrambled eggs).
Once cooked, they’re placed on the dehydrator for about 3.5 hours until
they become brittle. Add the brittle eggs to a blender or a food
processor, and crush them as thinly as possible. Although it’s the fastest
method available, it’s not the best for the job however.
2. The wet method (and “wet” is a term used lightly) is the path you’ll
need to take to obtain the ultimate dehydrated eggs. Just like in the case
of the dry method, beat the eggs and cook them. Place them to dry on
the dehydrator tray for about 12 hours. Many recommend setting the
dehydrator settings at a top temperature of 145°F and keeping the eggs
in for no longer than 10 hours. This is, in fact, the very same procedure
that is used for commercial dehydrated eggs.
However, this can be extremely DANGEROUS! Many USDA reports
throughout the years have drawn attention in regards to the optimum
cooking temperature for eggs. Eggs should be dehydrated at a
temperature of at least 165°F for a minimum of 10 hours. This will
ensure that the pathogens that regularly inhabit the egg will be killed
before they get the chance to infest a human host (e.g., Salmonella). If
you don’t want to seriously injure your health, you won’t lower the
temperature or the dehydration time; keep it nice and steady at 165°F for
about 10 hours, and everything will be okay.
Once the time is up, the eggs should be nice and dry by now, meaning
they’re ready for the next step. When ready, the eggs will resemble
peanut butter because they’ll have turned a dark shade of orange.
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You can always use a digital thermometer if your dehydrator doesn’t
have a built-in monitoring system. Before going into the dehydrator,
make sure to grind the eggs as fine as possible in a blender or a food
processor. The finer the end product, the better it will be dehydrated.
Dehydrated eggs are very versatile as far as the means of consumption
go. You can reheat to the original scrambled eggs form, you can spread
them on bread or muffins, you can serve them as a side dish, or you can
include them in any salad you like. They will have retained most of their
nutritional value, and that’s a big plus.
As far as storage goes, you can either freeze them or pack them
together with oxygen-absorbing packs for long-term storage.
According to the A.E.B. (American Egg Board), if stored under proper
storage conditions, they’ll last for up to two weeks to one month if kept in
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sealed containers at room temperature and up to 10 years if kept in a
proper storage space (cool, dark, and dry storage facility) along with
oxygen-absorbing packs.
HOW TO STORE EGGS IN MINERAL OIL
Storing eggs in mineral oil is a very simple and quick method when it
comes to preserving eggs. It does require a fridge, though, as the eggs
keep best at low temperatures; using a cool and dark cellar or a DIY
powerless refrigeration unit or simply keeping them at room temperature
will work fine as well, except the storage time will be dramatically
deceased.
You won’t need much to preserve eggs in mineral oil. You’ll just need
the following:
a bunch of fresh eggs (freshly gathered eggs are best)
mineral oil (found in every pharmacy)
a pair of latex or rubber gloves
an egg carton
a microwave oven
a working fridge
tap water, a bowl, and paper towels
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If you have all the right ingredients, you can start making mineral oil
eggs simply by following these eight easy steps:
1. Fill ¼ cup with mineral oil, and heat it at max power in the microwave
oven for about 10–12 seconds.
2. While the oil is heating up, you can start preparing the eggs. Give
them a proper washing under running water, or soak them in a bowl
full of water (warm at best); after you take them out of the water, dry
them really well with paper towels.
3. Once the eggs are nice and dry, place them in the egg carton, and
pull your gloves on.
4. Either dip the “tip” of the egg in oil then spread it out evenly on its
entire surface or rub a little oil on your hands and do the same; just
make sure the egg is entirely covered in oil.
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5. Once an egg is full and uniformly covered in oil (no matter if thick or
thin), you can place it in the egg carton “tip” down.
6. For optimal results, you’re going to have to flip the entire egg carton
upside down.
7. Before eating, always check if the eggs you’re about to eat have gone
bad or not. The water glass test mentioned previously works
perfectly: Fill a glass with water and drop the egg in; if it sinks =>
good egg, if it floats => bad egg.
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8. The eggs should be properly washed before breaking the shell and
cooking them; the mineral oil must be washed away completely.
Depending on where the eggs will be kept, they’ll have various shelf-
lives, as follows:
2–3 months (short-term storage) if stored at room temperature
5–8 moths (long-term storage) if stored in a cool and dark room,
ideally 65°F and 75% humidity
9–10 months (extra long-term storage) if stored in the fridge
FINAL THOUGHTS
Eggs have outstanding nutritional value, and no serious prepper should
go without them. There are many ways and methods for storing eggs, as
you can plainly see. It’s all up to you in the end; you decide the method
that will work best for you when it comes to storing eggs.
WARNING! Make sure to always wash your eggs before preparing
them for storage and before preparing them for eating. Eggs can
carry various pathogens on their shells that can cause serious
health issues. The freshness of an egg should also be checked
before placing into storage or being consumed.
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GETTING READY FOR WINTER
How to Store Vegetables and Fruits for Winter
Introduction
Storing vegetables and fruits is regarded as a basic skill to have and use
in times of need, especially among those of us that value ourselves as
hardcore preppers. But truth be told, you don’t have to be a prepper to
know everything there is to know about the basics (or even the fine
lines) of storing food for certain periods of time. It’s an easy thing to do,
especially if you take your time to prepare and do things right and with
few financial resources. If you’re determined enough and willing to put
some time and effort into it, there’s nothing you can’t achieve in the field
of storing food.
But when it comes to the above mentioned area of storing vegetables
and fruits, there are many techniques and methods to be considered,
depending partly of the produce you’re aiming to put in storage but also,
most importantly, on the period and season over which the produce will
be kept. So the methods and techniques of storing food in warmer
climates will be different from those for storing food over colder climates.
What we’ll be dealing with here is the ground rules and the most efficient
ways of keeping your vegetables and fruits as fresh as possible over
winter. All these methods have been tested and work 100% as long as
they’re done by the book. So stay true to the schematics, and you
certainly won’t regret it.
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Vegetables and Fruits – The Basics
Before considering storing or even getting ready for storage, there are a
few important basic steps to consider, without which the storage process
wouldn’t be possible. If you want to do things right and get the right
results, just follow the ABCs of winter storage:
Harvesting
First things first, and for those out there that produce their own stuff,
harvesting time and knowing when to do it is key. Knowing what keeps
best is extremely important. The late fall harvest , like the fall varieties of
cabbage, turnips, rutabagas, potatoes, garlic, and onions,will keep better
in contrast to those that are harvested earlier. It’s a matter of timing and
knowing exactly what you’re dealing with. You shouldn’t wait too long
either; zucchinis and squashes for example tend to get permanently
damaged by lower temperatures, so they should be harvested before
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temperatures reach 0°C / 30°F. Ground vegetables, like potatoes, for
example, are deep enough in the ground to be insulated from the frost,
but getting them out in mid-winter might be harder than expected
considering the ground will be frozen solid.
Another important harvesting factor to consider is
ripeness. Already ripe fruits are very unlikely to survive
long periods of time in storage. The best fruits to
consider are the ones that aren’t ripe just yet, as they’ll
last longer in storage. Certain fruits (like the Cortland or
Red Rome apple varieties) will last way longer in
storage thanks to their ability to ripen during this time.
Selectiveness
If you want only the best specimens to go into your storage facility, you’ll
need to be rigorously selective. The vegetables and fruits you plan on
saving should be nearly perfect, with no blemishes, no cuts, and no
bruises. This will ensure an extended storage period as there will be no
potential way for bacterial decomposers to enter the bodies of the stored
foods and cause them to spoil ahead of time. It takes only a minor bruise
or bad spot on a single unit to spread “fatal diseases” to the others in
record time; this is exactly what the phrase “one rotten apple spoils the
whole bunch” refers to. If a piece doesn’t seem perfect, it is best to throw
it away.
It’s important to store your food according to their levels of ripeness. For
example, small potatoes shouldn’t be kept in the same place as the big
and matured potatoes. This is because the small potatoes contain high
levels of sugar that haven’t been converted to starch yet. It takes only
one small potato to be infected by a foreign pathogen; fermentation of
the sugar-filled potato might cause it to explode and spread the
infectious agent to the others, and they’ll go bad in no time. So based on
this premise, it is best to eat the small potatoes first and save the larger
ones for last, as they’re unlikely to explode and cause havoc.
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Cleanliness
There are other agents that might cause your stored harvest to go bad
apart from germs and fungi. The harvest should be inspected carefully
before going into storage to make sure they’re not carrying any
earthworms, spiders, or who knows what else larvae or insects that
might die and start decomposing everything that you worked so hard for.
Some people go for the “raw” method of storing potatoes, but this isn’t
necessarily a good idea. It’s recommended to wash them before storing
as dirt might act as a catalyst for rot.
Cleanliness also consists of removing the stems as they constitute an
entry point for detrimental agents. Remove leaves as well. The less
excess material your vegetables and fruits have, the fewer chances you
have to wake up one day and find most of your work (if not all of it)
reduced to a heap of worthless material. Don’t skimp on the cleaning
part.
Moisture
This is the most important aspect of storing, and it’s to be taken very
seriously. Almost all vegetables and fruits that go into storage with
excess moisture on their bodies will most likely decay sooner or later.
Only carrots have a particular resistance to excess moisture (as they’re
traditionally stored in moist sand), but everything else doesn’t. So after
washing potatoes, for example, they should be deposited in a cool and
ventilated area for about five to seven days; this will remove the excess
moisture and will result in the formation of the winter skin, which is
tougher and more resistant. Potatoes should be dried off in a dark place
and under no circumstances in sunlight; the radiation from the sun’s rays
will cause the potatoes to turn green and synthesize solanine, which is a
toxic chemical compound.
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All fruits (absolutely no exceptions) should be dried and aired before
going into storage. They should be encouraged to develop hard and
mature skins before they go into storage. But it’s not only fruits that are
extremely sensitive to moisture; so are garlics and onions for example.
The traditional way of storing them is to hang them out by the bulb in a
well-aired location.
Temperature and humidity levels
There are various kinds and types of vegetables and fruits, and they are
accustomed to various types of climates and ambient conditions.
Accordingly, the storage temperature and levels of humidity will vary
among species. Many vegetables can withstand extremely low
temperatures (32°F to 38°F), while others (like sweet potatoes) can only
handle 55°F to 60°F.
Many vegetables also have a high tolerance to a humid environment,
while others do not. Lead scientific researchers from the University of
Wisconsin have released a detailed chart about the most common fruits
and vegetables and their tolerance to temperature and humidity in
storage facilities.
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Storage Facilities
Choosing the right storage space for the job is probably the most
relevant part of winter storage. You should consider the available space
you have, the amount of fruits and vegetables you want to store, the
complexity of the project, and, last but not least, how much everything is
going to cost. The average winter storage space should be good enough
to shelter your stored food under the right conditions from roughly
November to May. There are many options available, so just pick the
one that will suit your needs best.
The Root Cellar
The root cellar is the standard and most commonly used winter storage
space there is. It’s a fairly cold and relatively moist spot (32°F–40°F and
90%–95% relative humidity) that will accommodate most of the fruits and
vegetables that are normally preserved over the winter. The term itself is
rather loose, as a root cellar can be anything that remains just above
freezing, from a small crawl space under the porch, to a bucket in the
ground, to a cement enclosure built on the side of a hill, to a random,
unheated section of the basement. But even in such random
surroundings, the stored vegetables or fruits will need proper ventilation
and insulation to be fully protected against temperature fluctuations.
Also, an extra level of protection against rodents or all other sorts of
invaders that might damage or eat your stored food should be
considered.
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The Cold Room (non-basement)
This project might seem similar to a regular basement root cellar, but it
actually isn’t. It should consist of a finished but unheated room, which
differs in construction from a basement. If you have such a room at your
disposal, you could turn it into the perfect storage space in no time; it’d
be even better if the room is partially underground.
The trick is to actually build or modify the room as if it was an actual
exterior space. The most important aspect that will make a world of
difference is to insulate the interior walls and the ceiling but to leave the
exterior walls uninsulated. Add a vapor barrier to the warm side of the
structure (the house), and put in an exterior door that is highly insulated
with weather stripping to the cold room. As a final touch, you’ll need to
add two adjustable, screened vents, which will ensure the room is
properly ventilated and that excess moisture will be ejected. One should
be a high, warm air outlet, while the other should be a low, cool air
intake.
Any such type of cold room needs a control method for airflow,
temperature, and humidity. On average, your cold room should be set to
a base temperature of 32°F to 60°F and a level of humidity in the range
of 60% to 90% RH (relative humidity).
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The Buried Container
Buried containers in the ground can make very efficient winter storage
facilities for all sorts of fruits and vegetables, especially root crops. The
container should be eco-friendly and should be properly cleaned
(preferably new) before being used as a storage space; it’s a must that
such a container hasn’t been previously filled with any sort of chemicals
or substances that might jeopardize your stored food or, worse, your
health.
Anything will do, from new metal containers to plastic garbage cans or
plastic bins. Dig a hole in the ground large enough to fit the container.
Locate a suitable area near the house but away from crowded places or
circulated roads; car fumes should be nowhere near your storage facility
(so keep away from the garage as well). On the ground, lay down a layer
of rocks for extra stability. Place the container in just so that it sticks out
about two inches above the ground.
The container you choose should have holes in the bottom in order to
drain excess moisture, which could harm the fruits or vegetables in
storage. If it doesn’t come with holes in it (which will most probably be
the case), you can drill them yourself. Fill a first portion of the container,
and add a first layer of straw on top, which will act as a cushion and as a
moisture absorber. Load the next portion, and repeat the procedure until
the container is full; when full, put the lid on. Cover the top of the
container with 2–2.5 feet of insulating material. If there are rodents in the
area, it’s best to add a covering of ¼” hardware cloth.
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The Pit
The storage pit is best done in the shape of a cone. It can be used to
store decent amounts of vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes,
cabbage, parsnips, beets and turnips or even fruits like winter apples or
pears. You can either make the pit at ground level or dig a hole about
seven to eight inches deep in the ground. (Just make sure the location is
well drained before you start as moisture will spoil the fruits quickly.)
Place any sort of bedding material on the ground that you can muster:
leaves, straw, etc. Once the base of the structure is complete, you can
start adding the vegetables or the fruits of your choosing in the cone-
shaped pile. Fruits and vegetables should never be stored in the same
pit as the high excess of sugar in the fruits might have unwanted
consequences on the vegetables. Cover the amount of produce with
bedding material; once you’re done, add an extra layer of soil (4 inches)
to toughen everything up.
If you’re going for a smaller pit, you should allow the bedding
material over the vegetables to go through the soil at the top of the
pile; this will improve ventilation. Take a wooden board or a piece
of metal, and cover the mouth of the cone; this will serve as a lid.
In order to keep the lid in place, you can add a stone or a similar
heavy object on top of the improvised lid to keep it in place. Add
several layers of straw as well.
If you’re going for a larger pit, you should place two to three stakes
or boards through the pile of vegetables (or fruits) as a flue. You
can cap the flue with two boards nailed together at an angle.
It’s best to go for several small pits rather than a single large one. The
pit can be closed again once it’s opened; it’s pretty much a one-time
thing. Place several sorts of vegetables in each pit; this way you’ll have
an assortment of vegetables.
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The Tile Storage Space
This type of storage will work well in any sort of well-drained outdoor
area. The area should be chosen carefully and should be in a shaded
and place in both winter and summer. It should be away from any sort of
water overflow. It can be placed anywhere from under the kitchen door
to the nearest sprout in the garden.
You can make it as big and as wide as you like, but the recommended
dimension for a standard prepper (one that’s not making industrial
provisions) should be 24 x 24 inch so that a 6.5-bushel basket (24 x 24
inches) will fit like a glove.
Drain tile is the best option you have; it’s best adapted for storing
vegetables and fruits that require a cool and moist storage facility.
However, if you’re having trouble finding drain tiles and you’re out of
time, you may use even less efficient products. But at least be prepared
for the downsides that may come from using other sorts of material. If
you’ll use wood, this will rot sooner or later, and the odor will be
absorbed by the vegetables or fruits you’ve got in storage. Metal is not a
good thermal isolator, as it will easily conduct heat and cold alike.
It’s unadvisable to use anything other than drain tile. The risk is way too
high, and your stocks will most probably spoil sooner or later. Don’t
leave it to chance; only drain tile will do.
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Dig a hole in the ground so that the tile fits in just right. Use any sort of
measuring tool to determine the outside diameter. The hole should be
dug about six inches deeper than the whole length of the tile. After
you’re done digging the hole, get three bricks (standard sized) and place
them on the bottom as a base; place them on ends, the flat side to the
wall. This should leave about eight inches of exposed soil below the tile.
Lower the tile into the hole, and mound the soil up all the way to the lip
of the tile.
To ensure proper air flow, place under the bulked produce a few
shovelfuls of coarse drainage material. After precooling, the storage
space is ready for use. Make sure the vegetables that you’re placing in
the storage space are already cool as warm vegetables will raise the
temperature on the inside.
To top it all off, you must add on top of the tile (over the lip) a 36 x 36-
inch square piece of gravel screen or, better yet, hardware cloth. This
will act as an air vent but also as a barrier against rodents and other
animals that might be out to get whatever goods you have placed in
storage. It will also act as a buffer, preventing the insulating material
from falling on the produce.
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The Makeshift Cellars
The makeshift cellars are quick to improvise and to set up and will
accommodate your stored vegetables and fruits over the winter in proper
storage conditions.
Attics are suited for many types of produce as far as winter
storage is concerned. If you have a dry and warm enough attic, it
will do perfectly for storing onions and garlic and perhaps all sorts
of dry herbs. However, if the attic should become extremely cold
during winter time, you can rotate the food. If by summertime it
becomes too hot and humid, move the produce or consume it.
Basement utility rooms can be very warm and dry, especially if
it’s one of those rooms that’s equipped with a furnace or a boiler.
They’re the perfect spot for keeping squashes, pumpkins, onions,
and garlic.
A fridgewill work fine too, especially an energy efficient one.
Almost anything can go into a fridge for keeping, especially locally
grown vegetables and fruits. It’s a very practical and convenient
method as long as you have access to electricity or at least a
generator.
IMPORTANT!
No matter which storing method you choose, you’ll
need to monitor storage conditions constantly
(temperature and humidity) using a thermometer and
a hygrometer. Check storage conditions once a day,
and check the overall status of the produce at least
two times a month. The storage area should be
thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before filling it with vegetables and
fruits.
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Vegetables
Potatoes
Potatoes should ideally be
prepared before storing for
long periods of time. Curing
is the best method for
winter-proofing potatoes,
and to do it, you’ll need to
remove any damaged, bruised, green, or soft potatoes from the bunch.
Eat the ones that don’t seem fit for storage immediately; the ones that
seem spoiled beyond redemption should be thrown away.
The firm and unblemished potatoes that fit the description for storage
material should be ideally placed in a single layer, in the dark, at 45°F to
60°F for a two-week curing period; during this period, they’re best kept
covered loosely with newspapers or in slightly opened paper bags. After
the two-week curing time, you can store them in the permanent winter
storage facility in a cold (32°F to 40°F) and dry (60%to 70% RH)
location.
Potatoes are best kept in complete darkness, in either paper bags or in
covered wooden boxes; burying them in dry sand also works. If
sprouting occurs, it’s an indicator of a higher than normal temperature or
as a result of being in the proximity of onions or garlic.
Root Vegetables
Root vegetables consist of a large
array of various vegetables, like
beets, carrots, celeriac,
horseradish, parsnips,
rutabagas, salsifies, turnips, and
winter radishes. They’re very
resistant to low temperatures
and can withstand freezing
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temperatures of about 28°F for several weeks in the ground with heavy
mulching.
Parsnip, salsify, and horseradish can be kept in the ground, as long as it
is well mulched, until spring time. The extreme heat will intensify sugar
production, which in turn will make them taste even sweeter than
normal. Winter radishes, turnips, and rutabagas give off potent odors, so
don’t keep them indoors, or you’ll come to regret it sooner than you
think. The cellar works only for beets, carrots, horseradish, parsnips, and
salsifies. Cellar storage should begin with cutting off the tops and leaving
a one-inch stem. When you’re done, place the produce in either boxes
or baskets.
To ensure the right levels of moisture
in dry storage places, you can add
layers of sphagnum moss or sand to
the crops. Root crops like low
temperatures (32°F–40°F) and high
levels of humidity (80%–90% HR).
Garlic and Onions
Onions and garlic are
pretentious vegetables
when it comes to storage.
So before locking them
away for long periods of
time, you should cure them
first, or dry them in a well-
ventilated place (a shed, a
covered porch, or an attic)
for a period of two to three weeks. They might dry up sooner than
expected; check their skin for confirmation. If it makes a rustling sound
to the touch and it feels as if it could easily break even to the slightest
touch, they’re ready for storage.
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The standard white large onions or the sweeter kinds don’t do so well in
storage. They keep for far less time than the medium-sized yellow or red
sorts, which have a far better storage life. Both garlic and onions prefer
cold but not freezing temperatures, so keeping them in the range of 40°F
to 50°F will suffice. Dryness is also a key factor as the values should be
somewhere in between 60%and 70% RH.
With the proper care and attention,
those that want to keep their garlic
and onions intact in the ground
can. With heavy mulching and a lot
of care, they can take even
temperatures as low as 34°F.
Cabbages
Cabbages can be easily stored in
outdoor storage rooms, hung
upside down, or left in the ground
with heavy mulching. If you
decide on storing cabbages, you’ll
need to pick the firmest and
solidest cabbage heads you can
get your hands on.
The plant is easily pulled out of
the ground after the first frost. The first thing to do after collecting the
cabbages is to trim off the leaves. The cabbage is one of those
vegetables that should under no circumstances be kept in the house; its
potent and nasty odor will drive you out of the house in a matter of a few
days. The best way to keep it is in storage pits or buried containers, and
don’t mix it with anything else, as it can have a negative impact on the
flavor of pretty much anything else.
You can wrap each head individually in paper or place them on shelves
(if you plan on placing them in a cellar) on wooden tiles, but make sure
to leave a couple of inches in between them.
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Tomatoes
Tomatoes aren’t vegetables at all;
they’re actually fruits. But since
they’re not known as fruits but
rather as vegetables in pop
culture, it’s best they’re included
here. They ripen easily, and it’s
easy to figure out when they’re
ripe and ready to be picked. But
for storage, it’s best to pick them early so that they’ll continue the
ripening process in storage; this will prolong the storage process.
Tomatoes can be stored in more ways than one; it’s only a matter of
what you prefer. If you have several tomatoes still on the vine and plenty
of space for storage, you can pull the entire tomato vine out of the
ground and hang it in storage as it is.
Picking green tomatoes is the best
thing to do as far as storage time is
concerned. They should be
individually wrapped in newspaper
and maintained at a constant
temperature of 55°F, where they
will slowly ripen. If your storage
facility meets the requirements,
your tomatoes can last even up to five or six months in storage.
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Fruits
Apples and Pears
Apples and pears are distinct
fruits, and the winter storage
methods are similar. They
should be stored as close to
the freezing point as possible,
so anywhere in the range of
32°F will suffice. Humidity is
also an important factor as it
should constantly stay in the range of 80% to 90% HR at all times.
They sit comfortably layered in sand, sphagnum moss, or sawdust. You
could easily store them in well-ventilated plastic bags, but it works better
if you wrap each piece individually in paper and layer them in boxes.
However, if you decide to go for the plastic bags, you should periodically
(once every two days) check them for condensation as moisture buildup
can cause them to deteriorate quickly.
Apples and pears suffer mild
fermentation processes while in storage
due to the high amounts of sugars they
retain. As a result, they release ethylene
gas; this is why they should be stacked
together but apart from each other,
without touching.
Grapes
Grapes are easier stored in
the form of jam, jelly, or
alcoholic beverages, but
they will keep in fruit form as
well. Taste the batch in
order to determine the levels
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of ripeness and flavor. Grapes can ripen without going through a frost.
Before storing, make sure to clip the clusters from the vine and deposit
them in a cool and dark cellar or a similar storage facility for a period of
about four to six weeks to dry. They can last even longer depending on
the sort and storage conditions. They’re best kept in boxes or crates,
with layers of straw in between. The straw will cushion the grapes and
absorb excess moisture.
Grapes are very sensitive when it comes to
picking up foreign scents. In this respect, it’s
best to keep them away from other fruits or
vegetables as this might spoil their taste and
overall flavor. It’s not a big deal if they’re
meant for eating, but this will definitely
matter if you store them for wine making.
Citrus Fruits
Citrus stores easily for the
winter as their tough skin and
high amounts of citric acid give
them a real advantage in cold
storage facilities. In fact, the colder it is, the better. They’re not lovers of
extreme temperatures, but they keep really well in the range of 40°F to
50°F. Oranges are by far the more resistant of the whole bunch and can
take temperatures even as low as 32°F. As far as humidity goes, keep it
in the range of 60% to 70% HR, and you’ll have no problems. They’re
not fond of high levels of humidity, so monitor them carefully.
They’re sensitive to mold and will spoil easily if not deposited correctly.
They’re best kept in baskets or in mesh bags in order to maximize air
flow. Constant ventilation will reduce the pathogens (bacteria and fungi)
that cause the citrus fruits to spoil ahead of their time.
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Final Thoughts
Fruits and vegetables can be easily stored over the winter as long as
you follow the guidelines. The main popular belief is that vegetables and
fruits are best kept processed over winter, whether they’re canned,
pickled, or jellified (jams and jellies in the case of fruits). But as it’s plain
to see, keeping them in a fresh state (as fresh as possible) is also
doable. It’s only a matter of patience and knowledge.
Do a few practice tries before you do these techniques for real. They’re
not necessarily hard, but they might not be achievable from the first try.
If they don’t work out, don’t worry. Practice makes perfect, so try and try
again.
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104
Growing Mushrooms with Minimal
Costs
A step-by-step guide on how to grow your own
mushrooms
Preface
The following book aims to present mushroom mycelium production in a
domestic system and growing 10 species of edible and medicinal
mushroom in a farm system in both rural and urban areas. The
technologies include the working steps, household materials, recyclable
materials from areas such as the kitchen, zootechny, wood processing,
waste of medicinalherbs, and paper recycling as well as those from
agriculture, tree nurseries, orchards, vineyards, hay, reed, turf, and so
on.
Used spaces should befree, abandoned, forest salvages and outdoors
depending on thegeographical locationandaltitude. Mushroomscan be
grown onabalcony, in a closet, in anunusedor unfinished room, on
terraces, in semi-basements, in cellars, in underground spaces, in
unusedcellars or garages, in warehouses, etc. Methods and
technologieswill be presented that require minimal orzero cost;
innovation, initiative, and the desire to work depend on you.
Why mushrooms? They are rich in minerals, B vitamins, oligomers,
antioxidants, polysaccharides, and yeast and they produce chemical-
free vegetable protein without toxic additives, sodium, or fat. Mushroom
proteinis second inthe world only after that of soybeans. But as you may
know, soy has been genetically modified, and its long-term
consequences are unknown; onthe other hand, mushroomsare natural,
without any laboratory interventions. Inaddition, mushroom scan even be
medicinal and are without side effects.
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Chapter 1: General Considerations
Short history
The firs tholders of knowledge about mushrooms seem to be the
Chinese, who left records as early as 533 BC. Writings in the ancient
Greek and Latin languages have reached us thanks to Horace, a Roman
poet (65‒8 BC), who said, “It is easier to despise gold and silver than to
give up a dish of mushrooms.” But some authors believe that the first
fungi date to almost 550 million years ago, and they were not composed
of distinct morphological parts. The fungal fruit body consists of a hat
and leg, and somewere discovered in the Dominican Republic that dated
to 40 million years ago.
Greek physician and botanist Dioscorides (1st century BC), a native of
Asia Minor, in his book, About Means of Healing, reminds us that
mushrooms were considered a medicine of plant origin. Mushrooms with
therapeutic action are mentioned in the year 1100 BC, in a reference to
Ergot.
Also, Pliny the Elder (23/24‒79AD), the Roman historian and writer, in
his paper, Historia Natural, wrote about edible mushrooms. Information
about mushroom crops date to the second century BC, when the Greek
physician Nicander advised his contemporaries to grow mushrooms in
tree hollows, which they filled with manure to retain moisture.
At first mushrooms were harvested from the spontaneous flora and only
after the year 1600 AD did people foresee the opportunity tog row them.
Notes remain in literature since 1650, and in 1810, in Paris, they
cultivated “champignons” in abandoned quarries after stone extraction.
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In the 21st century we are stil lpromoting mushrooms in developed
countries, and even more so in poorer countries, by recommending the
intake of protein similar to the collagen found in animal meat.
Benefits of mushroom cultivation
Cultivating mushrooms is an activity of which many people know too
little, while others know nothing at all; so in coming to their aid, I will try
to explain what the benefits of cultivating mushrooms are. Edible
mushrooms are a valuable food product due to their rich nutrient content
and their specific flavor and aroma, being very popular in all countries
andin all seasons.They can be eaten both fresh (raw for some species
or as dishes prepared following different recipes) or preserved. It should
be noted that preserving mushrooms does not change the organoleptic
characteristics, meaning taste and smell.
Regarding their food value, mushrooms complement other foods or
ingredients well and improves the quality of dishes. The delicious
mushroom white sauce stew with polenta can rival the chicken with
sauce or mushroom sponge schnitzel (Pleurotus ostreatus), which
competes with poultry.
Another advantage of these crops is the use of existing facilities that are
not currently being used (valid for small and medium-sized farms). This
includes green houses, plastic green houses, growth rooms, stables,
sheds, basements, storehouses, balconies, terraces, closets, and other
such facilities. Any small repairs, cleaning, disinfection, and provision of
plumbing, lighting, ventilation or heating can make these unused spaces
a means of generating profit; even in big households or companies, we
can make use of abandoned spaces. Where they do not exist, we can
build modern industrial mushroom farms.
Mushrooms, having a short period of development (100–120 days from
sowing to the last harvesting and 21 to 35 days from sowing to
emergence), can be grown in all periods ofthe year. Any mushroom
farmer may have a production surplus, with opportunities for their crop to
be absorbed by the market, especially in the winter, when other fresh
vegetables are found in small quantities. No other crop gives you the
107
advantage to achieve two to four or even nine cycles (crops) per year on
the same surface.
Another advantage of mushroom growing is that being small plants, in
certain periods of development they do not require or are indifferent to
light, so they occupy limited spaces in relation to the quantity of
produced harvest. For this reason, they can be grown on several levels,
thus saving space. At well-organized mushroom farms, they can grow
crops on three to six levels on the same square meter of surface.
Return on investment from mushroom cultivation is a given by the fact
that most mushroom species can be consumed (are edible) with all parts
(hat, leg, cuticle, gills), thus making the percent of usability 99–100%.
From a financial standpoint, mushroom cultivation provides a rapid
movement of funds invested (three to four months), which is very
advantageous and allows growers with less funds to engage in this
activity. Mushroom farms, which are usually in small and medium
households and in the immediate vicinity of the house, provide a better
supervision of the work and simultaneously save time compared to crops
grown at farther distances.
In this way it is possible for prompt intervention to take place when
unwanted problems arise in connection with proper functioning of certain
sectors of the mushroom farm.
Work in a mushroom farm —being varied— is not boring or extremely
difficult. It is performed after careful study in technological programs and
carefully planned, taking into account the stages of fungi.
Work is performed in perfect order and cleanliness, hygiene being one of
the basic conditions for obtaining good yields and avoiding failure. It is
known that in some periods of the year, because they are no longer
available in supermarkets,t hose who harvest from spontaneous flora (in
the wild), will look for them in other places, usually near roads. These
amateur collectors can not accurately distinguish the edible mushrooms
from those that are toxic or poisonous. In such cases, poisoning or death
can occur.
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By conducting cultivation of edible mushrooms, confusion between
edible mushrooms and toxic or poisonous ones is removed, thus
eliminating any risk.
A number of factors contribute to achieving high yields, both
quantitatively and qualitatively, but the materials that take part in
preparing the nutritious substrate are of particular importance. The big
advantage represented by growing mushrooms is that in general, these
materials are found in every rural household as secondary agricultural
production (straw, chaff, stalks and corn cobs, stalks of sorghum, alfalfa,
pea vines, soybeans, potatoes, beans, parings, sawdust, or animal
manure mixed with bedding, which usually is comprised of everything
from straw to sawdust, wood chips, or sunflower shells. Horse manure is
of great importance.
If someone desiring to grow mushrooms does not have the space
available, he can go to rural areas to a relative or a friend to prepare the
compost, put it in bags, inoculate it with mycelium, and then transport it
to the urban area. If we truly want to grow mushrooms, solutions can be
found.
In one of the techniques described in this book combines two or more of
these materials to obtain compost used in the cultivation of Agaricus
bisporus, Agaricus edulis, and Agaricus brasiliensis mushrooms.
Some cellulosic waste, which may form the crop substrate for Pleurotus
spp. mushroom, can be obtained without any costs, such as the flakes of
flax and hemp, aromatic and medicinal herbs waste, sawdust and wood
chips, and waste paper (old newspapers, etc.).
Most plant species are grown in two ways: by seed and by cuttings,
layering, splitting bush, etc.). Mushrooms, lower plants in evolutionary
terms, are multiplied in two ways: by spores, which by analogy
correspond to higher plants seeds, and by mycelium, which is born
through spore germination occurring when they find favorable
conditions. When germinating, the spores emit some very thin filaments
called hyphae, which redouble and interlace to form a mass that is more
or less compact, called mycelium. In mushroom cultivation, it is used as
propagating material.
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Obtaining mycelium requires specialized conditions and personnel. In
small and medium households, in general, the conditions for producing it
can’t be met, and therefore laboratories and mycelium production plants
are available, which, on request (firm preorder), provide it at a
surcharge.
This measure represents a great advantage that is appreciated by
growers. The substrate used (at the end of harvesting) is not lost, and
the compost discharged from “champignons” still contains sufficient
nutritious elements suited for other species of plants and can be used as
a very valuable fertilizer in farming, floriculture, tree nurseries, and
vineyards as well as inthe establishment of new orchards.
The cellulosic substrate used after harvesting Pleurotus mushrooms can
be used to feed animals such as ruminants, pigs, and poultry. The wood
waste can be used as firewood for heating crop spaces or disinfecting a
new substrate.
In conclusion, even the materials available after growing mushrooms
can be exploited. The activity on a mushroom farm can be performed by
all family members— parents, grandparents, children, and people with
disabilities— each according to their own strength. But this activity is not
recommended for those who are allergic to fungi spores; those that
suffer from asthma, tuberculosis, or other infectious diseases; nor
pregnant women.
Morphology of mushrooms
All plants on Earth, from the lower ones on the scale of evolution to the
giant baobab tree spread throughout tropical Africa, whose very thick
trunk can reach 10 meters in diameter, have the same fundamental form
of organization: the cell. The cell is one of the simplest anatomical units
of living matter and is formed generally of protoplasm, a nucleus, and
the cell membrane. Like any living organism, mushrooms are composed
of one or more cells; those composed of a single cell are called
unicellular,while those composed of multiple cells are called multicellular
mushrooms.
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The structure of large multicellular mushrooms
Mushrooms are eukaryotic organisms that feed through absorption,
which develops a diffuse vegetative apparatus that is branched andt
ubular, and they also reproduce through spores. The most complex
structure of the complex can be found in mushrooms of the Agaricales
order, Basidiomicetes class.
The mushroom has two distinct parts: the cap and the leg.
The cap, or pileus, consists of the cuticle, pulp, or flesh, the growing
area located at the edge between the foot and cap.
The cap can vary in shape: flat,
convex, with a rounded or pointed tip,
bell-shaped or conical, concave or
deep at the center, perfectly round,
cup-shaped, etc. The cuticle or cap
leather has a different structure from
that of the pulp and is made up of
several cell structures of different
shapes.
Carpophores of Agaricus spp.
The cuticle is colored differently and can have cracks, stains, etc. In
some species, they come off easily, while others cannot be removed. In
mushrooms, the coloris given by pigments that are located in the
cytoplasm. The Agaricus bisporus mushroom shows strainsor hybrids of
white, beige, andbrown. The brown ones are also called portabella or
portobello. The specie Agaricus brasiliensis has a creamy color, and A.
edulisis only white.
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Agaricus sp. Mushroom with closed vellum
The flesh or pulp of the cap can be thick or thin, of fleshy consistency,
soft, compact, gelatinous, or crumbly, depending on the species.
The gills have two sides and one edge. They can be thick or thin, wide
or narrow, flat or narrow, with a plain or serrated edge, dense or spaced,
etc. and are arranged radially from the center to the edge of the cap. In
ratio with the foot, the gills can be free (apart from the leg), overgrown
with the foot (collected), or prolonged on the foot. All of the gills form the
hymenium, where spores are produced.
The hymenium is protected at the bottom by the vellum, also called
partial veil, which is attached to the edge of the cap and on the leg, thus
creating an empty space called subhymeneal room. The spot where the
foot comes into contact with the cap is the growth area of the mushroom.
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The foot, or stripes, is the
part of the basidiofruit or
carpophores that supports
the cap, making a common
body with it. It can be
atached to the cap as
follows: central, eccentric, or
sideways. The shape ofthe
foot can be cylindrical
orstumpy (thicker at the
middle towards the bottom
and thinned at both ends),
claviform, fusiform,
filamentous, or bulb shaped.
Other criteria are mell, taste, or an aromathatis easily noticeable in some
species of mushroom.
Nutrition
Basidiomycetes are mushrooms with separated hyphae. The fruiting
body is formed on the mycelium. It consists of cap and leg formed of
hyphae adhering closely to one another. In some species, the bottom of
the cap consists of countless gills or blades (laminated mushrooms).
Groups of mushroom formed from mycelium from compost and peat
Figure 1Agaricusbisporus mushroom with scales
113
Different stages of development
Mushrooms, as plants without chlorophyll, have a heterotrophic nutrition,
namely, they use organic substances synthesized by other plants for
their food.
Regardless of the nutrient substrate on which it is installed, the nutrition
mechanism of superior mushrooms is generally as follows: The
mycelium comes in contact with the nutrient substrate through the
enzymes it contains, and it decomposes complex organic substances
into simpler products, which are absorbed.
The absorption process takes place all over the mycelium surface, such
as through certain specialized organs like rhizoids in saprophytic
mushrooms. The penetration of organic substances found in the soil
solution nutrient or nutritive substrate in fungus cells is done through the
process of osmosis, namely, moving from a solution with lower
concentration to a solution with higher concentration through the process
of endosmosis.
Caution! When cultivating mushrooms, an overdose of nutrients can
cause the reverse phenomenon of exosmosis, in which case it prevents
the formation of mushrooms. To prevent such an unwanted eventuality,
it is necessary to understand both the nutrient needs of mushrooms and
the nutrient substrate content in these elements. This information may
be obtained through chemical laboratory analysis or by following the
compost recipes.
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Chemical composition and nutritional value
Edible mushrooms are considered foods with high nutritional value.
Their chemical composition varies from one species to another,
depending on the stage of development, on the nutrient substrate on
which they grow, the component under consideration, environmental
conditions, growth period, etc.
Thus they contain water (82-92%), organic compounds (6-16.5%), and
minerals (0.5% -1.5%). The organic substances contain proteins (3-5%),
carbohydrates (1-3%), fat (0.5-1%), nitrogen-free substances (1.5 to
7%), and other organic substances (organic acids, enzymes, vitamins,
tannins, and essential oils, about 0.5%). The nutritional value of a food
product depends mainly on two factors: the chemical composition and
the digestibility of the compounds that are included in it.
The chemical composition varies from species to species, depending on
the stage of development of the mushrooms, on the nutrient substrate
on which they develop, on the part of the carpophore taken into account
(cap, leg, etc.), climatic conditions, thegrowing period,etc.The
digestibilityof varioussubstancesmay change incomparison with other
substances contained ina food. Viewed fromthis perspective,
mushrooms are foodswith a highn utritional value.
The protein content of fresh mushrooms is 3-5%, depending on the
species and hybrid. One hundred to two hundred grams of dried
mushrooms consumed daily can be a substitute for meat.
Mushrooms have a particular taste and aroma and therefore can be
eaten as a main food by diabetics because it does not contain starch,
which is converted to sugar in the body. Here are the contents of 100g
fresh champignon mushrooms:
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Chemical analysis of Agaricus bisporus mushrooms
Current number Name Content
1 Protein 3.6-4g 2 Carbohydrates 1.5g 3 Lipids 0.3g 4 Dietary Fibers 2.5g
Vitamins Mg 1 Vitamin A 5 2 Vitamin C 0.12
3 Vitamin D 0.10 4 Vitamin E 0.12 5 Thiamine – Vitamin
B1 0.03
6 Riboflavin – Vitamin B2
0.41
7 Niacin – Vitamin B3 4.1 8 Vitamin B12 0.16 Minerals Mg
1 Sodium 7.0 2 Potassium 305 3 Calcium 2 4 Iron 0.2
5 Zinc 0.2 6 Magnesium 9 7 Phosphorus 0.13
8 Chloride 0.8 9 Iodine 0.017 10 Manganese 0.57 11 Copper 0.65
Cholesterol 0
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Agaricus bisporus mushrooms, with their vitamins and minerals, are considered energizing and mineralizing foods and are recommended during convalescence. Some nutritionists noted that these mushrooms have anti-allergic virtues. In 2005, in the U.S., ergothioneine was foundin Agaricus b. And
Pleurotus spp. mushrooms. It is a powerful antioxidant that is not
diminished during the thermic preparation of mushrooms.
Antioxidants, selenium and vitamin D content recommend mushrooms
as immunity boosters. The selenium and zinc content detected in 190
species of mushrooms are recommended to fight against stress.
The content ofamino acids of two species of Pleurotus
Amino acid mg.g-1 nitrogen assimilable albumin s.a
Pl.ostreatus Pl.sajor-caju
1. Asparticacid 564-638 715 2. Glutamineacid 890-1266 - 3. Alanine 404-451 443 4. Arginine 306-374 441
5. Cysteine 29-32 90 6. Histidine 87-120 157 7. Phenylalanine 216-260 394 8. Glycine 273-315 353
9. Isoleucine 266-299 313 10. Leucine 310-610 478 11. Lysine 250-321 399
12. Methionine 90-100 131 13. Proline 269-321 280 14. Serine 271-345 331 15. Tyrosine 184-210 445
16. Threonine 264-324 353
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17. Tryptophan 61-97 88 18. Valine 309-364 377
Mushrooms contain non-reducing trehalose, which gives two molecules
of glucose. The fact that mushrooms contain small amounts of fat
recommends them as a dietetic food, and they can be aten without
restriction in terms of quantity and without fear of gaining weight.
Mushrooms do not contain cholesterol.
Fatty acidcontentinP.florida
Fatty acid Relative amount %
1.Linoleic acid 72.81 2.Acidoleic 13.91 3.Acidpalmitic 11.12
4.Acidmyristic 1.80 5.Acidulpalmitoleic 0.36 6.Acizisaturates 12.92 7. Unsaturatedfats 87.08
Fragrant mushrooms or shiitake have high nutritional value, and they are
rich in protein, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. They contain
more than 30 enzymes (including methionine, cystine, valine, glutamic
acid, isoleucine, cellulase, and asparagine) and are very useful for the
proper functioning of the human body.
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Shiitake dried and powdered
Chemical composition looks like this:
Carbohydrates - 7.5 g
Protein - 15-35%
Calories - 39
Cholesterol - 1 g
Thiamine - 0.8 mg
Riboflavin - 0.85 mg
Niacin - 5.5 mg
Vitamin D 2-200 I.U. According to other authors, chemical analysis of these mushrooms is as follows:
Water - 90%
10-40% protein
2-8% fat
3-28% carbohydrate
3-32% fiber
8-10% ash
Mushrooms contain vitamins B1, B2, B12, provitamin D and ergosterol.
As far as minerals, they contain, iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus,
potassium, sodium, calcium, manganese, and selenium.
Amino acidcontent in grams/100g ofdried mushrooms is as follows:
Arginine-7.0
Histidine-1.8
Leucine-7.0
Isoleucine-4.4
Lysine-3.5
Tyrosine-3.5
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Threonine- 5.2
Methionine-1.8
Phenylalanine-5.3
Valine- 5.2
Regular consumption of shiitake has a beneficial effect on mood and thenervous system. The most important feature of the amino acid composition of the mushrooms is the presence of sufficient quantities of essential amino acids.
Shiitake mushrooms contain vitamins, both soluble and fat-soluble. The
caps contain many vitamins, such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and
biotin. Particularly valuable is that these mushrooms contain a significant
amount of vitamin D, which does not exist in other plants.
Once heated, shiitake mushrooms may lose some vitamins. The content
of immunomodulatory polysaccharide decreases under prolonged
boiling, but practically, it does not change during the correct drying of the
mushrooms. Shiitake have a fungal odor and taste that is spicy and
caramel like. Appreciated for its culinary qualities, this mushroom is also
recommended for diets and as an immuno-stimulant. Rich in
carbohydrates, shiitake are a delight. They can be eaten in salads or as
a sauce for pasta, meats, etc. It is advised to cook or chop the legs
separately because they have a hard texture. The best mushrooms are
those with a cap diameter of less than two inches, with a velvet, dark
120
brown color and open up to 70%. Besides shiitake being very popular
and often being used for medical purposes, it is widely used in the
kitchen, especially in Asia.
Shiitake is used in powder form as a seasoning with sea salt,
dehydrated garlic, black pepper, parsley, tricalcium phosphate, and 2%
anticaking agent. This delicious condiment adds shiitake flavour to every
meal when fresh mushrooms are not available. It is used for steaks,
fries, pasta, pork, and chicken. There are many different recipes for
using it as a seasoning, in soups, and even in a drink like tea. It can be
added to different kinds of hot dishes; it combines perfectly with meat,
vegetables, and noodles; and it can also be used to decorate the dish.
Shiitake mushrooms can also be cooked on the grill or in the oven.
The concentration of polysaccharide in the shiitake mushrooms depends
ona large extent onthe stem and the environmental conditions in which it
is cultivated or grown. Mushroom polysaccharide varied between strains
of fungi, even up to eight times. Higher storage temperatures led to a
low content of Lentinan because there was a higher activity of
endogenous glucanase. Lentinanc ontent is lower in younger
mushrooms than in the mature mushrooms.
Beauty cream with shiitake polysaccharides
121
You probably never asked yourself why the skin of a Geisha is so fine.
The answer is because they useface creams with shiitake as the main
ingredient. Today’s scientists have discovered with the help of modern
equipment what healers knew for centuries. In Asian countries, a daily
consumption of between 6 and 16g dried mushroom sor 80 gof fresh
shiitake is recommended. The caloric value of 100g of dried shiitake is
greater than 100g of potatoes (80 kcal) or beef (224 kcal) but lower than
that of whole wheat or brown rice (328-350 kcal). Dried shiitake protein
content is comparable to poultry, pork, and beef, but the number of fat
units is much lower and the amount of dietary fiber is considerably
higher than in meat.
Shiitake contains almost all essential amino acids, such aslysine and
arginine, in very high concentrations (Liuand Bau, 1980) and lower
quantities of methionine and phenylalanine (Lasota and Sylwestrzak,
1989).
Laboratory analyses have found that amino acids, proteins, glycogen,
fat, ascorbic acid and total ash content is increased (Fasidi and Kadiri,
1990). Based on these findings, it is recommended to eat mature
mushrooms for maximum nutritional value. The researchers found, in
general, higher concentrations of nutrients in the cap than the foot of the
mushroom.
Shiitake contains fibers in a ratio of 6.7g per 100g dried mushrooms,
greater than brown rice (0.2g) and sweet potatoes (0.9 g). Mushrooms
are not only an important sources of nutrients but they also boost the
immune system. They werep laced in the top 100 best foods by a recent
study in Germany, were among the 10 best super foods aftera study in
the U.S., and Asians consider them one of the five best foods, alongside
tofu, soy cheese or meat, mysore seaweed agar and konjac— an Asian
bulbous plant that is cultivated as a vegetable butis banned in the EU.
Shiitake are among the superior foods for strengthening the
cardiovascular system, just like oats and olive oil.
Shiitake is recommended for diets:
They have fewer calories (only 20 calories for 5 medium
mushrooms);
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Are low in carbohydrates; and
Have a low fat content without saturated fats.
Shiitake is recommended as a nutrient:
Thy have nocholesterol;
Are an excellent source ofB vitamin;
Are an excellent source ofRiboflavin-vitamin B2;
Have a low sodium content;
Are a good source ofNiacin-vitaminB3;
Are a good source of PantothenicAcid-vitaminB5;
Are a good source ofpotassium;
Are a goodandexcellent source ofcopper;
Are a good source ofselenium; and
Have a high mineralcontent
Medicinal value
In the last 100 years, there have been many advances in medicine using
lower organisms such asmolds, yeasts, and mushrooms. The first
antibiotics are known to have been taken from molds produced by
mushrooms. Penicillin, tetracycline, and euromicin came from molds
produced by some species of mushrooms.
Closer to modern times, we managed to achieve body assimilation of
transplanted organs using the drug Cyclosporin, which is extracted from
an insect that grows in symbiosis with a species of mushroom called
Macromyceta.
Recent studies have shown tha tmushrooms are probiotics, which help
the body to cure and fight diseases until it regains its natural resistance.
Mushrooms can also be use das a potential defense that stimulate the
body’s immune system to protect us.
Since mushrooms spend 90% of their life cycle in mycelium or a
vegetative state, researchers have turned to mycelia biomass for
aseptically cultivated mushrooms. From this mycelium, various
polysaccharides are extracted that are part of different supplements,
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either as dry or dehydrated or in alcohol extracts. These products are
widely used in various countries as food supplements, energy boosters,
anticancer preventatives, stimulants of neuronal processes,
immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, and to reduce the aging
process.
The quality of mushrooms as a complete food was demonstrated by
researchers who were only fed mushrooms for long periods of time
without their bodies being negatively affected. Regarding the therapeutic
role of mushrooms, French physician J. Valnet (1987) showed that
cultured mushrooms have stimulating properties and are remineralizing
for the human body. A. Rambelli (1987), an Italian professor, highlighted
the antibiotic proprieties found in Agaricus bisporus mushrooms. Other
tests of 11 species of mushrooms, mostly edible, including champignon,
weres hown to have an inhibitory action against polio; checks have been
confirmed in the laboratory on rats and monkeys.
French mushroom growers are not affected by cancer, which issued the
hypothesis that champignon are potential lproducers of metabolic
actions that are able to stop and cure cancer. For somepeople, fungi can
be hard to digest, and in these cases, it is recommended to consume
small amounts and gradually introduce them into the diet.
With extracts from Pl.ostreatus and Pl.eryngii mushrooms, PROVASTIN
was produced, which has properties to prevent myocardial heart failure,
prevent atherosclerosis, and lower cholesterol. From other species of
mushroom, such as Tremella mesenterica, TREMELLASTIN was
obtained, which is administered as an adaptogen for good health and
body vitality.
In 2005 a group of researchers from Pennsylvania found that
mushrooms contain the Ergothioneine antioxidant. With the help of high-
performance liquid chromatography and other methods used in
analytical chemistry, they found that Agaricus bisporus mushrooms, as
well as exotic ones like Pleurotus, contain the antioxidant. Pleurotus
contains about 13 mg of the antioxidant per 100g of protein, which is 40
times more than the amount contained in wheat germ, considered until
then a powerful antioxidant. And another aspect is that by boiling the
mushrooms the amount of antioxidant does not decrease.
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Agaricus brasiliens is, or blazei, with its high content of polysaccharides
such a salpha and alpha-D-glucan, beta and beta-D-glucan,
proteoglycans, riboglucans, anti-angiogenic compounds, and ergosterol,
is used as an antitumor, anticancer, antiviral, arteriosclerosis, diabetes,
hepatitis, and hyperlipidemia treatment, and it enriches the immune
system while stimulating the wholebody. This specie of mushroom
diminishes the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, causing a
considerable increase in body immunity.
Agaricus brasiliensis mushroom
By preventing vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, and lack of energy,
chemotherapy becomes up to seven times more efficient. The
mushroom is considered a functional food because of the content of
beta-glucans, fuco-mano glucan, fiber, triterpenes, vitamins, nine amino
acids, and minerals. For treatment or as a nutritional supplement, it is
used raw, dehydrated as powder, as granules, astea, as a liquid extract,
etc. It is considered bioregulatory and immunomodulatory, and it
maintains homeostasis, regulates biorhythm, prevents cancer, lowers
cholesterol, prevents hypertension, aids in prostate problems, etc.
Agaricus brasiliensis mushroom is also more and more often being used
as an excellent adjuvant because it helps energize cells in the vicinity of
the tumor, thus stopping their metastasis. Japanese experts were able to
cross certain species of therapeutic mushrooms and then extract a
substance called AHCC (Active Hextrose Correlated Compound) from
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their mycelium, which was used successfully in Japan for cancer and
hepatitis C treatments.
Capsulesandtincture from Agaricus blazei Murrill or
himematsutake
Agaricus blazei mushroom, or God’s mushroom, is one of the most
amazing medicinal mushroom species discovered so far. It is sure to
revolutionize the medical industry worldover in the next few years. It is
just as important as the discovery of penicillin in 1920. It is assumed it
will have the same impact on immuno-deficient treatments, such as the
ones for cancer and AIDS, as the discovery of antibiotics had on
infections. Obviously, patients allergic to spores are not suited for the
treatment with this species of mushrooms.
Proper seasons for mushroom cultivation
Mushrooms can be grown throughout the year, but we must consider
the following:
The geographical area where the crop is grown;
The specie of cultivated mushrooms; and
The degree of betterment and improvement of the growing area.
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As a general rule, with minimum betterment of the growing area, in the
classic or household system, two to three crop cycles per year can
easily be achieved. Hot summers should be avoided as well as cold
weather. Bear in mind that a lot more energy is consumed in the hot
season, when you have to cool the air, compared to the cold season,
when cold air is heated. The Pleurotus spp. mushrooms can accidentally
freeze without any issues; after temperatures rise, they will thaw and
continue to grow.
Mushroom that can be grown with minimal costs
This book will address three species of the Agaricus type: Agaricus
bisporus or champignon; Agaricus edulis or thermophile champignon,
which are heat-loving mushrooms; and Agaricus brasiliensis, A. blazei
Murrill, or Milena mushroom (sometime called almond mushroom).
The second kind will be Pleurotus or sponges, with species and hybrids
that can be grown in the cold season and others in the warm season. Of
this kind, the most valuable is King Pleurotus, or Pleurotus eryngii.
Shiitake-Lentinulaedodes, or the perfumed mushroom, ist he first in Asia
when it comes to mushroom growing.
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Chapter 2: Classic Mushroom Production or
part of Household System
Mycelium is a vegetative rudimentary body of lower plants (algae and
mushrooms) and has various forms. An inferior mushroom is composed
of a single membrane cell or lacks the membrane enirely. A superior
mushrooms can beunicellular, branched, orconsistof several cells,
forming filaments. Inbothcases, the filaments are calledhyphae, and they
form the mycelium of the mushroom.
Mycelium is also called the false tissue because it results from the
braiding of the mycelia filaments. Mushroom mycelium is very voracious;
a cubic centimetre of soil can accommodate a km of mycelium. The
mycelium is composed of several thin filaments called hyphae. Hyphae
absorb nutrients from the soil.
The mycelium is a system of thin, branched filaments that forms the
vegetative apparatus of most mushrooms. The mushroom mycelium is a
biological product that is obtained in the laboratory under sterile
conditions and placed in an optimum micro-environment; it is capable of
reproducing the mushroom from which it resulted.
2.1 Brief history of mycelium production
In 1894 Constantine and Matruchot obtained controlled germination of
spores and mycelium from the mushroom tissue, which they called pure
culture, even though it was on horse manure. The two kept the secret
well until 1902, when an American, Ferguson, deciphered the secret and
published a study on the controlled germination of spores and mycelium
growth, bringing an end to the monopoly held by the Pasteur Institute
from France. In 1932 James W. Sinden, in Pennsylvania, produced
mycelium on grain, rye, and millet, a method that spread worldwide until
1970.
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White Agaricus biporus, which today is grown throughout the world, is
derived from a man from Pennsylvania, who, in 1926, found, on his
brown mushroom bedding, white mushrooms as a spontaneous
mutation. Lambert was called, from whom mycelium was bought, and he
made selections and crossings in the laboratory until he obtained a
purewhite strain.
In 1925 in the Netherlands, Haarten was the specialist who introduced
the concept of mycelium. Starting in 1930, mycelium production was
moved on grain support. The pure cultures were kept or stored under
liquid nitrogen (LN2), a revolutionary but quite expensive method. This is
the best method for long-term storage because the mycelium is
completely submerged at a temperature of -320°F. This method
maintains a very stable mother culture for many years. A culture of
mycelium should be clean and free of contaminants and without
anomalies.Contaminants include other mushrooms, bacteria, and
insects. A pure culture will have to be transferred several times to a
fresh medium in order to avoid possible contamination. The observations
relate to growth rate, which is accelerated outward; fluffy texture of
mycelium; aerial, thick, or rubbery; or changes in color.
2.2 Obtaining mycelium from spores
From a spore, represented below by a point, and through germination,a
small filament arises that develops and branches.
Growing mycelium from a spore
129
In the end, mycelium growth becomes circular, and hyphae have many
connections between them, radial increasing being the easiest for
mycelium to access nutrients from the environment. But in nature, this
growth is not very fast. Only under artificial laboratory conditions is the
growth accelerated. As mentioned in the previous chapter, mycelium
was originally produced on manure from horses and cattle in the form of
blocks; after that, they switched for about 10 years to tobacco waste in
glass containers. Later mushroom tissue was used. In 1930 mycelium
production was switched to grain support.
Various types of spores
Mushroom growing cycle
130
Mushroom life cycle
Through their shape, size, and color, the spores vary from one
mushroom to another. Some are spherical, oval, or elliptical, while
others are cylindrical, straight, curved, polygonal, or with irregular
contours. The surface can be smooth, rough, dotted, warty, reticulate, or
with ridges.
Spore powder is obtained by placing a mushroom under a glass bell with
the fertile region down on a sheet of black paper for the species with
white spores or on a white sheet of paper for the ones with colored
spores. The spores are deposited on the paper in a few hours, and we
obtain the spore print. For the Agaricaceae mushroom, the spores are
deposited radially. The spore print can be fixed by spraying a solution
prepared from one part rosin and four parts turpentine over it. The
spores are taken from the spore print, and mushroom multiplying has
begun.
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Agaricus spp spore print
The method for obtaining mycelium from spores in the classical system
is acumber someone that requires knowledge, equipment, and strict
hygiene conditions.
Stropharia r.ann. mycelium
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2.3 Obtaining mycelium from tissue clone
A generation of crop plants obtained through vegetative propagation is
called a clone. A portion or tissue culture is the simplest method for
obtaining a mycelia culture. This can be considered a clone o fa
mushroom. The clone is a new generation of culture plant obtained by
vegetative propagation or by a set of cells or organisms with identicall
hereditary structure.
Multiplying the mycelium is also characteristic to mushrooms. Grained
mycelium is used on grains.
Isolated tissue culture is carried out on the agar medium in the test tubes
or in petri dishes with incubation at 75-78°F for 15 to 30 days; after that,
they are stored in a refrigerator at 35-39°F.
An isolated culture or clone has established the main biological and
morphological characters of the specie and strain of origin for a long
time. An isolated culture is in the subculture stage, the first link of the
selection process. We will describe the growth of mushrooms through
tissue fragments or clones because it is easier to achieve in your own
household. To multiply your spawn, you will need a healthy mushroom,
representative to the species that is evenly developed and mature.
The kitchen is the ideal place to obtain mycelium. Transform your
kitchen for a moment into a laboratory. Do a proper cleaning, remove the
trash and disinfect all surfaces with alcohol or chlorine, including
flooring, doors, door knobs, windows, table top work surface, stove,
etc.Do not forget your hands, and change into clean clothes.
You need the following:
Cereal seeds, which are easy to procure, like wheat, barley, corn,
millet, or sorghum If you want to obtain mycelium of Pleurotus, it is
recommended to use barley; for Agaricus, wheat is recommended.
Containers can be bottles of various capacities or wide-mouth
canning jars.
The lids for the containers should be made of metal, common screw
caps, or improvised from natural cotton when bottles are used.
Aluminum foil
A pressure pot with higher capacity of eight to 12 liters.
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Potatoes, barley, agar-agar
pH indicator paper
Distilled water
12/2 tubes or petri dishes, 10 cm or 12 cm, diameter 14
A pot for boiling cereals
A sieve for straining the cereals, such as the ones used for spaghetti
or macaroni
A small quantity of sugar, glucose, or dextrose
A thermometer with values between 0-122°F
A funnel for pouring liquid and a thick, clean cloth for filtering
1-2 wooden rods with a length of 0.5 m and the girth of a pencil for
tilting the tubes
A stainless steel vessel in which to place the tubes with the sterilized
environment in the pressure cooker
For the petri dishes, put environment liquid made from potato and
agar-agar in a bottle that fits in the pressure cooker. The bottle will be
closed with a cotton plug and covered with aluminum foil, or you can
use a metal screw cap.
Spirit lamp, lighter, and medicinal alcohol
A scalpel or a needle about 30 cm long and 1 cm thick, bent like a
hook at the end
For mycelium production, there are two working stages with a growth
break between them.
2.3.1 The firststep in the preparation of the crop
environment for the clone o rtissue portion
The environment liquid is prepared based onpotato, sugar, ordextroseagar anddistilled water, and the amount depends on the needs (potato-dextrose-agar PDA).
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2.3.1.1 Recipes for crop environments
Potato Dextrose Agar Potato dextrose agar is the most used environment in mycology, and it is very favourable for the growth of most mushrooms.
Ingredient Quantity Potato 200g Dextrose 20g
Agar 20g Distilled Water 1000ml For preparing the environment, the potatoes are washed and cleaned
and then cut into cubes of about 2-3 cm. Weigh 200 g of potatoes, rinse
them in water, and boil them in a stainless steel vessel for 30 minutes to
soften. Smash the potatoes, and strain as much pulp as possible
through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. Add agar, and boil until dissolved.
Remove from fire, add dextrose, and mix again until dissolved. Add up to
one liter of distilled water. During the pouring in tubes, shake the solution
to allocate a portion of the solid part to each tube. Sterilize in the
pressure cooker for 15 minutes after the boiling has started. Depending
on the quality of the agar, 15g can be used per liter of environment
(Constantinescu, 1974).
Malt(extract) Agar
Ingredient Quantity Malt extract 30g Agar 15g
Distilled water 1000ml The malt extract is heated in water until it dissolves. Add agar, and boil until the agar has dissolved. The final pH is adjusted to 5.5±0.2,at77 F.
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Sterilize in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes after boiling has started (Samson and Van Reenen-Hoekstra, 1988).
Agar in three forms
Another recipe:
Put a liter of distilled water in a new, clean, thick bowl to prevent the
other ingredients from sticking to the bottom.
Add 75g of crushed malt (from breweries or barley deposits), and
pass it through a coffee grinder).
Boil until you reacdh medium heat for about 45 minutes.
After boiling, strain through the cheese cloth twice; add distilled water,
up toone liter.
Put the bowl back on the stove, and add 20g of agar; sprinkle it
around so it doesn’t form lumps.
Keep stirring, and then continue to boil for about 15 minutes, until it
begins to clot easily (try the mixture witha glass or wooden rod).
Add a drop of sodium hydroxide, and measure the pH value.
Important! The environment has to have a specific color (cream), and the pH should be between 6.8 and 7.4!
Pour into the tubes (previously sterilized and with separate plugs).
Cap the tubes.
Sterilize the pressure cooker for 15 minutes after the onset of boiling.
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After sterilization, the tubes are inclined on the rods in such a way
that the medium does not touch the cotton plug; allow it to harden for
about three hours.
The tubes can be kept in the fridge or a cold space until they will be
used.
Stainless steel jug for pouring the environment into
tubes
Here is another recipe for environment culture based on potatoes, agar-agar, dextrose and barm.
For one liter of environment, the following ingredients are needed:
Ingredient Quantity Potatoes 250g Agar 20g
Anhydrous dextrose 10g Barm 1.5 g
137
Peel the potatoes; wash and cut them intocubes.
Boil the potatoesfor about 30 minutes.
Strain the liquid in which thepotatoesboiled and fill to 1
liter.
Dispense the environmentintotubes.
138
Wire baskets with tubes are ready for sterilization.
2.3.1.2 Preparation
Wash and peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes, and place them to boil
in distilled water. Once they have boiled, drain the liquid. Add the other
ingredients to this liquid. Dispense the environment into tubes, and
sterilize them for 15 minutes in the pressure cooker. Incline the tubes,
and keep refrigerated until use.
Inclined tubes after sterilization
139
Pressure cooker used for sterilizing the tubes
If the environment was dispensed into petri dishes, about 1cm of
environment is added to each box, which is then closed. There are petri
dishes made of polypropylene that can withstand sterilization above
212°F. The pairs of petri dishes are packed in aluminum foil and placed
one on top of the other on a metal rack or on a perforated metal plate in
the pressure cooking pot, which should contain only about 10 cm of
water. Petri dishes should not be submerged in the water but rather
should be above the water level. Sterilize the petri dishes just as you did
the tubes for 15 minutes after boiling starts. After cooling, they may be
kept in a refrigerator until use. It was previously shown that after
sterilization, tubes are leaned on a wooden stand or perch for agar
solidification. The inclinationis applied to achieve a wider area of
environment, on which mycelium develops. In the case of the petri dish,
this is not necessary; you will skip the leaning operation.
Placing glass jars with seeds in the pot for the sterilization
process.
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2.3.1.3 Preservation of crop environments
In order to avoid needing to prepare a crop environment every day, a large amount can be prepared and then stored for preservation. The culture environments are stored only after the sterilization. Dispense the desired capacity in containers for a single use, cover the lid well with parchment paper or aluminum foil, tie them with string or a rubber band, label them, and keep them in the fridge for optimal conservation. For use, the environments will be melted in bain-marie (heated bath) and dispensed in culture recipients (tubes or petri dishes) that were previously sterilized.
2.3.1.4 Preparing selected mushrooms for clone extraction
Other than the parasitic mushrooms, we can find bacteria or
saprophytes fungi on the plant organs. In order to remove the
contaminants from the surface of the material collected, various methods
are used. One of these is based on the use of sterilizers in solution form.
When solution sterilizers are used, surface disinfection is carried out as
follows: The mushrooms are washed and cut into small fragments of
about 1 cm in length, and then they are immersed in ethanol (75%) and
immediately in the sterilizing solution. After the removal from the
solution, they are washed several times in sterile water, dried between
sheets of sterile paper, sectioned, and transferred onto the culture
environment.
Surface sterilization of the mushrooms
Sterilizer (according to Both, 1971)
Concentration (%)
Time (minutes)
Washing solution
Formaldehyde(40%) 51 1-5 Ethanol (70%) then sterile water
141
Hydrogen peroxide (H
2O
2)
3 1-5 Sterile water
Potassium permanganate (KMnO
4)
2 1-5 Sterile water
Calcium hypochlorite (Ca(ClO)
2) or Sodium
hypochlorite (NaClO)
0,35 1-5 Sterile water
Ethanol 75 1-5 Sterile water
Silver nitrate (AgNO3)
1 1-5 Sterile sodium chloride (NaCl) then sterile water
For disinfection, use one of the solutions from the above table; the
cheapest and most easily available are ethanol (75 degrees), calcium
hypochlorite, and hydrogen peroxide. Sterile water can be obtained from
still water sterilized in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes for containers
with a capacity of 0.5 liters ora bout 30 minutes for one-liter bottles.
Two people in clean clothes and masks will need to work in your clean
kitchen lab, with the door and windows closed to avoid the formation of
air currents and all surfaces disinfected with chlorine or alcohol. Follow
these instructions:
- First, clean anddisinfect the mushroom.
- Light the spirit lamp.
- Remove the tubes containing the crop environment from the
refrigerator.
142
- The mushroom is cut longitudinally, and a piece of tissue of about
1cm² is harvested with the tip of a needle or a scalpel passed
through alcohol first and held in a flame until it turns red.
- Allow the needle or scalpel to slightly cool, take the mushroom
fragment, pass it over the spirit lamp flame and insert it into the
tube.
- The plug of the tube is heated on the spirit lamp flame, and the
tube is capped (see fig. 31and 33).
2.3.1.5 Inoculation in boxes without laminar flow currents
The boxes are made of different materials that are easy to disinfect, in
which the inoculator inserts only the hands through two holes provided
with sleeves like gloves and performs the inoculation. In general, they
have a reduced capacityof about 50 recipients. The boxes can be made
in the home.
Disinfect with alcohol solution administered as vapor. In the inoculation
box, all tools are inserted with the inoculum and the recipients that are
about to be inoculated, and everything is disinfected with alcohol
solution and sprayed. The inoculator inserts only their hands into the box
and performs the inoculation. Then it moves to another box, which has
already been prepared.
The tubes or petri dishes are kept tightly packed in aluminum foil in a dry
spotat a temperature of over 68°F. After about seven days, you will see
the result of your work.
Inoculation box
143
If you have worked correctly and hygienically and the environment is
free of molds, mycelial hyphae will have begun to grow from the
mushroom tissue. When the entire container is full of silver-white floss,
the incubation is complete. Your work has been successful and you can
proceed to the next stage, which is preparing the mycelium.
With a needle, a piece of tissue is harvested
Cut the piece of tissue from the mushroom with a scalpel
144
Spirit lamp
It is marked where you take thepiece of tissue and it’s placed in the test tube on solidified environment.
The work is done over a flame.
145
The 4 steps of inoculation: sterilize the needle, harvest the tissue, the tube is open and the mouth of the tube is heated, and the piece of tissue is inserted in the tube and the tube is closed.
Petri dish containing mycelium grown from tissue triangle,
for Pleurotas spp.
146
Petri dish with grown radial mycelium
Tubes in which the mushroom piece of tissue is observed
Tube completely incubated
147
The opera tion of shifting a culture from a recipient to another is called
sub-culturing or passage and the culture fragment that is passed on
another environment is called inoculum.
Although they seem simple, the inoculation and transfer of the mycelium
are often performed incorrectly, leading to unwanted contamination of
the culture and infestation. All sub-culturing movements oroperations
must be made quickly enough to prevent infection of the sterile media
tubes. There is no talking during the working time. The movements must
be made with some regularity and not prolonged too much. Also, a
series of recommendations must be respected, which at first glance
seem minor but are critical for the success of the sub-culturing:
- Keeping the tube in a horizontal position during sub-culturing to
avoid any dust particles from the atmosphere falling into the
environment
- Maintaining the needle used for sub-culturing in the flame
upright rather than horizontal position, for the burningto to affect
a bigger area
- Removing the cotton plug with the little finger from the right
hand and keeping it in the hand all the time (to avoid
contamination)
- Burning the edge of the tube during the removal and insertion of
the cotton plug, since theouter edges of the tube may contain
germs of secondary contamination
After sub-culturing, the tubes are placed in a vertical position so that the
condensation does not spread all over the environment surface,
preventing the typical growth of the colony.
Aftersub-culturing, the tubes are labeled to avoid mixing them up. You
can apply labels that stick, or you can write directly on the tubes with a
permanent marker. After labeling, the tubesare placed in various
recipients, such as empty cans, with some paper underneath so the
tubes do not break; they are then placed for mycelium growth.
If you obtain growing environments in which the mushroom is mixed with
other microorganisms, then you must repeat the inoculation process.
148
Transferring a triangle of mycelium to another petri dish
The infections can be molds of other colors, like yellow, green, brown,
black, red or pink.
In areas where the mushroom appears less mixed with other
microorganisms, a small portion is taken that is inoculated again on
another environment. Repeat this operation until the culture we want to
multiply is purified of foreign microorganisms. After obtaining a pure
culture in petri dishes, the mushroom is seeded again in test tubes in
order to be preserved in isolation for a longer time (two to three months)
at a low temperature (35-39°F). After this time, the cultures have to be
sown again to refresh them. Maintaining isolates for a longer period of
time to produce mycelium is only possible if sub-culturing is repeated
every two to three months. Otherwise, the environment dries out, and
mycelium can no longer feed itself.
For the purification of mushroom cultures, it is also possible to use a
series of chemical factors that inhibit the growth of bacteria, such as
penicillin, streptomycin, chloramphenicol, etc. Penicillin (20-40 units / ml
culture environment) and streptomycin (40-100 units / ml culture
environment) are added after sterilization, when the environment cooled
to 113°F. Chloramphenicol (0.05 mg / ml culture environment) can be
included prior to sterilization.
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Fridge stock of tubes containing crop environment
2.3.2 Step 2 of mycelium preparation
In the previous phase, we prepared the stem or mother culture. Now I
will describe how we prepare mycelium for establishing a new crop of
mushrooms.
First you have to think about what recipients you will work with. For
some time now, many mycelium stations have worked with glass
containers. They have advantages and disadvantages, as follows:
- The main advantage would be there-use of the recipients.
- The main disadvantage is that they canbreak, crack, or split
during the technological process.
- Another disadvantage is that they require work to extract the
mycelium as well as washing and sterilization for reusing them.
In some countries, these glass recipients were replaced with
polypropylene, which can be reused, orlow density polyethylene as both
canwithstand high temperatures during sterilization.
150
Of course, these recipients are excellent for this purpose; they are
lightweight, require only a small space for storage, are disposable, are
resistant tosterilization andhandling, are easy to empty of mycelium,
allow the attachment of antimicrobial filters through which the air
exchange takes place, andare recyclable.
Plastic bag with grown mycelium
Plastic bags have different volumes and can also be used. When
working with glass containers, they generally have a one-liter capacity
and a wider opening, which facilitates the inoculation.
One-liter bottle with incubated mycelium
151
2.3.2.1 Preparing recipients for working
Preparing the recipients for the two main situations means:
- When the recipients are new, arriving directly from the factory; - When the recipients are reused.
The new recipients or containers require only a simple wash to remove
dust and then drying; they can then enter into production flow. The
bottles that are being reused are first checked, and any that are cracked
or chipped are removed for recycling; then the others are washed with
hot water and soap and rinsed with cold water. Allow to drain and dry
upside down. In some cases, use containers or canning jars with
different capacity: 0.5, 1, or 2 liters.
Jars with mycelium in various incubation stages
2.3.2.2 The support for mycelium production
The most used support for mycelium production is the cereals, such as
wheat, barley, oats, rye, corn, millet, and sorghum but also sunflower
shells, sawdust, straw, cork or wooden pegs, wood chips or in liquid
form. Mycelium produced on straw is recommended for mushroom
species that grow on straw, such as Strophariara Volvarielavolvaceea,
etc. Mycelium produced on lignicolous suppor tis recommended for
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lignicolous speciessuch as Lentinusedodes, Ganodermalucidum, etc.
Mycelium produced on various cereals is suitable for species of
mushrooms that grow on compost but also for the ones that grow on
wood.
The correct choosing of raw materials for the substrate is essential for
the production of quality mycelium. The largest quantity of mycelium
seems to be produced on rye seeds. Wheat is the second most
frequently used material. It is susceptible to cracking during boiling,
however, and if starch is removed and becomes sticky or gummy, it is
not recommended for mycelium. It is recommended to widely use barley,
which doesn’t crack during boiling, as well as millet. Also recommended
is corn, which contains a large endosperm, is not affected by pests and
fungi and does not contain impurities. Asa replacement for grains,
expanded per lite can be used when mixed with different proportions of
cereals.
The best overall growth was obtained by cornat 12.67 days, followed by
wheat at 15 days and sorghum at 16.33 days. The reason could be that
the larger grains such as corn allow an optimal gas exchange, providing
good mycelia growth. Wheat and corn also present a high nitrogen
content. White millet is also preferred (Panicum miliaceum) because it
has smaller grains and adds 180-200 grains/g compared to cereals with
only 40-50 grains/g. The higher the density per gram, the more
inoculation points will be in the compost.
For the lignicolous species of mushroom, such as Lentinula edodes,
Ganoderma lucidum, Pleurotus ostreatus, etc., mycelium can produce
on wooden dowels. These are hardwood fragments of about 2-3cm long
and 0.5cm thick. They should be soaked or boiled to achieve an
optimum moisture level and to eliminate contamination by other fungi.
The boilingis done with 75g malt or barley seeds passed through a
coffee grinder in one liter of water. The boiling takes about an hour on
low heat. Then the boiled plugs, cooled and drained, are mixed
withabout 1-2% calcium carbonate and placed in a clean glass
container. In this case, too, the container with dowels is sterilized in the
pressure pot for about 30 minutes. In hygienic conditions and over the
flame of a spirit lamp, the contents of a test tube with mushroom
mycelium grown from the desired species is inserted into the bottle or jar
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with dowels. Afternearly a month, the plugs are completely incubated
and covered with mycelium and can be used in sowing on wooden logs,
in holes.
Wooden dowels used for preparing mycelium
Wooden dowels incubated with mycelium
2.3.2.3 Washing the cereals
The washing is done under a continuous stream of cold water while
stirring with a perforated wooden spoon until the resulting water runs
clean. Most of the competitors are removed in this way. Each batch of
cereals, before being washed, is weighed, and the weight is calculated
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so as to fill the pressure cooker to capacity after boiling. The washed
and boiled batch cannot be kept from one day to another.
2.3.2.4 Boiling the cereals
The boiling takes place until the grain’s texture becomes elastic so that
the pericarp of the grain does not crack and does not burst. Depending
on the capacity of the boiling vessel, it can take 15 or 45 minutes. By
cracking the grains, the starch from the cereals is released into the
boiling water, and then the whole composition becomes sticky and thus
inadequate for a growing support of mycelium.
Boiling verification can be done by simply squashing the grains between
your fingers. The grains must not become compacted, and they
shouldn’t stick to each other but rather flow. After boiling, the drying and
the cooling of the support is done. In recent years, some experts have
begun to recommend producing mycelium on seeds soaked in water
until saturation for 24 hours at low temperature, so fermentation is not
triggered. The recommended temperature is between 32 and 50
degrees ideally 39°F.
2.3.2.5 Support homogenization with amendments
After boiling, allow the seeds to cool on aluminum or stainless steel
trays. For large quantities, the seeds can be putin an agitator, first for
cooling and after for adding the amendments and making
homogenization. As amendments, add 10% calcium sulphate or gypsum
(CaSO4), 2 to 3% calcium carbonate, or fodder chalk (CaCo3). For
protein intake, 4-5% soybean flour can be added. The grains should be
evenly homogenized, and all of the seeds should be covered with white
powder in order to avoid clusters and prevent the formation of clogs.
Through calcium coating, a space remains in between the grains
through which the air can flow and which allows the mycelium to breathe
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and grow. The culture environment will have a neutral pH, slightly
alkaline, of 7 to 7.2.
PH paper indicator
When sorghumis used, 15% calcium sulfate will be added. Other
mushroom growers use only calcium carbonate, 30g/kg of boiled
cereals.
How to proceed in measuring the pH:
The reaction is given by hydrogen ions H+ in the solution and is
measured in pH units. A pH paper indicator can measure values
between 0-14. A solution of about 20-30g of compost or peat is made in
about 60-100ml of distilled water. At first, mix very well; then let it settle
for about 10-15 minutes. Break a yellow ribbon at about 2-3 cm, and
insert one end into the solution you want to measure. The ribbon will
either change color or not, depending on the reaction. If you get a shade
of green, the reaction is slightly acidic to neutral. To color it in green so
that it matches pH 7, we add somed olomite or lime. If you have to lower
the acidity, add a little sulfur. Compare the color of the ribbon to the
colors on the box from the corresponding values, as shown above.
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2.3.2.6 Filling the recipients
After the cooling and homogenization with the amendments, proceed to
fill the recipients. One-liter bottles will be filled only two-thirds of the way,
meaning 350-500 grams of grain will be distributed and sealed with a
plug. Carefully wipe the dust trail of amendments before applying the
cap. The bags of polypropylene or high-density polyethylene should be
filled according to their capacity but never 100%, only 80%. After the
distribution of grain support, the bags need to be sealed. In some cases,
a metal ring was used, over which the bag was pulled, a cotton plug was
inserted, and it was sealed. In other cases, the bags may be sealed with
string.
To protect the plugs from the vapors inside the pressure cooker, they
can be capped with parchment paper or aluminum foil and tied with
cotton thread or string. When filling the bottles, it should be considered
that both the bottles and their support should be cold so that
condensation will not form that supports infections. Condensation can
also occur if the grains were boiled too much because they retained
more water, or when the optimal amount of amendments wasn’t added.
Mycelium produced in bottles, especially for Pleurotus spp., has the
disadvantage of being hard to extract because it compacts.
2.3.2.7 Support sterilization
The sterilization of the support is particularly important as it removes the
remaining microorganisms on the surface of cereal. Laboratory tests
found that the production of 1 g of commercial mycelium, represented by
fungus spores and bacteria, has to be destroyed through sterilization.
Sterilization may take one to two hours depending on the capacity of the
recipients. After the removal from the pressure cooker and after a slight
cooling, the bottles are subjected to a bump, without the seeds to reach
the plug, in order to displace the support from the inside, thereby
facilitating the spreading of mycelium.
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2.3.2.8 Inoculation
Inoculation is the operation that introduces a certain amount of
inoculums (10-12 grams or 40-45 ml) in recipients prepared for
commercial mycelium production. All surfaces are disinfected with a
solution of chloral, corrosive sublimate and medicinal alcohol. Currently,
most of these substances have been replaced by newly emerging
substances such as Propane AF bactericidal, fungicidal and antiviral, or
CID20 item produced in Belgium, which is one of the most powerful
disinfectants in the world. But the global trend is to replace these
chemical disinfectants with ecological steam disinfection as much as
possible. Here’s how to proceed during the inoculation process:
In the clean and disinfected room, we havebottles with cereals and tubes
with mother culture in the refrigerator. Over the spirit flame, the handle is
heated, and all the content of the tube is extracted in a bottle, bag, etc. It
is immediately sealed. In the preparation phase, whatis obtained by
growth on cereals is called inoculum. From repeating the same
operations, mycelium is obtained. But I recommend you inseminate
inoculum, meaning the phase before mycelium, which is of high quality.
Depending on the capacity of the recipients, you can use a whole tube
or half and the same in the case of petri dishes; they can be divided into
four parts if our containers with cereals weigh up to0.5 kg.
2.3.2.9 Mycelium incubation or maintaining a constant
temperature
The room designed for growing the support for mycelium is disinfected
before inserting the inoculated containers. Inoculated bottles or bags are
placed on shelves without touching, and they are labeled. Incubation
lasts between 12 and 18 days for species of the Pleurotus type, 30-35
days for the Agaricus type, and 35 days for the Lentinusedodes type;
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each species has its own incubation period and optimal temperature,
usually between 75-79°F. Relative humidity values will reach 60-65%.
Five day safter the inoculation, the bottles will need to be checked to see
if infection occurred or not. The infected bottles are then destroyed. In
the growth chamber, a strict hygiene is maintained, and the floor is
disinfected with one of the following solutions: 1% corrosive sublimate,
2% bleach, or 2% copper sulfate.
Bottles with mycelium stored for incubation
2.3.2.10 Storage and refrigeration
After the complete incubation of the mycelium, the recipients are
removed from the thermostat either for use or for storage in a
refrigerator until sowing in the mushroom farm. Total inoculation is
checked visually; the support must be white, without cereal seeds, and
not covered with mycelium. Seeding is optimal when using the mycelium
removed from the thermostat tfor about a week.
Refrigeration is the cooling of a product to a temperature close to the
freezing point, in order to preserve it for a long period of time. In the
case of mycelium storage, the temperature, according to some authors,
has to be 32-35°F, or 35-39°F according toothers. In order to prevent the
weight decrease ofthe mycelium, a relative humidity of 70-80% will be
maintained. Batches of mycelium will be labeled with the date, species,
strain,and number or amount. In the case of the mycelium of Pleurotus,
it is not recommended to stay refrigerated for more than 30 days, and for
Agaricus, the refrigeration periodis somewhat longer atup to three
months. Freezing the mycelium is not recommended. When ice crystals
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form, they tend to cause the mycelium to break. The temperature at
which water is most dense and suitable for keeping the mycelium is
39°F.
If storage is performed at higher temperatures, such as 68-71°F, with
60% relative humidity, the mycelium continues to grow, and yellow spots
will appear, and after 15-18 days, primordia may appear. This leads to
the mycelium “aging,” which reduces the plant vigorand causes
substantial losses in the yield of future crops.
Commercial mycelium
Pleurotusostreatus commercial mycelium
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2.3.2.11 The occurrence of contaminants
Experience has shown us that foreign infections can occur even in
optimum working conditions due to the great receptivity of the cereal
seed holder. These infections can cause losses of 1-8%.
Contaminated mycelium
Mycelium diseasesare more common when the following factors are
present:
The supports present a high degree of infections due to molds and
when hot, blackened, etc.
Seedsare not thoroughly washed.
The sterilization was not optimally performed.
The lids or cotton plugs get wet.
Strict hygiene conditions are not obeyed throughout the entire
technological working flux.
The microorganisms that cause diseases to the mycelium are bacteria,
Actinomycetales, fungi, yeasts, parasites, or scavenge fungi. Most of
these come from the air and soil, although some come from the water.
Molds are generally lower fungi or bacteria that in order to grow, need
ingredients represented by organic or inorganic compounds and
environmental factors, including humidity, whichis the most important.
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The minimum values for the development of molds are 65-70% humidity
in the case of Aspergillus Glaucusand 80-90% in most species. It is
easily understandable that these conditions are largely the same for the
mycelium that we want to produce in the laboratory.
Trichoderma viride – Green mold on mycelium
In this case, remove the infected recipients.
For Agaricus and Pleurotus, 1 liter = 0.7 kg, and for Lentinus edodes -
shiitake, 1 liter = 0.58 kg.
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Chapter 3: Growing Technology of Agaricus
bisporus mushroom culture
3.1 Agaricus bisporus champignon or manure
mushroom
3.1.1 Preparing the compost
Mineral elements play an important role in the nutrition of mushrooms,
such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and sulfur.
Micronutrients include zinc, copper, magnesium, and molybdenum. In
addition, in the substrate, there are also biological growth substances
such as thiamine and biotin.
The basic components of compost are straw, manure (from horses,
cattle, poultry, swine, sheep, and goats), stems and corn cobs, sawdust,
and shavings of deciduous species (trees that lose their leaves in
winter).
Characteristics of raw and auxiliary materials
Horse manure: This should present a pungent odor of ammonia, be
composed of wheat straw at a rate of 75% (so only 25% feces), should
have a golden yellow color, should be without mold, free of pest in
fermented areas, and should be fresh as possible (one month old).
Cattle manure: This is used in combination with the poultry manure and
straw in a ratio of 3:2:5.
Poultry manure: This enters into the recipe at a rate of 5-10%, and this
should be supported by cobs, sunflower husks, wood chips, sawdust
from sawmills, and wheat straw. It is recommended to use manure from
broiler farms.
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Poultry manure
Pig manure: Use less pig manure. In some countries, liquid pork
manure is collected in a concrete basin where pumps are applied over
the straw (1.5-2.5 m / t straw). It is anaerobically composted for seven to
eight days. In other countries, it is used similar to horse manure in a ratio
of 1:1 or mixed with the chicken manure and straw.
Sheep orgoatmanure: This is used less often as it is harder and colder
(thereby taking longer to ferment). It can be mixed with straw and
mineral fertilizers.
Straw: The most commonly used is wheat, in an amount of 8-15%,
because it is rich in carbohydrates (2.91%), nitrogenous substances,
phosphorus, potassium, and minerals; it is followed by rye, oats, and
barley, which are weaker in terms of quality. It is recommended that the
straw not be more than one year old, yellow-gold, unfermented, free of
mold, and long. Wheat straw is the basic material for the nutritious
substrate because they maintain elasticity during composting, as
opposed to oat straw, which gives “hard” compost that can tamper down
easily.
Wheat, barley, and rice straw give the best results if they are crushed
before being used by being crushed by the wheels of heavy equipment,
preferably tracked, or by tamping with a fork (for small quantities).
One kg of mushrooms consumes 220 g of dry organic substance; of this
amount, 90g is stored in the mushrooms, and 130 g is used in their
metabolism.
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Maize strains contain carbohydrates, and they are used without leaves
and chopped to a size of 2-3 cm in a 5-10% ratio. Chopped corncobs
are used in an amount of 5-20%.
Hardwoodsawdust is preferred to replace conifer sawdust and requires
long-term aerobic composting (24-26 days).
Hardwoodchips are rarely used, and like sawdust, it requires nitrogen
supplementation and extended composting.
Calciumamendments, such as gypsum (calcium sulfate - CaSO4) or
fodder chalk (calcium carbonate - CaCO3), are used in a proportion of
16 to 25 kg/ton of compost. Calcium balances the ratio of potassium,
magnesium, phosphorus, and sodium, eliminating their harmful effects
and bringing the pH to 7, which is neutral. It also contributes to the
formation of quality compost, bringing an increase of harvest while
preventing the emergence of saprophytic fungi (Coprinus, Peziza).
Nitrogen organic fertilizer can include bone meal, meat meal, soy
flour, soy grits, wheat bran, malt fangs, spent grains, brewery mash, etc.
Animal urine is preferable because it solubilizes faster than manure. The
dosage applied is 70 l/m3 of compost. Practice has shown that an
overdose with nitrogen sources of compost will have a negative effect on
mushroom production and cause it to decline.
3.1.2. Calculation of compost needs
The calculation is made based on the useful area to be sown, given that
a square meter requires 80-100 kg of compost.
Please Note! It is recommended to procure only about 50-60% of the
materials resulting from the calculation as the process of preparation,
pre-soaking, aerobic composting, and pasteurization will double the
compost weight, depending on the recipe used, because it will absorb
water.
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The compost (the culture substrate) is one of the primary factors and is
decisive for the success of a culture. Its preparation process is
considered very difficult.
Depending on the recipe used, the compost can be:
-Classic (based on horse manure with bedding)
-Mixed or semi-synthetic (on straw and poultry or pig manure)
-Synthetic (on wheat straw, poultry manure, and mineral intake)
Each of these recipes includes calcium intake represented by carbonate
or calcium sulfate in various proportions.
3.1.3 Compost recipes
Forclassical culture: For one ton of compost, use 800 kg horse manure
with straw layer, 20 kg gypsum, and 700 liters stable urine. The
composting duration takes 24-26 days with the execution off our turns
every three to four days.
Mixt compost recipes:
Materials Recipe 1 Recipe 2 Recipe 3 Horse manure (t)
5 5 7
Cattle manure (t)
- 2 2
Wheat straw (t) 2 2 1 Corn cobs (t) 1.7 - - Poultry manure (t)
1 1 -
Brewery mash (t)
0.3 - -
Superphosphate (kg)
50 60 60
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Ammonium sulfate (kg)
50 60 60
Technicalurea (kg)
60 - -
Gypsum (kg) 180 180 200 Calcium carbonate (kg)
180 - -
Compostingin the previous recipe lasts between 26 and 32 days, and
turns are applied five times at frequent intervals for the first two days and
three to four times for the next three days.
Synthetic compost recipes
To the straw, add 600 kg poultry manure and 30-50kg gypsum. Another
recipe requires the following for aton of straw: 200kg dried poultry
manureand 30-50kg gypsum. To achieve 2.5 tons of compost, you need
one ton of wheat straw, 500 kg poultry manure, 25kg technical urea, 80
kg gypsum, and 150kg of malt fangs. For the ton of horse manure layer,
you will add 100kg poultry manure, 30kg malt fangs, and 15kg gypsum.
3.1.4. Required space for compost preparation
To prepare at a minimum a ton of compost, you will need an area of five
to six square meters, possibly under a roof. It is not recommended to
prepare less than a ton of compost because it will not heat or ferment.
The location for the preparation of compost should be covered (in sheds,
shacks or special halls, garages, etc.), with a concrete floor with double
inclination of one to two degrees in the middle to encourage draining of
surplus water from watering. At the end of concrete, on the slope axis, it
will house two pools collectors (or plastic barrels) to collect the manure
juice, which will be recycled for irrigation with the help of submerged
pumps.
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In the vicinity, there should be a source of unpolluted water that is
drinkable and with a high flow, given that each ton of compost will
consume about 500 liters of water and some additional water for
washing the compost surfaces after every composting.
Preparing the compost can be done under the house
annex
3.1.5. Preparation of classic compost
First, the composting area isc leaned and disinfected with a solution of
copper sulphate (blue vitriol) 5% or 2% formalin (Formalin is used only
when the outdoor temperature is above 59°F.). For a culture area of 100
square meters, it will requirea bout 8-10t compost, which fits into a
platformmade of compost with dimensions of 6/2/2m.
Compost preparation technology comprises two phases or distinctive
stages as follows:
- The first anaerobic phase (without air) consists of pre-soaking
(watering), compaction, and mixing.
- The second aerobicphase (with air) consists of turning the
compost to create loosening.
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The technological phases of compost preparation
Pre-soaking takes place on a concrete surface, preferably with a slope
to collect the manure juice (purine), as explained above.
Starting materials that are part of the recipe are placed in a bunch and
then pressed down and gotten wet. In order to prevent the washing of
the materials, watering is stopped when it is observed that water is
flowing under the materials. It is recommended that the straw used is
first crushed, broken, or crumpled by passing over them several times
with heavy equipment (tractor, truck withrubber wheels, etc.) or chopped
to four to five cm long. The straw may be wellsoaked in a concrete pool.
After five to six days of wetting and compacting (three to four times /
day), we proceed with the following work:
Homogenization (mixing materials) is done either manually or
mechanically.
Compost settled for fermentation
Tap it again (this time with the feet), and wet it for four or five days more
with the recycled manure juice. Presoaking and homogenization takes
10-12 days and make up anaerobic composting. Aerobic composting
(with air) is done at the stage when it is no longer wet; with some strict
exceptions, the edges of the compost are sprinkled on the first mixing if
they are dry.
Watered and compacted materials from the anaerobic phase are left for
five days to heat in order for the fermentation to begin; they are
loosened by hand with a pitchfork and placed in a composting platform
with a 1.8-2 m width, 1-1 5 m height, and a length depending on the
quantity.
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Every 3 days mixing by hand is done using a pitchfork, adding a ¼
gypsum quantity according to the recipe in question, meaning 5 kg
gypsum to a ton of compost at every mixing.
Settled platform
By mixing, the fermentation compost is ventilated (aerobic conditions).
This removes the ammonia and ensures conditions for the development
of fermentation bacteria, which will act on the compost, transforming
organic substances into compounds that are easily assimilated by the
mushroom’s mycelium. Moisture content will be 65-67%. When
squeezed, only a few drops of water should drip. Agaricus bisporus
mushrooms grow and develop normally in a substrate with neutral or
very slightly alkaline reaction. In an acid or alkaline environment, the
enzymes that degrade the cellulose and hemicellulose of the substrate
are destroyed. An optimal growth on a substrate is slightly alkaline (7.4-
7.8) rather than a weak acid one because through the process of growth,
the mycelium slightly acidifies the nutrient substrate on which it
develops. At a pH value of more than 8, the growth of the mycelium is
delayed.
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During the mixing of the compost, we will take into account the following
conditions:
- The old compost from the platform edges, which didn’t ferment, is
placed in the middle of the new platform.
- The compost should be well shaken (winded) with the pitchfork.
- Hit the edges lightly with a pitchfork.
- Watering should be done carefully and only if it is required, especially
on the first turn, so as not to form a bumpy texture. If, however, out of
ignorance, too much water was added, you can make a strong winding
and add an additional 1-2 kg gypsum/ton of compost, but the quality of
the future nutritious substrate will be partially affected.
The internal temperature should reach 131-161°F. For small amounts of
compost, to facilitate the passage of air through it during the turnings
(mixing), it will be placed on triangular grids made from wooden slats,
with a height of 50cm. A major problem that occurs when the compost is
not thermally disinfected are the nematodes or worms of substrate. They
may exist in the number of several hundred thousand in 100g of
substrate. Destroying nematodes can involve a single treatment with
Vydatenematicide of 1% concentration and 10 liters in volume put
directly on the compost after natural pasteurization.
Legionella spp., a dangerous bacteria found in compost
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3.1.6. Placing the compost, seeding, and covering the
compost for Agaricus bisporus
After completing the aerobic composting and natural pasteurization, the
nutrient substrate is inserted in the mushroom farm to be seeded. There
are several possibilities for positioning the substrate. In the classical
system, it can be placed directly on the floor in furrows, in crates, or in
polyethylene bags. When the mushroom farm is equipped with shelves,
the substrate is placed directly on the rack —in bulk— or in crates or
bags sitting directly on the rack.
In the past, the simple method was practiced onridgesplaced together 2-
3, made using a pattern (trapezoidal prism). The ridges could be placed
directly on the floor on a polythene foil or on shelves, alsoon a polythene
foil.
Placing in bags. The amount of substrate divided into a bag is between
10-15kg and up to 20kg compost; its thickness is 20-30cm. When using
polyethylene bags, they will have a thickness of 0.1mm, and the bags
will ensure aculture of 0.2-0.4 square meters. It can be used with other
household bags if you would like to reuse those from animal feed,
potatoes, other vegetables or fruits, etc.
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Compost bags placed on metal shelves
Compared to the ridges, bags offer the following advantages:
- The filling is done faster, both manually and mechanically.
- Supplying and ejection is executed easier.
- Infestation by nematodes and other pests is avoided.
- It allows the evacuation of spent substrate after long periods of
time.
Placing the compost onshelves:
The shelves may be made of concrete, aluminum, metal, galvanized, or
plastic, with a width of 0.7 to 1.4m, the distance between levels at 50-
60cm, and a depth of 20cm (hence the thickness of the planar layer of
the substrate will be 20cm).
Incubated compost placed on rack in planar layer
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Placingthe compost incrates:
The most suitable crates are the metal ones, aluminum, or PVC that is
resistant to oxidation. But any other packaging can be used if they
support a weight of 10-12kg and are resistant to moisture.
Compost placed in wooden crates (not recommended)
Seeding is the method through which mycelium is inserted into the
substrate nutritional culture. The operation is carried out only after the
temperature of the substrate drops below 86°F, maintaining at 75-77°F.
Before managing the mycelium to be incorporated, we will perform the
following:
- We need to control the surfaces or layers of bags (to not present
molds or different pests); if outbreaks are detected, it should be
treated with a fungicide or insecticide.
- A loosening of the substrate is done in order to create conditions
for a more uniform incorporation of mycelium and is done
manually.
Mycelium
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Mycelium quantity is 0.4-0.5kg per 100 kgs ubstrate, and seeding is
done by mixing mycelium (1/2 of the amount to begin with) and compost
evenly and then dispensing the other half and proceeding likewise. At
the beginning of sowing, 10-20g mycelium out of one kilogram will be
retained to be spread over layers after seeding itself (mycelium of
control). After mycelium incorporation into the substrate, a uniform
compaction is done first by using a wooden tamper similar to the one
used fo rplastering. Then mycelium of control is distributed, and it is no
longer tamped. It’s called mycelium of control because we can observe
the growth rate, appearance or not of molds, etc. on it. During the
sowing, strict hygiene rules are imposed.
3.1.7. Microclimate conditions during the incubation
The temperature in the mushroom farm, when sowing, is recommended
not to exceed 71-75°F, and relative humidity is maintained at 80-85%
(by wetting the walkways, floor, etc.).
After the completion of sowing, it is applied to newspaper (paper tissue)
or a thin foil of polyethylene, the mushroom farm is cleaned, and
thermometers are placed in both the air and in the compost; we then
apply a treatment with a formalin solution of 0.5-1%.
The incubation or growth (spreading) of the mycelium substrate of
culture lasts 12 to 20 days depending on the strain seeded and
microclimate conditions. If we produced quality compost and there is an
optimum temperature of incubation, it can be completed in about 14
days.
Mistakes to be avoided during substrate spreading:
The worst mistake is watering the nutrient substrate surface without
papers or the casing mixture applied.
Other mistakes are:
- Drying the nutrient substrate surface;
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- Excessive watering of the sown surface, in peat;
-The occurrence of diseasesand pestson the substrate;
-Temperature above 86°F in the nutrient substrate; and
-Infiltration of smoke (carbon monoxide) in the mushroom farm,
which caninfluence the future mushroom production by
malformations.
Mushroom malformations due to smoke infiltration
from heat sources
3.1.8. The role and main components of the covering
mixture
The operation of casing the sown layers is performed atabout 14 days
after sowing. If execution of the work is delayed by 10-12 days,
production decreases in proportion with the number of delayed days.
The work can be performed even immediately after sowing, thus
eliminating the use of paper or foil.
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The role of peat coverage:
- It forms the growing support for mushrooms, which can only
fructify in it.
- It protects the mycelium and incubated substrate against pests and
diseases.
- The maintenance, watering, treatments, etc., of the culture are
performed on it.
- Peat from the mixture composition retains a large amount of water
and nutrients, which is then progressively transferred to the
growing mushrooms. Water is lost from the mixture by
evaporation, and after each watering, a cold shock occurs, which
influences fruition.
- The calcium carbonate serves as a buffer for the incubated
substrate, which tends to become acidic but instead is neutralized.
- A buffer layer is created between the substrate of CO2
concentration, which reaches 1-2%, and the air, whichis 0.03%, by
stimulating the appearance of the mushrooms.
- The peat bacteria stimulate the formation of mushrooms.
The main components of the casing mixture
The peat can be blackor red. It should appear fibrous, free of excess
moisture (like dampearth), and have a high capacity for water and
nutrient retention. If it is too wet, it will be dried, milled, and sieved. (Peat
particles should be about 5mm.)
Peat left to dry
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Limestone: Avoid the use of colored limestone; white limestone is
preferred because it doesn’t taint the mushrooms with the oxides it
contains.
Calcium carbonate, or fodder chalk (CaCO3) is essential to any casing
mixture recipe. Crushed limestone can be used without any other
components.
The mentioned components have a different water retention capacity, as
follows:
- Red fibrous peat, 200-250%
- Black peat black + red peat, 80-90%
Agaricus bisporus mushrooms are large consumers of water, provided it
is given gradually. A water deficit dries mycelium and stagnates growth
and excess watering destroys mycelium and softens mushrooms.
It is worth mentioning that for the formation of a pound of mushrooms,
two liters of water will be needed; one liter is consumed by the
mushrooms through metabolism, and the other is evaporated due to
ventilation. The casing mixture serves as a buffer to maintain the
humidity of the nutrient substrate.
Preparing the mixture and casing technique
First choose the suitable recipe, prepare the materials separately
(sieving, grinding, or drying, as appropriate), then measure (go to
blending, mixing). If the materials are dry, wet them until they are soft to
the touch.
Calculate the fodder chalk needed, and add it at the end. For the
formation of a large amount of mixture, a cement mixer with a capacity
of 0.3 m can be used, which helps homogenization.
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Bags prepared for applying the peat
In traditional cultures, a chemical disinfection of the mixture is done with
a 27% formalin solution. For a cubic meter of casing mixture, two liters of
27% formalin is used. If the mixture was not initially watered, formalin is
diluted with water in equal parts. The casing mixture pile is sprinkled with
a vegetable sprinkler, and it’s shoveled then sprayed again until all of the
solution is used. After chemical treatment, the mixture is covered with a
polyethylene foil and left for 8-10 days. Before being used, the mixture is
shoveled several times until the smell of formalin disappears.
The necessary cas in mixture is 0.03 cubic meters in a square meter of
culture, hence 3 cubic meters for 100 sq m (1 cubic meter = 4
wheelbarrows) or a minimum of 25 to a maximum of 30 kg/square meter.
In the case of chemical disinfection with formalin, an important role is
played by the ambient temperature (if it is lower than + 59°F, formalin is
no longer effective) and the winding of the mixture before it is placed on
layers; formalin retentions inhibits the growth of mycelium and
mushrooms.
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Casing technique
First collect the paperor foil from the layers and check the mycelium
incubation. If there are any infections (molds of different colors), proceed
to the removal ofcontaminated areas, whichis done by removing the
substrate to a depth of 1-2 cm; the spot will be chemically disinfected
witha 2% formalin solution. As a precaution, before applying the mixture
on the sown compost’ ssurface, one gram per square meter of fungicide,
Dithane M45 or something similar should be added. With a 10-liter
bucket, the mixture is inserted in the mushroom farm and is spread
evenly (one bucket/4-5 bags).
Applying the peat on incubated compost
It is leveled by handor with a wooden board. The optimal thickness
should be 4-6cm. If the purpose is obtaining large mushrooms, the
thickness of the mixture will be reduced. After this, a preventive
treatment with formalin concentration of 1% is appliedon the layers,
crates, shelves, walls, and floor—the entire inner surface.
The peat moisture is being verified; a drop of water
should appear.
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3.1.9. Microclimate conditions, care works and harvesting
of Agaricus bisporus mushrooms
After seeding
The temperature in the mushroom farm will have to be maintained at 68-
75°F in order to achieve incubation. Temperature differences between
day and night are recommended to be no more than 39-37°F. It is also
important to maintain the concentration of carbon dioxide between the
normal bounds of 0.03-0.1%. If the CO2 concentration is higher, the
development and fructification of mushrooms is hindered and even
stopped, and the entire culture can be compromised.
For this reason, the ventilation system will have an air flow rate of 0.5-
1.0 cubic meters/hour/square meter of culture, allowing optimum air
change in the mushroom farm.
Relative air humidity in the growing area will be maintained at around
85%. The floor of the mushroom farm will be kept permanently wet, thus
ensuring relative air humidity. For watering, we will use a Vermorel or
Kalimax pump or will attach a Vermorel rod directly to the hose
connected to a water source for fine water dispersion (dispersion nozzle
is attached). It is not recommended to use vegetable sprinklers or their
nozzles as large and heavy drops destroy mycelium. During this period,
preventive or curative chemical treatments will be performed with a
Kalimax or Vermorel pump. The amount of water sprinkled or treatments
administered shouldn’t exceed 1000 ml/square meter of culture from a
single application or as recommended in the technology hybrid sheet.
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Pump fordisinfectingand applying chemical treatments
During the incubation period, we will prevent the drying of culture layers.
The cases of dryness are as follows:
- The straw become more apparent.
- The substrate becomes pale or reddish.
- The substrate becomes elastic and soft and loosens easily.
The causes that can lead to surface dryness include the following:
- Air currents flows are too strong.
- The inside heat source is placed too close to the layers (50 cm)
without being protected by deflector panels.
- There are temperature variations above 37°F between day and
night (local low thermal insulation).
- Relative air humidity is less than 80%.
- Culture substrate was not attached correspondingly after seeding.
- To protect the substrate from drying, it is covered with
polyethylene foil and left for 3-4 days until droplets form on their
inner surface. Shake the drops so that the water can rejoin the
substrate mass.
After peat casing
The temperature in the growing area will be dropped to 66-68°F,
depending on the strain requirements, and humidity is maintained at the
optimum 85% by spraying the layers and floor. Ventilation is increased
to 1-2 cubic meters/hour/square meter of culture. The amount of water
or spray solution is maintained at 1-2 liters/square meter of culture as a
condition for mycelium growth in the casing mixture.
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Watering the peat
Incubated compost covered with peat and polyethylene
foil
After a period offive to six days, the myceliumof the fungus begins to
penetrate and to migrate in it, and after10-12 days, fructifications begin
to form.
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When the first fructifications begin, 10-12 days after the casing, the
temperature in the building culture is lowered to 60-64°F. If this condition
is not met, the mushrooms will soften, and they will fructify less, until the
culture is completely compromised (occurring only two or three waves
per culture).
From the casing and up to the first fructifications, apply weekly
treatments with 0.5% formalin at intervals of four to five days, replacing
the daily aspersion. Between these treatments, we will be introducing
one of the yeasts in a concentration of 0.5-1.0% in order to to stimulate
the mycelium spreading in the casing; it is done every seven days
throughout the harvest.
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Table 6 shows the values of the two factors of microclimate on mushrooms’ growth phenophases.
Culture Stage
Temperature °F Ventilation Cubic meters/square meters/hour
Air speed meters/seconds
Optimal
Minimal
Maximum
Incubation
22 15 26 0,1 – 1 0,05 – 0,1
Formation
18 14 24 1 – 2 0,1 – 0,15
Harvest
16 12 18 5 – 7 0,15 – 0,2
Until the mushrooms appear, the layer of casing is keptmoist, with
amoisture content of about 70%.
Scraping (or ripping) is performedinthe eighthday, the tenthfrom the
casing, andconsists of the mobilization of thecasing mixtureto a depthof
4-6cm. By doing this, a bursting of mycelial cords occurs, the
appearance of mushroom bunches is avoided,and itacceleratesfruition
buttons.
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Ripping or scraping
Fructification occurrence
186
During harvesting
Mushroom harvesting takes place after the first 18-20 days of the layer
casing with the mixture and 30-35 days after sowing, depending on the
strain and the culture system.
The air temperature is maintained around 59-62°F and relative air
humidity within the limits of 80-95%, correlated with the temperature.
Ventilation is maintained at 1-2 cubic meter air/h/square meter, and air
velocity does not exceed 0.3 m/sec. Otherwise, the layers will dry too
quickly, and the mushrooms appear darker in color, with the hat’s cuticle
surface becoming scaly and cracked. If ventilation is very strong, more
than 0.3 m/second, mushrooms will no longer form. This should be
avoided because successive layers drying and repeated spraying
accumulate a large amount of water in the mixture and substrate, which
leads to mycelium destruction.
Complementary peat watering
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Harvesting is doneby twistingthe mushroom
If the ventilation is insufficient, the feet of the mushrooms will elongate, and the caps will remain small in diameter and open prematurely, thus substantially decreasing the value of the harvested mushrooms as well as their weight. Also, in case of insufficient ventilation on the culture’s surface, various molds may appear (parasites fungus) as they favor excessive humidity.
Brown Agaricusbisporus mushrooms containmore
antioxidants
When the crop is set on three levels, free ventilation is no longer
sufficient. During the harvest, there is a need for an air volume of five to
seven exchanges per hour. Basically, in the crop area, during the
ventilation, you must feel overpressure (by ears popping). The air in the
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mushroom farm will come out through the doors, windows, and holes left
especially for this purpose or through an exhaust fan (to evacuate the air
loaded with CO2). As soon as the first primordial fructifications appear
(like pinheads), stop applying the treatments and start watering for two
to three days until they reach the size of a pea or an olive.
Malformations in mushroom crop due to the useof
inappropriate pesticides Depending on how the fructification buttons appear, we can determine
favorable or unfavorable phenomena for the crop, as follows:
- When the buttons are individualized and spread evenly, the
appearance is normal, and it will ensure good production.
- When buttons are numerous, it indicates a too high nitrogen
content of the substrate (over 2.5% or a high percentage of
organic substance of the casing mixture).
- When buttons are rare and the mycelium shows up on the surface,
it indicates poor ventilation and CO2 accumulation of 0.1 to 0.3%;
- When buttons appear inside the mixture, it indicates a delayed
casing or strong air currents present in the mushroom farm.
- When buttons appear in a cluster or misshapen, this is due to air
contamination from gases, smoke, oil products, etc.
Due to the fact that in the household system classic compost is used
with natural pasteurization, some pests may appear in the crop, such as
black flies (Phorideae), which can be repelled with Dimilin 25 WP 0.2%.
Preventively, between harvest runs, a 0.5% Formalin treatment is
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applied, which has a bactericidal, fungicidal, and even a nematicide
action.
Other works that are executed during harvesting are as follows:
The button and diseased mushrooms (soaked) stained, black
weeding. This is done after each harvest. Simultaneously, the remaining
healthy spines remaining from the mushroom harvesting are removed
(only those tabs that no longer show buttons because no other
mushrooms will develop from them. The operation is performed with the
tip of a knife.
Complementary casing. The empty holes that occur after removing the
tabs is filled with casing mixture but only in the immediate vicinity. Other
peat is not added. The work is performed after each harvest so that
water from watering or treatment solution does not run down to the
mycelium and destroy it.
3.1.10. Preventing attacks of saprophytic fungi and pests
Saprophytic fungi (molds) have the ability to inhibit the growth of
mycelium and consume organic matter in the nutrient substrate.
Conditions favoring the emergence of mold are:
- Too high humidity in nutrient substrate (over 68-70%);
- Over composted substrate (hard, thick) with barley and oat straw;
- High temperature and insufficient ventilation in the mushroom
farm; and
- Failure to maintain crop hygiene when entering the mushroom
farm.
The groups of pests that can cause damage to Agaricus bisporus
mushrooms include mosquitoes, flies, wasps, ticks, fleas, and substrate
worms.
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With these groups of insects, both larvae and adults are harmful. If fleas
appear, apply treatment with 0.02% Mospilan and spraywith 10%
calcium hypochlorite.
After the mushrooms appear, treatment with pesticides is no longer
used. If pesticide treatment is absolutely mandatory, then all the
mushrooms are harvested and the recommended treatment is applied
after that. The micro climate for growing culture mushrooms is also
favourable for various saprophytic fungi or parasites and pests.
Contamination with pathogens and amage caused in the crop after
J.Delmas1 989:
Parasitic fungi 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Soft rot - - x x x x x - * Dry rot - - x x x x x - *
Cobweb - - - x x x x - * Saprophyticfungi Green mold x x - - - - - x -
Verdigris agaric - x x - x - x - - White plaster mold
- x x - - - - x -
Brown plaster mold
- x x - - - - x -
False truffle disease
- x - - - x - x -
Green mold - x - - x x - x * Confetti - x x - x - x x - Black mold x x x - x - - - -
Legend: 1 - horse manure; 2 - compost; 3 - crates, wooden shelves; 4 -
area of culture; 5 - ventilation; 6 - casing mixture; 7 - used substrate; 8 -
mycelium; 9 - mushrooms;
x - contamination source; * - hinders growth
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Accurately diagnosing the pathogen or pest is a very important step. In
addition to pathogens and diseases, the mushrooms can be attacked by
pests such as nematodes, mosquitoes, wasps, flies, fleas, ticks, slugs,
etc., which require different treatments from one another. With
mushroom crops, we focus more on prevention than controlling, by
maintaining strict crop hygiene. It is known that within each culture it is
less costly to prevent the attack of pathogens and thereby protect the
environment than to perform many chemical treatments involving the
use of different pesticides.
For an effective control, we will have to know the density, the operating
speed, and the time in which pathogens are propagated. The biological-
mycelium material must be free of pathogens as well as the culture
substrate that will be introduced to the mushroom farm.
Brown ticks attackon mushroombrick- Tyroglyphidae Family
Cultural hygiene measures include the following:
- Protecting the windows and doors with wire mesh lattice to
prevent the entry of pests
- Filtration of the air entering the mushroom, with filterpore as big
as 4-5 microns. Their replacement will be done after each crop
cycle or twice/cycle, depending on the degree of pollution of the
environment. In the absence of the filter, we can improvise one
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from a layer of cotton placed between two layers of gauze, but
only for the classic mushroom farms.
- Avoid the exiting of the vector’s insects from the mushroom
farm; they should be destroyed. These can be carriers of not
only fungi spores but also viruses, bacteria and other pests like
nematodes and mites. Flies can carry the infection from one
farm to another, thus spreading Verticillium sp.and Mycogone
perniciosa.
Mycogone perniciosa, or wet mold
Verticilium sps and acari
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To overcome these deficiencies, it is necessary to store the organic
remnants from the mushroom farm, such as spent compost, casing
mixture, stump residue, spines, etc., as far away as possible since they
favour the maintenance and breeding of insects and pathogens. Also, no
stables or poultry farms should be located nearby.
Feet disinfectiononsponge treatedwithdisinfectant at the
entrance to the mushroom farm
In the production cycle, the used substrate shouldn’t come into contact
with the new prepared substrate. Use clean work clothes and shoes for
the (sowing, watering, casing with mixture, harvest, and application of
phytosanitary treatments. Changing clothes should be done daily to not
spread diseases, such as the one caused by the “La France” virus.
Washing clothes should be done at high temperatures to destroy spores,
at least 122°F for 30 minutes or by boiling. Tools such as pitchforks,
shovels, brooms, buckets, crates, gloves, harvest knives, and even
vehicles and machinery need to be chemically disinfected with a 2%
formalin solution.
Working aisle disinfection is done with a 10% formalin concentration (1
liter of formalin per 10 liters of water/100 cubic meter space); close the
area for eight to ten hours and then vent. Formalin disinfection will be
practiced at a minimum temperature of 59-60°F degrees and at high
relative humidity. At temperatures between 32-60°F, the effect of contact
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disinfection is limited because this substance does not evaporate. The
microclimate factors specific for growing mushrooms also favor the
emergence and growth of pathogens.
Compost with molds
Wood easily allows spore adherence on its surface and their penetration
on the inside, where it grows. Because it is a poor conductor of heat,
during the steam disinfection process, the temperature does not
penetrate its mass evenly. Before thermal disinfection, the wood is
sprayedwith 1% sodium hydroxide, and then the thermal disinfection
takes place with steam at 158°F over 12 hours. Until 1990, ift he timber
in the mushroom farm was infected with the virus that causes the La
France disease, PentacleNa-phenolate was used as a disinfectant, but it
is now banned in Europe. Therefore, mushroom farms began to replace
wood with shelves and culture containers.
Compost infected by Dactylium sp.
195
Insect UV light trap
The emergence of diseases is favored by various external factors. The
main diseases that can occur use the following vectors:
Mycogone perniciosa
Pseudobalsamia microspores
Pseudomona stolaasi
Dactylium dendroides
The pests we can encounter are flies, mushroom mosquitoes, or gnats.
Mushroomsattacked by fly larvae
196
Harvesting, packaging, and delivery
Mushrooms appear in five to six waves; each wave requires three to six
harvests every two to three days. Breaks between waves can reach up
to 10-12 days. The mushroom harvesting period lasts 45-60-70 days in
inverse ratio with temperature in the culture area, greater at low
temperature of 53-57°F and lower at high temperature of 60-62°F.
The harvest technique consists of separating the mushroom by twisting
it with one hand and holding the bunch with the other hand in order to
not tear it completely. If there are several mushrooms in a bunch,
harvesting is done gradually during the time it takes to reach maturity by
cutting it with a stainless steel knife. Once you have harvested all the
mushrooms from the bunch, remove the spine with the knife tip.
Immediately before harvesting, do not water the crop because the
mushrooms will be plucked with a lot of substrate, causing losses and
impairing their quality by staining, soiling, and even shortening the
storage period.
The optimal timing of harvest corresponds to the appearance of the
vellum. For conservation, the mushrooms are harvested in the button
stage, when they have a diameter of one to two centimeters. If the
optimum time for harvest is exceeded, the vellum breaks, the cap opens
and begins to twist and darken, and the mushrooms lose weight and
market value. The first two waves of harvest produce about half of the
total crop. Harvest losses from cutting the foot base is 15-17%.
The yield in mushroom farming in the classical system is 15-25 kg per
100 kg of mushrooms seeded substrate. After the last harvesting, it is no
longer watered as we prepare for the ending of culture. The substrate
used is removed from the area and stored for use for other purposes, as
far from the mushroom farm as possible. This substrate can be a good
natural fertilizer for different vegetable crops or can be left to be
composted to be transformed into garden soil. The crop area is cleaned,
washed, and disinfected to establish a new crop cycle. Also, the crates
and bags are washed and chemically disinfected (Formalin 2%) for
reuse.
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After harvesting, the mushrooms are sorted based on commercial quality
or destination (fresh consumption or industrialization), either cut or whole
as buttons. It is expected that the mushrooms will be fresh, healthy,
unstained, whole, and without damage caused by pests and diseases.
Depending on the quality, they are sorted by size and vellum integrity
after the presence of casing mixture in different percentages.
Extra quality mushrooms present a closed cap with the complete
vellum. It is allowed to have casing mixture leftovers on the foot covering
0.5% for the cut ones and 3% for the uncut ones.
Mushrooms packed in 3-5 kg crates
Packaging is done in containers of different colors and capacities coated
with PET film. You can keep them refrigerated at 30-40°F for three to
four day swithout losing any weight. Mushrooms preserved in
inadequately large containers lead to weightloss, up to 10-12% and are
damaged by soaking. It is recommended that the mushrooms be packed
and shipped immediately after harvest to the beneficiaries under optimal
conditions, for example, in warm weather with refrigerators.
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3.2 Growing culture technology of thermophile mushrooms -
Agaricus bitorquis Quel. Sacc. sin. Agaricus rodmani Peck. and
Agaricus edulis
This species was first mentioned by Atkinsonin 1922 under the name
Agaricus rodmanii. Since 1968 it has been called Agaricus edulis or
Agaricus bitorquis. In nature, it grows in gardens, on roadsides, on the
sidewalks, or through the asphalt, which is why it is called pavement
mushroom or city mushroom.
3.2.1. Morphological characteristics
Agaricus edulis is a medium-sized mushroom, and its morphological
characteristics are very similar to Agaricus bisporus.
The cap is fleshy and flattened, with a diameter of 5-15cm and 2-3cm
thick flesh. The cuticle is white and smooth and easily breaks off the
cap. A first the form is hemispherical, and as it grows, it stretches,
becoming almost flat, which gives it a slightly toothed form.
The gills are free, thin, and white-gray but then become brown or dark
brown near adulthood.
The foot has stipes and is thick, short (4-10cm), fleshy, 2-4cm in
diameter, and white, with a thinned base in the shape of a triangle
pointing down. The foot has a double ring; the upper ring is highly
developed and compact, while the underside one is thin.
Big Agaricus edulis mushroom with broken vellum
199
The flesh hat pulp is compact, white, and cut resistant, with a strong
fragrance. The foot flesh is also white.
The spores (basidiospores) have an elliptical shape and are yellowish,
reddish brown, or chocolate brown in color. The color of the spore dust
is dark brown. They have four spores on the basidium compared to
Agaricus bisporus, which only has two (bisporus).
3.2.2. Microclimate requirements
The Agaricus bitorquis specie is heat-loving, hence the name
thermophile mushroom, and the culture is carried out during the warm
season. The temperature of the mycelium incubation period is 77-80°F,
68-77°F in the air during fruition, and 68-77°F in the compost.
The mushrooms have a saprophytic feeding system that is able to utilize
different carbon sources for growth and to synthesize the substances,
amino acids, and vitamins necessary for growth.
The mycelium of this mushroom specie has a lethal temperature of 95°F.
It is resistant to a high concentration of carbon dioxide, from 0.03% to
0.6% for Agaricus bisporus, thus2 0 times higher than A. bitorquis. It is
more resistant to viruses, thus requiring lower power consumption with
ventilation and heat treatment on the microclimate in the mushroom
farm. Agaricus bitorquisis well suited to be grown cellars, basements,
and underground spaces as well as in the warm season.
3.2.3. Growing Culture Technology
It is similar to Agaricus bisporus in the preparation of compost but with
some small specific features. The compost is made from horse manure,
with the addition of 12-15% wheat straw, called classic compost. For a
ton of compost, 500-600 kg of horse manure is used with straw bedding
and 70-90 kg wheat straw.
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The presoaking of the compost takes place over a period of 12-14 days,
so more extended and aerobic composting for a period of 16-18 days,
during which five mixing turns are executed to obtain short, well-
fermented compost with a brown-blackish color. The compost will have a
pH from 7.3 to 8, and humidity should be 62-71%.
Placing the nutrient substrate and seeding
The substrate can be placed in pressed, flat layers with a thickness of
16-18 cm so that it totals 70-80 kg per square meter. It may also be
placed in polyethylene bags. For sowing, a slightly lower mycelium
sample is used (0.6-0.7%). Seeding is done by mixing after the compost
has cooled below 86°F. After seeding, the layers will be covered with
paper or polyethylene foil.
• During sowing – The synthetic compost should have 69-71% humidity,
and the sample of mycelium is 7 liters/ton.
• During incubation – The temperature in the compost is 82-86°F, and
incubation ends in 13 to 15 days.
• During casing – The casing mixture has a humidity of 72-75% and is 4-
5 cm thick, with scarification at 7-8 days after the casing.
• During fructification induction – The temperature in compost is 68-71°F,
and relative air humidity is 92-93%.
• During fructification – Air temperature is 66-69°F, relative air humidity is
85%, harvesting takes place in 4-6 waves in 5-10 weeks, and there is a
yield of 27-32 kg per square meter.
The spreading or mycelium incubation
For an optimal incubation, it is recommended that the temperature of the
substrate should be between 77 and 82°F; according to some, it could
reach up to 89°F. The relative humidity of the air will be 90-95% or more.
In the first 15 days after sowing, it is not mandatory to have conducted
ventilation; the air demand is 0.5-1 cubic meters per hour for one square
meter, supporting high concentrations of CO2.
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Applying the casing mixture The casing mixture used is identical and has a thickness of 3.5-4cm.
Water is splashed on the mixture, and treatments with fungicidal
substances are done for the prevention of saprophytic fungi. The
insecticide treatment is effective for three weeks.
During the four weeks after the casing, the fresh airwill be increased at
two air changes per hour, relative air humidity will be maintained at90-
95%, and the temperature in the mushroom farmis maintained at 68-
77°F.
The first wave of mushrooms appears
Harvesting
The first wave of harvest begins 28-30 days from the casing or 35-40
days after sowing, so later than for Agaricus bisporus. A wave of harvest
takes place over a period of 10-15 days. During harvesting, ventilation
will increase to two to three air changes per hour, with a running time of
10 minutes per hour. Watering will total 1-2 liters/square meter and will
be reduced towards the end of the culture to 0.5 liter/square meter,
correlated with the amount of mushrooms that are harvested.
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During harvesting, six to eight waves will succeed throughout three to
four months in the classical system, so there is a longer harvest period
than for Agaricus bisporus. The total output obtained may be between
25-28 kg/square meter, and the losses from cutting the foot base will be
8-10% compared to the other specie, which has a 15-17% loss; this
species has a short leg.
Crop protection
The microclimate for growing culture mushrooms is also favorable for
various saprophytic fungi or parasites and pests. To prevent the
occurrence of these pathogens, the application of preventive
phytosanitary treatments is needed besides keeping culture hygiene.
Agaricus bitorquis is more resistant to viruses. The main diseases that
can occur are below:
Pseudobalsamia microspores
Pseudomonas tolaasi
Verticillium psalliotae
Dactylium dendroides
The pests we can encounter areflies, mushroom mosquitoes, or gnats.
The specie is more resistant to macrophage nematode esattack.
Agaricus edulis crop
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The mushrooms have a saprophytic feeding system that is able to utilize
different carbons ources and to synthesize the substances, aminoacids,
and vitamins necessary for growth.
3.3 Growing mushrooms in open, unprotected areas
Because many mushrooms species of the genus Agaricus grow in the
spontaneous flora, it is understandable that we can arrange growth
areas in open spaces, such as gardens, orchards, and natural or
artificial shady places, with both northern and southern exposure,
depending on when we want to grow the crop without major
investments. It is not recommended to use land areas on which different
chemicals, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, etc., were applied. The
mushrooms can grow directly on the ground or on the substrate placed
in different containers, boxes, crates, or baskets. We just have to take
into account the preferences of each species of mushroom.
It is known that mushrooms are found on manure, on land fertilized by it,
near the stables where manure was discarded, on organic grazing or
pastures that also contain significant amounts of organic matter, and
also in forests where there is much decaying organic matter.
Agaricus arvensis mushroom
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In spring or autumn, and sometimes during the cold, rainy summer,
people say, “Springing up like mushrooms after the rain.” From this, we
note that they grow at lower temperature thresholds, on fertilized soil,
and in high humidity. They appear when the soil temperature has
reached a minimum of 42°F and relative air humidity is above 70%.
Lightened, permeable soil with good ventilation on which water will not
puddle is preferred. The most suitable soils are river fields, the sandy
soil on river beds, and soil where there is stagnant water and humidity.
However, if the land does not meet these conditions, then human
intervention will be needed. On the surface of the improper soil, a layer
of river sand is applied approximately 10 centimeters thick, mixed with
lime every 0.5-1 kg per square meter to decrease little the acidity, on
which we apply a thick layer of approximately 15 inches of garden soil.
All these layers will be incorporated into the soil to a depth of 30 cm,
after which it is abundantly watered two to three times during three to
four weeks. On the contrary, if it is too light and sandy, it is
recommended to apply half-fermented manure
If you want a mushroom crop in early spring, then choose an area
sheltered from the cold winds of spring and exposed to the south to
warm up faster.
The soil, to which incompletely fermented manure or even spent
mushroom compost was applied, is plowed to a depth of 30-40 cm.
3.3.1. The first method of sowing mycelium takes place in
ground holes
Ground holes are dug here and there with a size of 50x50 cm. There can
be other options, and with a depth of approximately 40 centimeters, they
are then filled with horse manure litter on the straw layer that started the
fermentation. Press it well, and add the Agaricus bisporus mycelium in
several nests, or simply sprinkle it above as control mycelium is applied
on the bags after sowing. Above ground, the soil is covered with a thick
layer of approximately 15 centimeters by the soil removed from the dug
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holes. On this soil, we can plant vegetables that do not have a deep root
system. Recommended vegetables are dill, lettuce, parsley, onions
through direct seeding, radishes, etc.
These vegetables will be cared for according to their own guidelines,
and the only note is that the watering should be done with a sprinkler
with a fine spray. If planting vegetables is not possible, then we will
apply a layer of straw or manure of 8-10 cm thickness, which will be kept
moist by watering.
3.3.2 The second method of sowing mycelium takes place
in ditches
In the soil prepared as for the first method, we dig up ditches 50 cm
deep and 80-100 cm wide. The length depends on the soil surface. A
machine can be used for making the ditches. In the ditches, we also
apply fresh manure or less fermented manure, press it down, and
spread mycelium over it; we also cover it with a soil layer that is
approximately 15 centimeter thick. We proceed in the same was as the
first method (i.e., planting vegetables or cover and watering it).
The yields obtained will be directly proportional to the weather
conditions. If the weather is cool and moist, especially if you are in high
altitudes, you can harvest even during the summer. The crop can last for
two to three years. After exhausting the crop, it is recommended to
renew it by applying fresh manure and mycelium. We can also try with
other species of wild mushrooms, not just those that appear in autumn.
3.4 AGARICUS BRASILIENSIS (AGARICUS BLAZEI
MURILL, the mushroom of the Lord, or God’s
mushroom), ABMORMILENA
Popular names include Piedade mushroom, royal mushroom, almond
mushroom, sun mushroom, God’s mushroom, milena, ABM (Agaricus
blazei Murill), Song Ji Rong in China, Himematsutake, Agaricusutake or
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kawarihiratake in Japan, and Cogumelo do sol or Medicinal in Brazil.
Stamets, a great specialist in the U.S., proposed the name King
Agaricus or Portobello Almond.
The first writings about this mushroom species date from the 14th to 15th
century, from the Byzantine medicine treaty in the Mediterranean by
Apuleius, which treated malignant ulcers and the ones of the larynx. It
was rediscovered in 1960 by Takatoshi Furumato, who began to
cultivate and study it. Agaricus subrufescens was first described in 1893
by C.H. Peck, a New York botanist, and it was grown in 1892 in New
York by Blen Cove. It seems that the two species are synonymous.
It is eaten around the globe and is well-loved in China, Japan, Mexico,
and Brazil. The species was grown in Japan, China, Brazil, South Korea,
and the U.S. then spread to Europe in the former Yugoslavia, Italy,
Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and so on.
Agaricus brasiliensis crop
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3.4.1. Morphological characteristics
It is a highly valued edible and medicinal mushroom. It grows
spontaneously in different areas and is found from the tropics to the
boreal regions, growing in different habitats, froma lpine meadows to
salty and sandy soils, in both deciduous and coniferous forests. It
prefers soils rich in ligninolytic remains and soil fattened with the manure
of domestic animals, especially cattle and horses.
Agaricus brasiliensis
The cap is thick, fleshy, 5-11cm in diameter, semi-spherical at first but
then becomes convex, and smooth on the edgesand with scales in the
center; it is either off white, a creamy-yellow color like almonds, or brown
to dark brown. Onthe edge of the cap, pieces of veilremain attached; it
has almond flavor. The gills are free, dense, with a width of 8-10mm of
white, pale pink color when young and chocolate-brown color later on.
The basidiospores have a dark brown toc hocolate like color, have a
wide elliptical shape to oviform, and do not have epispor. The foot is
short and hard like a column, cylindrical, white in color, and fastened by
a mycelium pedestal. If it is touched, it will turn yellow. A ring remains on
the foot after the breaking of the vellum orv eil. The length is 6-13cm
with a diameter of 1-3cm.
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3.4.2. Growing conditions
Pasteurized compost enriched with nitrogen is used for the crop.
Mycelium is obtained easily at an optimum temperature of 73-80°F.
Optimum humidity of substrate is 55-60%, and the optimum humidity of
the casing mixture is 60-65%. Humidity in the mushroom farm will be
maintained at values of 80-85%. For growing, the mycelium does not
need light. However, it requires slight illumination during basidiofruits
formation. Air conditions are high, both in the mycelium incubation as
well as during fruiting. The optimum pH compost value is 8.
The crop can be grown similarly to Agaricus species in greenhouses or
in modern mushroom farms. In Beijing, the culture is practiced in two
cycles per year, spring and fall, when a temperature between 60-83°F
can be maintained. In Brazil, there is an optimal climate for growing
these mushrooms, with temperatures in Piedade of around 95°F during
the day and 65-75°F at night and a relative air humidity of 80% both
during the day and night. The appearance of mushrooms occurs 30 days
after sowing.
3.4.3 Preparing the compost
The compost for growth is based on sugar cane, which is a kind of base
material with added peanut husks, wheat bran, corn, livestock and
poultry manure, plus some fertilizers such as urea, ammonium sulfate,
ammonium nitrate and other nitrogen sources. Dry and fresh materials
are preferred.
Ag. Brasiliensis compost
209
To produce compost for planting, this species is grown wheret hese
items are easily available. For pHc orrection, plaster and lime powder is
used.
One of the recipes include 50% sun flower husk, 41% wheat straw, 4.5%
wheat bran, and supplements and additives until an efficient compost is
obtained. Nitrogenc oncentration is recommended to be between 1.5-
2%, and compost supplementation is done with urea, manure, or
ammonium nitrate. Furthermore, we mention that these materials are
watered and allowed to compost as in the case for Agaricus bisporus
mushrooms. Compost preparation time is 30 days. The compost is
turned three times.
3.4.4 Setting up crop and microclimate conditions
The compost is then spread in a layer with a 20 cm thickness, after it is
well winded so that it does not contain ammonia. It is seeded with
mycelium in the rate of 750 ml/m².
After sowing, it is covered with polythene foil. The temperature is
maintained at 75-82°F and relative air humidity at 75-85%. It is ventilated
every day. At approximately 20 days after sowing, when the mycelium
has entered into the compost by two-thirds, apply the coating mixture.
The coating mixture is based on peat or river sand mixed with lime
powder for a pH value of 9.
The thickness of the coating will be 4-5 cm. In mushroom farms, 10-15
kg mushrooms are obtained for every square meter, and in open fields,
3 kg mushrooms per square meter/m² are obtained. From a 20 kg block
of compost, 3 kg of mushrooms are harvested in three or four waves.
Harvesting takes three to four months in four to five waves. Mushrooms
are harvested with closed or partially torn vellum.
In Japan it is grown in open fields at an altitude of 1000 m on soils
naturally fattened by cattle and horse manure. Mushrooms are kept
fresh at a temperature of 37-40°F.
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Chapter 4: Culture technology of
Pleurotus spp. in classical system
There are several species of mushrooms belonging to the Pleurotus
genus. The most important species is Pleurotus ostreatus, and the most
precious species is Pleurotus eryngii. Other species are P. sajor-caju, P.
cornucopiae, Pleurotus Djamor, Pleurotus cystidiosus, Pleurotus
citrinopileatus, Pleurotus euosmus, Pleurotus pulmonarius, Pleurotus
columbinus, etc.
4.1. Pleurotus ostreatus - morphology and
importance
It is the second mushroom in the world, after champignon, in
measurements of culture area, but in Asia, it is dethroned by shiitake.
The mushroom is formed by the cap and the leg. The cap is placed
asymmetrically to the foot, with a smooth surface, and appears at first to
be a dark or even black color with shades of purple or gray-brown, and
as it grows, it begins to lighten its color. The color varies depending on
the species, hybrid, and illumination of growing area. Carpophores vary
greatly in size, from a few cm to 20-25 cm, bigger at P. ostreatus and
smaller in other species, but frequently encountered sizes are 7-10 cm
weighing between 5-20 grams.
Phenological growth phases of Pleurotus mushroom cap are as follows:
- Primordia
- Convex edge
- Straight edge
- Concave edge
- Twisted edge
- Cornet
The pulp of the hat is white with a pleasant odor, and it is thicker in the
center and thinner on the outside. The gills are white and are formed
from the edge to near the bottom of the foot. Basidiosporeseasily
germinate in two to three days. The spores are cylindrical with
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dimensions of 8-13 and 3-4 microns; white, pale purple, and rose in
color; and easily germinate (2-3 days) on liquid and agar media in the
laboratory at a rate of 100%.
Spores are produced after the first slide bazidiala is made, and because
of this, their spread or dissemination is done in stages from the early
phenological phases of carpophores. Pleurotus mushrooms have no veil
covering the basidiale blades, unlike the Agaricus genus. The foot is
located marginal to the hat, compact, white pulp and a light gray color on
the exterior. At mushroom maturity, the foot gets a spongy consistency.
Characteristic of this mushroom species’ leg is that its size is influenced
by light, ventilation, and microclimate conditions. Pleurotus ostreatus
appearance is usually in bunches, which can contain up to 10-20
carpophores. Mushrooms at the bottom of the bouquet are larger than
those at the top. Not all mushrooms in a bouquet mature however; part
of the base of the bouquet withers and does not develop.
The legs are inserted next to each other in the mycelium base. When the
cap reaches the cone stage, the leg gets a spongy consistency and
becomes lignified and hard, losing most of its edible qualities. To avoid
this, the mushrooms should be harvested earlier, when the cap is spread
horizontally and the edges of the cap are straight, jagged, wavy, fringed,
etc.
Pleurotus ostreatus
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The nutritional value of Pleurotus spp. is given by the high protein
content (2.7 to 4.0% dw) of carbohydrates (3.5 to 5.0%) and minerals
(0,1- 1.0%).
The chemical composition oftwo species of Pleurotus-su% Specification Pl.ostreatus Pl.sajor-caju
Proteins 7.0-41.6 2.66-47.0 Carbohydrates 16.7-81.8 53.5-64.0 Lipids 1.0-6.9 1.7-2.2
Ash 2.1-9.8 6.4-67 The nutritional value of a food product depends mainly on two factors:
the chemical composition and the digestibility of the compounds that are
included in it. The chemical composition varies from species to species,
and for intra-species, it depends on the mushroom development stage,
the nutrient substrate on which it develops, the part considered (cap, leg,
etc.), climatic conditions, the growth period, etc. The digestibility of
various substances contained by the chemical composition, even if they
theoretically remain constant, may change in comparison with other
substances participating in a food composition. Viewed from this
perspective, mushrooms are a food with high nutritional value.
The protein content of fresh mushrooms is 3-5% depending on the
species and hybrid. In the structure of complex proteins, 18 amino acids,
including eight essential ones, are present. The content of
carbohydrates in the form of xylose, ribose, glucose, sucrose, mannitol,
and others, proved to be the highest in young mushrooms, even more in
the cap compared to the leg. As the fungus matures, the sugars are
consumed during the formation of spores. In fresh mushrooms, fat
content is 0.5% and is used by the body as an energy source. Fats in
mushrooms are found only in combined form (agaricine, lecithins,
ergosterine, phosphatides).
In comparison with other substances that are part of mushrooms, the
minerals have a low content. Mineral substances include potassium,
phosphorus, silicon and calcium in greater amounts and iron, copper,
magnesium, sodium, chlorine, etc., in smaller quantities.
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Enzymes are organic compounds of protein origin that are present in the
living cells and have the role of synthesizing and degrading of organic
substances, resulting in the production and storage of energy.
Mushrooms are the only “vegetables” that contain B vitamins (thiamin,
riboflavin, pyridoxine, cobalamin, niacin, and pantothenic acid). Vitamin
A (retinol) is found in the form of carotene, and a lack of it leads to eye
and skin disorders, etc.
Vitamin D (cholecalciferol) is a group of substances in animal
organisms, and when it comes to plants, it is found only in mushrooms;
in this group, the most important is vitamin D2 (calciferol), whose
essential role is dietary calcium and phosphorus absorption. Biotin
belongs to the group of B vitamins, is widespread in nature, and is an
essential growth factor; the lack of this vitamin in the diet can lead to a
severe form of anemia. Vitamin K has antihemorrhagic action, and
nicotinamide is a B vitamin that is essential in the prevention of pellagra.
Fresh mushrooms contain 28 calories.
Nutritional value, mineral and vitamincontentinPl.ostreatusandPl.eryngii,
according to J.I.Lelley and Y. Vetter, 2007 (minerals are calculated in
mg/kg s.u. and vitamins are in micrograms/kg s.u.)
Component Pl.ostreatus Somycel HK 35
Pl.ostreatus Amycel 3015
Pl.eryngii
Dried substance %
8.22 7.75 15.44
Raw protein 17.67 17.32 25.02 Raw Fat 1.67 1.56 2.95 Raw fiber 8.28 7.98 6.04
Chitin % s.u. 4.77 4.95 4.77 Ash % s.u. 7.60 9.42 10.05 Aluminum 22.3 16.3 13.4 Arsenic up to 0.05 up to 0.05 up to 0.05
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Boron 3.23 4.97 16.45 barium 1.57 1.42 1.52
Calcium 538 684 687 Cadmium 1.12 0.59 1.56 Cobalt up to 0.002 up to 0.002 up to
0.002
Chromium 2.60 1.17 1.34 Copper 13.8 10.8 16.2 Iron 108.0 77.5 42.0 Potassium 26960 34846 35750
Magnesium 1295 1643 1595 Manganese 8.76 9.14 13.0 Molybdenum 1.12 up to 0.005 0.84
Sodium 205 189 251 Phosphorus 6300 7461 9995 Mercury 0.94 0.45 0.59 Selenium 1.60 0.50 1.42
Strontium 4.64 5.80 6.54 Titanium 0.43 0.37 - Vanadium up to 0.005 0.16 0.12 Zinc 79.8 80.2 80.7
Vitamin A 36.5 35.2 37.1 Vitamin B 1 6.1 5.7 5.1 Vitamin B 2 2.7 7.1 2.0
Vitamin B 6 6.5 5.5 3.8 Vitamin D 2 35.7 91.7 84.4 Vitamin D 3 212.3 235.9 187.6
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Mushrooms have a particular taste and aroma and therefore can be
eaten as a staple food by diabetics because they do not contain starch
that turns to sugar in the body. Mushrooms contain small amounts of salt
and do not contain cholesterol, saturated fats, and sugars, which are
harmful to the human body.
4.2. Culture technology in classical system
The culture techniques widely used is classical culture, in the household
system, require relatively small spaces with minimal amendments.
The main culture technology includes the following major technological
stages:
- The preparation, the setting, and the disinfection of crop area
- Purchasing and preparing cellulosic substrate
- Shredding, chopping, grinding
- Homogenization (mixing)
- Wetting
- Thermal disinfection
- Cooling and removing the excess moisture
- Weighing
- Substrate quality assessment
- Sowing and application of the amendment
- Distribution in containers
- Applying microclimate conditions differentiated according to the
stage of the culture
- Placing containers after incubation
- Care and harvesting work
- Ejecting spent lignocellulosic substrate
- Preparing and disinfecting the area for a new crop
Depending on the existing facilities, the culture can take place in the
classical system (i.e., household) with two cycles (crops) per year or in
an intensive industrial system with four to nine crop cycles per year. The
space for Pleurotus spp. mushroom culture will have to provide optimal
environmental conditions to obtain high yields throughout the year.
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Pleurotas ostreatus P80 hybrid
4.3. Areas used in classical culture system
In this system, you can use the following areas:
- Open spaces (outdoors)
- Partially closed (sheds, warehouses, balconies)
- Closed (cellars, stables, verandas, solariums, attics, warehouses,
cold storage, greenhouses, chicken farms)
The closed premises, even temporarily, are recommended to be
equipped with the following utilities and facilities:
- Installation of drinkable water and sewer
- Installation of ventilation ducts
- Lighting installation
- Installation of heating and air cooling, if applicable
- Racks and shelves
The crop area itself is not a factor that influences the production of
Pleurotus spp.; only the microclimate conditions provided and optimized
by the grower’s intervention can affect the crop.
217
4.4. Setting up the culture area
Whatever type of space is used, it will require some specific
arrangements depending on the crop species and culture systema
dopted.
After installing utilities, a water supply, sewerage, and lighting facilities,
you proceed to install the ventilation system provided with an
acclimatization system (i.e., heating and cooling), which is not to be
confused with air conditioning in apartments and offices.
4.4.1. Ventilation system
If space is limited and we do not put compost bags or other recipients
suspended on several levels, ventilation can be done easily by opening
the access door and a window opposite the door. Thus air flow is
created and the culture air from the chamber is refreshed. The door and
window should be equipped with thick nets, especially during summer,
when insects appear. When the bags are placed vertically on several
levels, more air is required, and it is recommended that you install a
ventilation system that allows more oxygen intake. Pleurotus sp. are
high consumers of oxygen during fructification.
The ventilation system should be installed above the container with
nutrient substrate, affixed to the ceiling, and consist of a fan; it will direct
and homogenize the air for the entire crop space. Independent of this
system, an exhaust fan with smaller capacity can be installed to
evacuate the air laden with carbon dioxide, metabolism gases, and
spores. The air intake fan that takes oxygen from the external
environment will have the capacity of 8-10 air changes/hour. The air
taken from the outdoors will be heated in cold weather or cooled in hot
weather and then introduced through the ventilation ducts and
distributed through small openings around the entire mushroom farm.
The ventilation system can be composed of one independently for each
area or be a common one for a smaller mushroom farm.
The fresh air intake vents should be equipped with filters designed to
retain dust, fungus and competing mushroom spores, and some pests.
In the case of classical household mushroom farms, filters can be
improvised from two layers of cheesecloth, between which a layer of
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medicinal cotton with a thickness of about one centimeter will be placed.
Filters, regardless of their structure, will be changed after contamination
depending on the degree of pollution in the environment that they can
withstand for 20 or 30 days.
Fan piping will be made of tinplate where the direction changes (it forms
elbows) and from polyethylene foil where it forms a straight line. The
diameter will range between 20 and 50 cm depending on the amount of
air to be circulated (admitted and recycled) and should be located at
least 60-70 cm above the last layer of mushrooms, up to the ceiling.
Along the pipe will be two rows of holes, alternatively, with a diameter of
about 2-6 cm, through which the air will be distributed in the crop space
with a speed of 0.2-0.3 m/sec.
Stale air exhaust loaded with carbon dioxide and fungal spores will be
achieved through exhaust fans installed 10-20 cm above the floor and
opposite the fan.
Underground crop of Pleurotus spp
In the case of classic mushroom farms with reduced crop space, foul air
evacuation can be made freely through pressure by installing some
small windows opposite the fan at floor level, alongside the ventilation
ducts. Fan capacity is calculated based on the area of culture and
mushroom production. Thus, to obtain a kg of mushroom per square
meter of the crop, it is required to ensure a volume of one cubic meter of
fresh air per hour.
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Air demand in Pleurotus spp. mushroom crop is variable depending on
the phonological stage of mushrooms (mycelium incubation, induction of
fructification, harvest, interval between harvest waves).
Amycel 3015
In the incubation or the growth phase of mycelium in the growing
substrate, the fresh air demand is low or almost nonexistent. Therefore,
at this stage, only a recirculating of indoor air is done (absorption of the
air from the floor charged with CO2 and distributing it though the holes in
the ceiling ducts). If this isn’t done, the air laden with CO2, which is
heavier, will accumulate on the floor and become toxic to the growing
mycelium on the bottom containers. Another very important aspect is
that this CO2-laden air is what the grower is breathing and can cause
asphyxiation since it has no smell.
The need for oxygen appears in the induction phase of fructifications. In
this phase, an air flow of 150 cubic meter per hour for each ton of
substrate at a speed of 0.2-0.3 m/sec is required. If the speed of air
exceeds the, drying of substrate and emerging primordia occur.
Lack of ventilation causes mushroom’s foot elongation, and too strong
dry air currents will dry the wooden rods and primordia, resulting in
fructification cessation and culture limitation to a single wave.
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4.4.2. Shelves placement
It is not recommended to use wood for the shelves. Because they do not
need exposure to light during the incubation stage, we can put shelves
along the walls on the entire length of the mushroom farm. The shelves
can have a width of 30-40 cm (for simple ones), on which we will
accommodate a row of bags, and a width of 60-80 cm for the double
ones, on which we will place two rows of bags. Between shelves, we will
form alleys that will allow access for the work cares, harvesting and
access of air through ventilation.
The vertical distance between the levels is determined by the length of
the bags used for the sowing phase. If the bags have a length of 70 cm,
then we leave 15-20 cm above them, thus making a total of 90 cm. The
first rack from the floor will be located at 0.2 m, the second at 0.9 m from
the first, the third at 0.9 m from the second, and so on. Over the last
level, we leave a space of about one meter from the ceiling so that the
ventilation system can be installed. In the crop room, the incubated bags
can be placed on shelves made in the same way as the others, or they
may be placed in other ways, as follows:
- Suspended or hung from the ceiling
- Stuck in metal rods fixed in the floor
Crop with bags stuck on metal rods
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The harvesting rooms, compared to the incubation rooms, will be
equipped with alighting installation composed of 40W fluorescent lamps
mounted onthe ceiling andside walls to give light to the wooden rods
fromall levels.The light intensity will be provided in accordance with the
light requirements of each species of cultivated Pleurotus or for each
hybrid.
4.4.3. Disinfecting the culture area
For the success of a mushroom crop, regardless of the species
cultivated or used space, the sanitation works is important. The hygiene
during crop foundation may largely influence the conduct and yields
achieved, which may hamper or partly or completely eliminate a possible
attack by pests and diseases.
After the appropriate amendments, we move to the sanitation stage,
which consists of pest control and cleaning and washing organic or other
debris. These areas are subject to a more stringent disinfection
compared to newly built spaces that did not come in contact with molds
or other various pests.
The cheapest and handiest disinfection of the space is made with lime
concentration of 20% (whitewash) with 3-5% copper sulfate added for
old spaces that previously had another use. One to two days before
inserting sown bags, apply a treatment with formaldehyde solution (40%)
at a concentration of 2%. (Using a mask during application is required
because it irritates airways.)
4.5. Crop substrate
Mushroom crops frequently use auxiliary materials or waste from
agriculture, forestry, wood processing, textiles, vegetable oils extraction,
medicinal herbs, etc. These species of mushrooms are susceptible to
the nutrient substrate quality on which the culture is unfolded.
The best material used as a substrate is based on cereal straw, of which
wheat is preferred. In areas where cereal grains are not the predominate
culture, corn cobs and stalks are used; others use sawdust and wood
shavings from hardwood species (the resinous is not recommended;
only if it’s mixed with other materials and in the proportion of 10%).
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Along with materials mentioned above, there are also different materials
used for protein intake of organic nitrogen, such as soy grits, barley
grains from breweries, wheat bran, barley or barley grits, corn flour, etc.
Protein materials are used in a recipe in a proportion of 1-10%.
Chemical analysis of agricultural waste
Material name
S.D.O.%
s.u.%
Ash % Organic Substances
Raw Protein
Raw Cellulose
Extract
Oat straw
49 5.5 5.5 82.0 3.2 38.5 40.9
Autumnwheatstraw
43 5.5 5.5 82.0 3.2 38.5 38.8
Spring wheatstraw
43 6.1 6.0 81.4 3.0 37.6 39.4
Springbarleystraw
42 5.2 5.2 82.3 3.3 35.0 42.4
Sorghumstraw
55 6.0 6.0 81.5 4.2 35.0 42.5
Ricestraw
40 15.4
15.4 72.1 4.0 32.4 35.9
Soybeanstalk
53 86.0
8.2 77.8 7.2 10.9 37.2
Soybeanpods
61 89.0
8.3 10.7 6.0 30.3 42.9
Sunflower hats
56 90.0
10.0 80.0 2.8 1.8 49.0
Grape vine
46 84.0
3.8 80.2 2.5 37.8 37.8
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Peavine 48 86.0
6.3 79.7 8.2 35.7 34.3
Lucerne straw
47 85.0
6.5 79.7 4.5 37.1 37.0
Cornstalks
55 75.5
6.6 79.5 4.1 37.1 37
Barley hulls
44 87.5
1.3 74.5 3.9 27.6 41.0
Wheatchaff
43 87.5
10.9 76.6 4.6 28.5 41.7
Corncobs
56 87.6
1.9 85.6 2.5 30.6 53.1
Peas shells
56 86.0
5.8 80.2 10.1 35.3 33.7
Sunflowerhusk
13 90.0
2.0 86.3 3.6 59.7 23.8
Soybeanhulls
- 90.7
4.7 87.0 11.0 36.0 37.0
Sugar beet noodles
83 90.0
6.4 83.6 9.9 15.5 57.3
SDO = organic matter digestibility coefficient A recipe for cellulosic or lignocellulosic substrate comprises:
- Raw materials - between 70-95%
- Auxiliary materials (optional) - 10-25%
- Protein materials (optional) - 1-10%
- Amendment - between 0.4 to 5%
All materials used for the cultivation of these species of mushrooms
should be clean (without any residues), healthy (without molds or
fermented), without foreign bodies, not older than one year, with their
original color (not blackened from rain), and kept under optimal
224
conditions (not mixed together). Depending on the material used, it goes
through a preparation process that consists of grinding (straw at 4-6 cm),
crunching (cobs at 1-2 cm), or champing (barley grains). Amendments
should come in powder form, not lumps (should be crushed if the case).
The amendments are represented by one of the calcium-based
materials:
Calcium carbonate, also called feed chalk (CaCO3) is used in an
amount of 3-5%.
- Gypsum or calcium sulfate (CaSO4) is used in a ratio of 2%.
- Powdered lime (calcium oxide - CaO) is used in a proportion of
0.4%.
These proportions are calculated per 100 kg wet and thermally
disinfected lignocellulose material. Based on these recommendations,
each grower can produce a nutrient substrate recipe from the materials
that he can procure at low cost. I would like to mention that a substrate-
based crop straw is better than one based on hardwood sawdust
because it is harder for the mycelium to gain access compared to the
cellulose from straw.
Substrate recipes Raw
material % Auxiliary
material % Amendment %
1 Straw 40 - - Feed Chalk 6
Cobsandcorn cobs
30 - -
Wood chips 24 - - 2 Straw 60 - - Feed Chalk 5
Cobsandcorn cobs
35 - -
3 Straw 10 -
-
Feed Chalk 5
Cobsandcorn cobs
50 - -
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Wood chips 35 - - 4 Cobsandcorn
cobs 20 -
- Feed Chalk 5
Wood chips 50 - - Sawdust 25 - -
5 Cobsandcorn cobs
50 - - Feed Chalk 6
Wood chips 30 - - Leaves 14 - -
6 Straw 50 Bran 10 Feed Chalk 6
Tree bark 34 - - 7 Straw 50 Vines 15 Feed Chalk 5
Tree bark 20 Bran 10
8 Straw 30 - - Feed Chalk 5 Cobsandcorn cobs
30 - -
Leaves 35 - -
FINAL THOUGHTS Growing your own mushrooms at home requires a lot of dedication. It’s more than a simple hobby; it’s a very precise form of gardening and science all in one. But it can be achieved by anyone who’s passionate and careful enough. Don’t get scared by basic biology and chemistry but instead roll up your sleeves and start your own mushroom crops without fear. At first glance, it might seem complicated, but it’s far simpler than it may look. Just pay close attention to each step. Be careful while using dangerous chemicals or compounds, and respect the guidelines. Also respect the guidelines as far as dangerous mushrooms are concerned. Do things by the book, and you’ll have superior mushrooms to any you can find at the supermarket.
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The Lost Art of Preserving Food Off-Grid
Meat Preservation Methods
Before refrigeration, people relied on salt and smoke to preserve their meat. Most people lived on family farms, and the smokehouse was as familiar as the outhouse. Refrigeration changed the way we did a lot of things, but one thing it did not change was our taste for the flavor of smoked meat. In an SHTF event, chances are that you will not be able to rely on your fridge to preserve your food as usual. People can get overly reliant on fridges to store their food, and this can be a problem. If you don’t have access to a fridge anymore, what will you do? How will you preserve your meat for later use? People have been using other methods to preserve their food for centuries. This knowledge can be real useful.
You can start by taking a look in your kitchen. Examine how much food you have, and think how much of it would spoil without refrigeration.
Meat would be the first to go once you lose electricity, but spoiling can
be prevented using old-fashioned techniques. Methods such as smoking
and curing are just two examples, and they are efficient when it comes
to keeping meat from spoiling.
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Facts About Smoking
Smoking meat is one of the most beloved conservations methods, and it
greatly improves the taste as the smoke contributes as a flavor
enhancer. Smoking is technique and art alike, and it serves as a means
to obtain properly conserved meat products with superior taste and
flavor.
Smoking is the oldest method known to man for increasing the durability
and enhancing the flavor of various foods, especially meat, fish, and
cheese. There is a vast amount of anthropological evidence that
indicates that smoking has been used by man ever since the prehistoric
age. When smoking, food is exposed to the aerosol fumes that are a
direct result of the burning of the sawdust, which is combined with dry
distillation (pyrolysis) in order to increase durability, enhance the taste,
and add an overall smoky smell. The base principlethat serves as the
foundation for smoking,abiosis, manifests itself through the exercised
action of the antiseptics contained in the smoke (acetic aldehyde,
phenolic compounds, and formalin). Xeroanabiosis is the
complementary process to abiosis, and it manifests itself by dehydrating
the tissue as a consequence of prolonged exposure to the heat.
From a physio-chemical perspective, smoke is an aerosol comprised of
a dispersion faze (a mixture of incondensable gases like CO2, CO, H2,
CH4,and organic substances in acid, alcohol, and aldehyde state as well
as water vapors) and a dispersed faze,which is constituted of organic
substances shaped as liquid particles, tars (a mixture of aromatic
hydrocarbons, phenols, cresols, guaiacol, and xylenol), soot, and ash.
The quality of the smoke is a catalyst for a superior taste, smell, and
overall flavor, and it’s highly dependent on the quality of the wood that’s
being used.
This is precisely why the best soot for the job is obtained from hardwood
(beech, oak, maple) so that the smoke will be of superior quality and rich
in aromatic compounds, which are responsible for the characteristic
smoky flavor.
The unique aroma that comes with smoking is probably the
characteristic that is worth mentioning first as it confers food a distinct
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and unforgettable flavor, as well as color and texture, and, last but not
least, preservability. Preserving food for long periods of time under
proper storage conditions was the first goal of smoking. A very
important factor to consider in the context of smoking is the health of the
animals that provided the meat; the healthier the beast, the tastier the
meat.
Game meat can be preserved in three ways:
- Cured and dried
- Cured and smoked
- Sausages
Smoking Meat and Meat-Based Products
Before the development of cooling and freezing technologies, the main
means of meat conservation were salting, smoking, and drying. Smoking
the meat doesn’t only work as an excellent conservation tool but it also
adds a specific taste, which is doubled by the native taste of meat and
certain spices to make for an overall fantastic flavor. And of course, not
any smoke will do; the smoke intended for smoking food should meet
certain requirements for obtaining flavorful and healthy products. The
main analytical indicators for an impeccable hygiene are the so called
aromatic polycyclic hydrocarbons. In order to maintain their
harmlessness to human health, you need to add a microgram of
benzopyrene for every 2.2 pounds of product.
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How the Chemical Components in the Smoke Affect the
Meat
The smoke is a direct result of organic materials. The maximum
efficiency of a modern burning installation is obtained by the complete
burning of the materials, out of which you get a relatively small quantity
of smoke. What’s believed to be optimum exploitation of energy content
resulting from combustion materials is not necessarily valid as far as
smoking is concerned. In this case, the smoke is derived from the
incomplete burning of the firewood. Certain components of the firewood
(cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) will thermally decompose prior to
being dissolved in various smoke-producing components through
oxidation. Thermal degradation is known as pyrolysis. The quality of the
wood and the temperature are key factors to obtaining high-quality
smoke.
Smoked-Induced Flavor
The typical flavor of smoked meats is obtained by combining the smoke
with the meat and various spices. If the meat hasn’t been maturated long
enough, you’ll obtain a sort of “green” and “raw” taste, reminiscent of the
flavor of fresh meat. If this isn’t the aroma you’re aiming for and you’d
rather have something more refined as well as a more harmonious
joining of flavors, let the meat sit for longer, even on temperatures of
120°F.
Smoked-Induced Color
Getting the right color for the meat product is directly dependent on the
nature of the meat, on the smoking technique, and on the duration of the
smoking process. Traditionally, smoked products will have a golden-
yellow or golden-brown color. The color is a direct result of exposure to
the acids in the smoke but even more so as a result of the chemical
processes that occur between the smoke and the product subjected to
smoking. This is precisely why the product should be perfectly dry before
being smoke as soot will build up rather fast on wet meat. Soot deposits
appear like black spots, and they should be avoided at any cost.
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Making the Smoke
Smoke can be obtained through various technological means. Two of
these fulfill a very important role. In principle, traditional smoking is about
producing smoke in a closed and controlled environment. It’s here where
the burning material gets light and it’s left to smolder. This method is one
of the most versatile as it can use a large array of wood as burning
material, from splinters to sawdust, to which you can add all sorts of
others (or not). Using hardwood is an option as well, and this will
properly enhance the overall flavor of the meat.
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Types of Wood for Smoking
In America, hickory, mesquite, oak, pecan, alder, maple, and fruit-tree
woods, such as apple, cherry, and plum are good to use. Some North
American ham and bacon makers smoke their products over burning
corncobs.
In Europe, alder is the traditional smoking wood, but oak is more often
used now and beech to a lesser extent.
The typical smoky flavor is obtained from the combination of
smoke with meat and spices.
The Smoking Procedure
In southeastern Virginia, most hams are smoked to accelerate drying and to give added flavor. The Smithfield ham is smoked for a long time at a low temperature (lower than 90°F). Wood from hardwood species of trees (trees that shed their leaves in the fall) should be used to produce the smoke. Hickory is the most popular, but apple, plum, peach, oak, maple, beech, ash, or cherry may be used. Do not use pine, cedar, spruce, and other needle-leaf trees for smoking meat, because they give off a resin that has a bitter taste and odor.
The fire should be a “cool,” smoldering type that produces dense smoke. Keep the temperature of the smokehouse below 90°F. Hang hams in a smokehouse so that they don’t touch each other. Hams should be smoked until they become chestnut brown in color, which may take one to three days.
CommonMistakes
TIP: In case you’ve over-smoked the meat, you can let it sit
overnight (whole or sliced) under cold water.
The following are some common mistakes when smoking:
Obtaining insufficient smoke, putting out the fire, or the inability to
get one started will hinder the smoking process.
The quantity of smoke is insufficient and unable to engulf the
whole room.
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Insufficient ventilation of the room. To ensure proper venting, you
should provide a venting slot, which means having a functional
venting window that will provide enough fresh air. The vents
should always stay opened, even during winter.
Using humid burning material. The burning material shouldn’t be
too moist.
The burning material will burn too fast with excess smoke:
The burning material is either too compact or too dry. Its
composure shouldn’t be too compacted for proper burning.
The smoke is too thick. The smoke can be braised by using the air
vent.
The products that get a severely pronounced outer layer have been
over-smoked:
The smoke speed inside the smoker is too high. A high circulation
speed of the gases will dry the meat too fast.
The products have been smoked at too higha temperature or have
been kept in an extremely dry place.
Can smoked products expire or get mildew?
The smoked absorbed throughout the whole process has the
ability to preserve the meat and keep mildew away. Insufficient
smoking, however, won’t get the job done.
The proper storage is possible only with rooms that are below 80%
in air humidity.
Smoking or storing in a room with improper venting can cause
mildew.
Meat products will deteriorate (bacterial infestation and alteration) under
the following conditions:
There isn’t enough room between the products laid out for
smoking, so the smoke can’t come in contact with their whole
surface.
There are improper hygiene conditions in the storage room.
Liquid droppingsare a sign the fat has melted:
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The smoking temperature was too high. The temperature should
be carefully analyzed, especially when smoking bacon or other
fatty foods.
The 2 Main Smoking Methods
Hot Smoking
This method works best for processed meats, sausages, and fish. It
should be done before boiling the meat; this way the smoke will be even
more efficient. Start the fire by using firewood, and hang the meats up
for smoking. There should be enough space between the individual
pieces of meat that they can be engulfed entirely by the smoke; this will
give an overall and uniform flavor, and all the pathogens will be
destroyed in the process.
The wood is extremely important, and you shouldn’t use resin-producing
wood, as it will darken the meat and give an extremely bitter flavor. Use
hardwood instead, and make sure that the wood and sawdust that will
be part of the smoking process have been previously kept in aired
containers; stale wood in airtight containers tends to develop mildew and
rot rather quickly, so it becomes useless.
Mind the smoke at all times! It’s very important to have a vent available
so there won’t be an excessive buildup of smoke. Too much smoke will
spoil the color and the flavor alike. For best results, the sitting period
should be about 2 days per 2.2 pounds of meat.
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Cold Smoking
The cold smoking method is the proper method used for smoking really
fatty meats that would otherwise melt and drip if subjected to the hot
smoking method. The smoking effect is usually obtained through
smoldering sawdust, without flame, so that the smoke is slowly released.
The sawdust is a mixture comprised of one part dry sawdust and three
parts mildly moist sawdust. The sawdust pile should be pressed and
compacted as best as possible, and it shouldn’t exceed 5.5 inches in
height. Get a burning coal, and place it gently under the pile. The
optimum meat distance should be about 5 feet away. Measure the
temperature constantly, and make sure it doesn’t exceed 80°F. If the
temperature tends to rise above this threshold, you can always throw
more sawdust in the mix.
Cold smoking should be 12 hours for sausages and one day for salamis.
For bigger chunks of meat, it should be one to two days/2.2 pounds of
meat, and it should be done alternatively: Day 1: cold smoking; Day 2:
break; Day 3: cold smoking; Day 4: break. Cold smoking requires
patience and careful observation.
Condiments Used for Meat Preservation
Spices with antimicrobial action include garlic, ginger, black pepper,
clove, oregano, thyme, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, bay leaves,
mustard, rosemary, bishop’s weed, chili pepper (also called cayenne or
red pepper), horseradish, cumin, black cumin, pomegranate seeds,
onion, celery, geranium.
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TIP: For a crisp, gold color, throw a handful of sugar on the fire at
the end of the smoking process.
Curing the Meat:
Dry Curing:
The dry salt curing takes care of the bacteria in the meat. As the
meat sits out, the surface dries out, and this prevents new bacteria
from forming. It’s incredible that the salt can make the meat and fat
stable at room temperature. Think of it just like a meat jerky—but
not quite as hard (although it’s the same concept). We’re simply
using salt and air to moderate bacteria growth.
Bacon will last for months at room temperature (although it will
continue to dry out little by little as time goes on) and should be
inspected daily for signs of rancidity or any insect problems.
Ham is a popular choice for curing, but you can use anything from beef to venison and much more in between. With a good piece of meat, you really can’t go wrong, although the first-time curers might want to go with a more forgiving piece of meat, like pork belly or pork butt.
For the most part, use meats with whole muscle groups in their
anatomical connection. Pork loin and belly, beef hindquarter or brisket,
mutton legs, and even duck breast are popular cuts for drycuring.
TIP:For larger cuts of meat, consider stabbing the meat with a
prong for better salt coverage.
You don’t have to stab the meat before applying the dry rub, but for
certain cuts of meat—larger cuts or cuts like pork belly, which are often
covered with a lining of fat—stabbing the meat allows the salt and nitrite
mix to penetrate deeper into the meat, improving the efficiency and
effectiveness of the cure.
If you want to make your own salt mix, use the ratio below:
TIP: Use a ratio of 2:1,000 sodium nitrite and salt if mixing your own curing salt.
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TIP: Mix your spices along with your curing salt.
If you want to make your own curing salts, be sure to nail the ratio of sodium
nitrite to salt. For every 2 grams of sodium nitrite, for example, use 1,000
grams of salt. Another way to do this is to take the total weight of your
salt, multiply it by .002, and use that much sodium nitrite in your mix.The
cure mix to use, however, depends on personal preference. Salt alone is
acceptable; however, most people prefer the dry sugar cure. For each
100 pounds of fresh meat, use the following:
2 pounds black pepper
1 quart molasses
1 pound brown sugar
1 ounce saltpeter
1 ounce cayenne pepper
Mix these ingredients thoroughly, and divide into two equal parts. Apply the first half on day number one and the second portion on day number seven of the curing period.
Rub the curing mixture into all lean surfaces of the ham. Cover the skin and fat as little will be absorbed through these surfaces. Take care to pack the exposed end of the shank with the curing mixture to prevent bone sour or spoilage. Care should also be taken to make sure plenty of the mixture is applied to the area around the aitchbone.
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Spices add a rich dimension of flavor to your cured meats. While it’s important not to get too carried away and spice the meat to oblivion, a good spice mix will intensify flavors and add distinct profiles to your cures. In a small spice grinder, grind up your spices and add them to the curing salt or salt mixture. Here are some suggestions for spices to use:
Peppercorns Black, green, red, or white are essential in most spice mixes. There’s a reason they call peppercorns the “master spice.”
Sugar
A little Demerara sugar adds a touch of caramel sweetness to your cure.
Coriander and mustard seed
This adds smokiness to the meat.
Star anise
Silky and slightly sweet, a little bit goes a long way. It is slightly nutty.
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Fennel seed
This adds a pleasantly green or grassy dimension to the cure.
Citrus zest
Citrus zest adds a light, pleasantly acidic element that cuts through
fattier pieces of meat.
TIP:When the curing period has passed, place the hams in a
tub of clean, cold water for one hour. This will dissolve most
of the surface curing mix and make the meat receptive to
smoke. After soaking, scrub the ham with a stiff-bristle
brush, and allow it to dry.
After the cure is removed by washing, the cured product should be stored in a 50 to 60°F environment for approximately 14 days to permit the cure adjuncts to be distributed evenly throughout the ham. The product will shrink approximately 8 to 10 percent during cure application and equalization.
In Southwest Virginia, the process is to rub 100 pounds of ham (after cure equalization) with the following thoroughly mixed ingredients:
Age for 45 to 180 Days
The aging period is the time when the characteristic flavor is developed. It may be compared to the aging of cheeses.
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Age hams for 45 to 180 days at 75°F to 95°F with a relative humidity of 55 to 65 percent. Air circulation is needed—particularly during the first seven to 10 days of aging—to dry the ham surface. Approximately 8 to 12 percent of the initial weight will be lost.
Cured meat is a good source of food for pests that infest dry-cured meats. The insects attracted to cured meat are the cheese skipper, larder beetle, and red-legged ham beetle. Mites, which are not insects, may also infest cured meats.
Wet Curing
Curing was a widely used method of preserving meat before the days of
refrigeration. Both salt and sugar (or a mix of both) have been used to
cure meat by means of the process of osmosis. The higher
concentration of salt in external water (brine) actually causes moisture to
evacuate the tissue and additionally draws the water from the food itself.
Salt curing also dehydrates and kills the bacterial organisms in food that
are the primary agents of spoilage. Although normal table salt can be
used with some success, the most common types used are either
partially or wholly sodium nitrite or sodium nitrate.
Brine-Cured Pork
100 lbs. pork 8 lbs. salt (Note: one part salt to 48 parts water) 2 oz. saltpeter 2 lbs. brown sugar 5 gallons water
Method:
Mix salt, brown sugar, and saltpeter.Add this to the water and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar. Skim off any residue that may form at the surface while boiling after everything is dissolved. Remove from heat and chill until thoroughly cooled.
Pack the pieces of meat into clean barrels or earthenware crocks, placing them as close together as possible. Now pour the cold brine over
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the meat, making absolutely certain the meat is completely covered (allow room for evaporation, spillage, or expansion). Put a cover over the meat that just fits inside the container, and place weights on it to make sure that the meat is submerged in the brine.
TIP: When curing larger and smaller pieces of meat at the same time, place the larger pieces on the bottom and the smaller ones on top. This is so the smaller ones can be lifted out without disturbing the larger pieces. The small pieces do not take as long to cure as the bigger ones.
If possible, the meat should be cured at a temperature that is just above freezing. If the meat is cured at a warmer temperature, the brine must be watched for signs of souring. If this should happen, remove the meat and soak it in lukewarm water for an hour or so. Wash the meat in fresh cold water, and be sure to throw out the soured brine. Clean out the container, repack the meat, and make fresh brine in the original proportions.
Curing Times in Brine
Bacon sides and loins require two days per pound Shoulders will take two days per pound. Hams will take four days per pound.
After the meat is cured, the pieces should be soaked in warm water and then washed in cold water or even scrubbed with a brush to remove any residue that may have accumulated during the curing process.
Hang the meat by very heavy cords in a cool, dry place, preferably in flour or gunny sacks to discourage airborne contaminants or pests. Allow to drain 24 hours before starting the smoking. Remove the sack before beginning smoking.
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Hard wood is the best to use for smoking. The temperature should be 100°F–120°F. Ventilation should be utilized at first to allow any moisture to escape. Smoke until desired flavor and color is arrived at. A typical time is three days for the largest pieces.
Mixed Brine (Wet and Dry)
The mixed (double) brine includes both methods above (dry brine and
wet brine). This method can be used with success for all pieces of meat
no bigger than 9–10 pounds. The first step is the dry brine, which can
take up to a week. For the second step, you have two options:
Collect all the brine formed naturally during the drying process,
and use it to prepare the brine for the second step of preserving.
Prepare the brine making sure you respect the quantities:
o 8 lbs. salt (Note: one part salt to 48 parts water) o 2 oz. saltpeter o 2 lbs. brown sugar o 5 gallons water
Potted Meat
While I think jerky and smoking are the tastiest ways to preserve meat,
this is another method someone told me about.
Potted meat, or meat potting, began as a way to preserve meat before
the age of refrigeration. When people slaughtered their own animals, the
amount of meat produced was usually much more than could be eaten
before the meat began to rot. People evolved other methods for saving
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this extra meat for later too, such as dry curing and smoking. Potting
meat was another means of storing food, and that old tradition lives on
today in several parts of the United States.
Early potted meat usually involved the meat of one animal only, most
commonly pork. Meat might be either ground or not and then cooked.
The most common method was to use chunks of meat that were well
cooked. The fat from these chunks of meat was saved and poured onto
and around the meat, usually in large jars or in a large crock pot and, the
fat would help keep the meat from decomposing. Some people added
spices to the meat or made sausages from it, so the meat preserved this
way had more flavor. As much meat as possible was pressed into the
jars so that they formed a compressed, relatively soft end product.
This is how we did it. I remember when Dad killed a pig early in the
morning and started cutting it up. He gave the pieces to Mom, who had
the woodstove in the kitchen hot and ready to cook. She started frying
the pork and prepared the 10-gallon crock pot. This pot was about 18
inches in diameter and 24 inches deep. Mother washed it and got it just
as clean as she could get it. As the pork fried, it gave off lots of grease.
She took some of this very hot grease and poured it into the bottom of
the crock, sealing and sterilizing the bottom. Then she put the meat she
had just finished cooking down onto this grease.
As she continued to cook throughout the day, she added the well-fried
meat and covered it with the hot fat that came from the cooking process.
By the evening, the pig was all fried up and in the pot, covered over with
a nice layer of lard that had hardened.
As the days passed by, we dug down into the lard to where the meat
was, pulled out what we needed, and put it in the frying pan. We cooked
it a second time to kill any bacteria that could have possibly gotten into
it. Doing this not only re-sterilized the meat for eating but melted off all
the excess fat. The meat was taken out of the pan, and the fat was
poured back into the pot to seal up the hole we had just made when
getting the meat out.
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Game Meat Preservation
Smoked Deer Jerky
Debone the hind leg, splitting it into individual muscles: topmuscle,
bottom muscle, and tip. Pump with brine* (two pounds commercial salt
cure mixture per gallon of water). Place in crock or USDA-approved
plastic container. Do not use plastic containers such as garbage cans,
plastic bags, or supermarket ice cream buckets. Cover completely with
brine, and weight meat down to keep it submerged. Store in a cool place
(38°F) for 10 days. Every two days, change the position of the meat, and
weight it down again. After 10 days, remove frombrine and smoke five
hours at 150°F. Hang to dry at room temperature (about two weeks). Cut
off to use as needed.
Hot Pickle Cured Jerky
For this kind of jerky, use lean,
fat-free meat. Slice the meat in
¼-inch thick strips, cutting with
the grain. Spread the sliced
meat on a clean surface, and
sprinkle on the mix obtained
from 3 tablespoons of salt, 2
teaspoons of ground black
pepper, and 2 tablespoons of
sugar. Let it sit in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. Make brine of ¾
cup of salt, ½ cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of ground black pepper, and a
gallon of water. Bring it to a medium boil, and immerse the meat in the
boiling brine for about 2 minutes (until it turns gray). Spread the meat on
your oven tray or dehydrator, and heat up to 120°F–150°F for about 24
hours.
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Dry Meat
Capicola
This is a traditional Italian recipe for dry cured pork shoulder, made only
from the coppa muscle. Before getting started, you’ll need to have the
following ingredients:
coppa muscle, sliced in half-a-pound pieces
60g (6 tablespoons) of kosher salt
60g (2 tablespoons) of sugar
6g (1 teaspoon) of curing agent
4g (1 tablespoon) of coarsely ground black pepper
4g (1 tablespoon) of crushed juniper berries
2g of crumbled bay leaves
1g (½teaspoon) of grated nutmeg (fresh)
3g of fresh thyme
2 cloves of minced garlic
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl then rub them thoroughly on
the meat so that you cover as much of the surface as possible. You can
then transfer the meat into Ziploc bags and place it in the fridge for about
two weeks. Take it out after the two weeks is done, wash it in cold water,
and let it dry for a couple of hours at room temperature. Once it’s dry,
you can rub some paprika or chili powder on the surface. For the best
results, throw it in a net and hang it in the fridge at about 55°F.
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Bresaola
This is a very savory dish that is pretty easy to make and is worth the
wait. It’s done over a period of a few weeks, so patience is truly a virtue
while making bresaola. This is what you’ll need to have in order to get
the job done:
some string
cheesecloth
Ziploc bags
1–2 pounds of beef muscle
1 cup of red wine
100g of coarse sea salt
100g of sugar
20g of fresh rosemary, chopped (dried works but not as well)
5g of black peppercorns
2.5g Prague powder per 2.2 pounds of meat
Clean up the outer layer of the beef muscle by removing excess sinew
and fat. Weigh the beef once you’re done, and take note of the weight as
it will matter for the final process. The red wine should be poured in a
Ziploc bag and the meat placed in there as well; close the bag tightly,
and throw it in the fridge to marinate overnight. Grind cure ingredients,
and store them in a Ziploc bag for later use.
The following day, separate the cure into two halves. Take the meat out,
and rub it with half of the cure. Once you’re done, place it in a clean
Ziploc bag, and also throw in what’s left of the first half of the cure. Seal
the bag tightly, and put it in the fridge for one week, turning it over daily.
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When the week is done, drain the excess fluid, dry the beef, and repeat
the procedure with the second half of the cure for another week.
Once the second week is up, take the meat out, dry it well, tie it with the
string, cover it with cheesecloth, and tie it again. Let it sit and dry at
room temperature; the ideal temperature is about 60°F. Weigh it daily,
and when the meat has lost 30% of its weight, it’s done.
Pancetta (Homemade Bacon)
Pancetta is yet another Italian delicacy that’s based on dry-curing and is
easy and fun to do. All you need is some basic pork belly (pancetta =
belly) and a few other ingredients that can be found in any respectable
household:
450g of kosher salt
225g of sugar (about a cup)
50g of pink salt (about 3 tablespoons)
a few cloves of garlic
some peppercorn
Mix the dry cure ingredients together until the pink salt is evenly
distributed. You can deposit them in airtight containers indefinitely.
Throw the belly in a big enough Ziploc bag, and add the garlic,
peppercorns, and ¼ cup of sugar. Rub the ingredients on the pork belly,
seal tightly, and throw it in the fridge, turning the meat over daily.
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After the week is up (or 9 days for extra fatty meats), take it out and
rinse it with cold water. Cut a hole in the corner, and hang it out to dry at
room temperature.
Prosciutto
Prosciutto is undoubtedly one of the tastiest dry meats you can ever get
your hands on. And making your own would definitely be an amazing
skill to have. These are the required ingredients:
about 12 pounds of pork leg (freshly cut, bones removed and
blood drained)
5 garlic cloves
half-a-pound of peppercorns
7–10 pounds of salt
vinegar
a couple of weights (bricks will do)
a wooden box with a lid
First and foremost, peel the garlic cloves and grind them with the
peppercorns; make sure the resulting paste is enough to cover the entire
piece of meat. Dry the leg with paper towels, and spread the pate on the
surface. Next, apply salt, as much as possible, until a crust is formed.
Take the wooden box and fill it with half an inch of salt. Place the pork
inside, and pour another inch of salt on top; the salt will kill off any
bacteria able to spoil the meat. Place the weights on the lid, and store in
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a cool and dry storage space or in the freezer for about a month; turn
once every two to three days.
After a month is up, remove the meat, and remove the excess salt (out
of the box and off the ham by shaking, not washing). Place the ham
back in the box, put the lid on, and let it sit for four to six more days at
room temperature.
After six days’ time, take out the meat and rinse it with a solution
comprised of 50% water and 50% vinegar in order to remove the excess
salt. Wrap it in cheesecloth, and hang it out to dry for six months or even
up to three years.
Jerky
Beef jerky is an all-American product, and it’s easy to make. From my
experience, the best meat for making jerky is flank steak. First, clean the
meat and make sure it’s fresh before you start doing anything else. If
all’s well, start removing excess fat and silver skin from the surface of
the meat. If the fat’s gone, you can start trimming the steak now. Slices
should be at least ¼ inch thick, but the thinner you can make them, the
better.
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The meat fibers have directionality; this is called the meat grain, and this
is the way you should slice the meat—with the grain. If the slices are
done, cover the meat with either dry mixes or a marinade of your
choosing. We can extend the shelflife of our homemade jerky with the
judicious use of spices.
Salt and pepper, either black or red, are key ingredients. The other
spices that I prefer include garlic, ginger, and turmeric. I also like spice
blends like curry powder, chili powder and five-spice powder.
Here’s one of my favorite “jerky toppings” for those of you out there with
a real sweet tooth:
the already sliced meat
2 tablespoons of granulated garlic
2 tablespoons of kosher salt
2 tablespoons of black pepper (cracked)
½ cup of honey
Add the honey to a warm sauce pan in order to thin it out. Once the
honey starts flowing in the pan, add the other ingredients and stir
together for a couple of minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes more,
at room temperature, and add them to the meat. Refrigerate the
marinated meat for 24 hours; take the meat out and drain it of the
excess liquid. Add it to the dehydrator for about six hours or in the oven.
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Pemmican
Native Americans invented pemmican due to the necessity of preserving
large amounts of buffalo meat. Since the buffalo is such a large animal,
it is necessary to store the meat in a way that it will not get spoiled. They
used to dry meat and make jerky on wood racks. Buffalo jerky became a
favorite way of transporting the meat or keeping it so it would not spoil.
Lacking refrigerators or other means of storage, Native Americans
made buffalo jerky by cutting the meat into strips, stringing it up, and
drying in the sun, as we do nowadays with laundry. Jerky made this way
is not like our modern jerky. Traditional jerky tends to be more like a
chip, more brittle and not chewy like the store-bought jerky. Unlike the
Europeans, the Native Americans did not use salt to preserve meat but
instead relied on the sun to dry the meat. The process for making buffalo
jerky is quite simple, and there are places that offer this traditional
delicacy today.“Jerky” comes from the Spanish word “Charqui.” It is a
tough form of the meat, but many find that its flavor is quite concentrated
and stronger than that of regular meat, just as dried fruit is often sweeter
than fresh. Today, many people smoke their buffalo jerky for extra
flavors, and it is possible to find many varieties of buffalo jerky that vary
in taste according to the kind of wood that was used to soak it or the
type of marinade used.
A method of making buffalo jerky that was popular among Native
Americans, which is not used often today, is the pemmican method
(from the Cree word “pimii,” or fat). In spite of buffalo meat’s reputation
for being lower in fat and calories than beef, this form of buffalo jerky is
quite high in fat but is also tasty. Pieces of buffalo jerky are placed in
hides of bison skin, and marrow fat is poured in.
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Pemmican is a mix of powdered jerky with rendered fat and berries. This
type of food is highly nutritious and therefore ideal as a long-term food.
Pemmican is so effective that it was used extensively on Arctic
expeditions as the primary survival food, and it is still used today. If
made the right way, the pemmican can last for a few decades. The
following is the traditional way to make pemmican.
Given there were no pots available to cook the buffalo, other methods
were developed by the Native American tribes.
The buffalo hide was removed from the carcass and placed in a
bowl-shaped hole dug in the ground as a liner.
Then they added water in the “buffalo kooker” and added the
pieces of meat.
Large quantities of stones were heated in a nearby fire and then
added into the water in order to boil the meat. One of the tribes
that cooked the meat this way was named Assiniboine, which in
translation means “the stone boilers.”
After the meat was boiled, it was first dried on wooden racks then
heated over a low fire then beaten with stones or sticks into
shreds.
The next step was to melt the buffalo tallow. The shredded meat
was stirred into the hot tallow to obtain the pemmican. The amount
of meat had to be equal to the amount of tallow. Dried fruit and
berries were added, and then the whole mixture was packed tightly
into a bag made out of buffalo skin and left to cool and harden.
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Biltong
Biltong is a great survival food that has his origins in Southern Africa. Biltong is a variety of dried and cured meats. You can use different types of meat to produce biltong, such as beef, game meats, chicken, fish, or even ostrich. First you have to cut out the fillets of meat. The fillets must be cut into strips or flat pieces following the grain of the muscle. Biltong is similar to beef jerky in that both are cured-dried meats. The difference between biltong and beef jerky is that biltong is sliced after the drying process, not before like the beef jerky.
Ingredients for biltong:
Meat
Black pepper
Coriander
Salt
Sugar or brown sugar
Vinegar
The modern-day recipe may include:
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Balsamic vinegar or malt vinegar
Bicarbonate of soda
Dry ground chili peppers
Onion powder
The best way to prepare biltong is by marinating the meat in a vinegar solution (balsamic or cider vinegar work very well too) for a few hours. After soaking, the meat must be drained of excess liquid. Meanwhile, prepare the spice mixture that consists of equal amounts of the following:
Whole, slightly roasted, and roughly ground coriander
Black pepper
Rock salt
Barbecue spice
Mix all the ingredients then ground roughly together. Sprinkle the mix all over themeat fillets, and rub well to obtain an evenly distributed layer.
After this process, the meat must rest for a few hours or refrigerate overnight in order to absorb the flavors.
The next step is to pour off any excess of liquid before the drying process. The drying process can be achieved in three ways:
1. You can dry out the meat in cold air.
2. Dry it on cardboard or in a wooden box
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3. Dry it in a climate-controlled, dry room.
In colder climates, biltong can be dried with the help of an electric lamp, but care must be taken to ventilate as mold can form on the meat and spoil it. A traditional slow dry will take four to six days, but you can dry the biltong in an electric fan-assisted oven too. Set the oven to 100–160°F, and leave the door open in order to eliminate the moist air. You’ll have the same result as the traditional drying after four to five hours. The point is to eliminate as much moisture as possible. A longer drying process will prolong the shelf life from two years to three to four. Biltong can be eaten as a snack, added to stews for a great taste, put in sandwiches, or used to make biltong-flavored potato chips.
Sausages
Sausages might seem really complicated, but I assure you, they’re not.
Sausage making is simple, although it might seem tricky to the untrained
eye. Sausages stay nice and in their shape because they’re incased in
“casings.” The casing keeps the composure, and there are two types
you can get your hands on:
1 – Collagen casings made out of reconstituted meat products
2 – Bio-casings, which are all natural and made out of cleaned animal
intestines (mostly sheep or pig); these are the better ones
Once you have the ingredients and tools you’ll need for sausage-
making, this is one of the best sausage recipes you will ever come
across:
Sheep or pig casings
3 pounds of ground pork plus 2 pounds of ground bacon
5 teaspoons of salt
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1½ teaspoons of black pepper
2 tablespoons of chopped red pepper (roasted, not fresh)
1½ teaspoons of savory
1½ teaspoons of marjoram
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 cup of cold water
Mincer
There’s no real technique or refinement in sausage making. Just throw
all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix them well. Once the meat
and spices paste seems homogenized enough, you’ll need to process
the sausages even further. Take the meat, and add it to the mincer.
There are a few electrical ones, but most of them are manual. It’s going
to take a bit of physical effort on your part, so take that into
consideration. Place the casing on the “receiving end” of the mincer, and
start grinding. Sausage making is best done with a partner; as one
grinds, another can supervise the meat going into the casing. Sausages
can be kept in the fridge or hanged out to dry in a cool and dark enough
place.
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Hams
Curing hams used to be the best way to preserve pork before there
was reliable refrigeration. Curing and smoking pulls the moisture from
the ham to make it safe to store at room temperature. We don’t cure for
this purpose anymore but rather to give the ham a great flavor and color.
Now think of a grid down scenario where the electricity will no longer be
available and you’ll have to preserve everything the old-fashioned way.
Not having the skills and the knowledge to do this, you will not be able to
preserve food for longer periods of time.
Homemade curing mix:
This dry rub mix recipe has been in my family and handed down for
generations.
Curing salt
Red pepper
Black pepper
Brown sugar
For every 2 cups of curing salt, add the following:
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1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon red pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
Method:For one ham, start with six to eight cups of mix.
To start your dry cure of ham, you need to start by selecting a good
ham. Pick up a fresh, high-quality ham that has come from a young
hog.For dry curing, you need a long, thick cushion of ham, preferably a
deep, wide butt face, which has the least amount of external fat.Before
you begin with the curing procedure, make sure that the ham has been
kept properly chilled, preferably at a temperature below 40°F.
While most of those who cure ham at home only use salt, you can
always experiment with a few more ingredients and decide what works
best for you. Ideally, for 100 pounds of fresh ham, you would need eight
pounds of salt, two pounds of sugar, and two ounces of saltpeter. Mix all
these ingredients well, and divide them into two equal batches. You will
be using the first batch on the first day of the curing, and the second
batch will be used the next day.Take a fresh ham with skin on, wash it
off in water, and pat dry.
Put a layer of curing mix on the tray to act as a bed for the ham. This
bed of curing mix should be ¼” – ½” deep.
Place the ham on top of the layer of mix.
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The curing mixture should be rubbed thoroughly into the surface of the
meat, especially on the lean surfaces, because the skin and fat surface
will allow the least absorption of the salt mixture. Therefore, whatever
you will be able to push through the lean surface will be what works as a
cure for the meat.
TIP: After applying the first batch of the curing mixture, keep the
ham on a wooden shelf or in a wooden bin, but take care not to use
a fragrant wood like pine because ham, or any meat, has a
tendency to absorb flavors from its surroundings.
At each joint, cut slits down to the bone. These slits are needed because
you have to pack extra salt around the joint so the fluid will draw
out. Otherwise, you could spoil the ham. There are two joints: the
H-bone(hip) and the hock.
Pack the slits you made at the joints with the curing mix; then rub and
cover the rest of the ham with the curing mix.
After 18 days check the ham.As far as ham is concerned, you need to
cure it on the basis of seven days per inch of cushion depth or one and a
half days per pound. You need to keep accurate records of this
proportion so that you do not over or under-cure the ham.Once you are
satisfied that your ham is thoroughly cured, remove the curing mixture
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by simple washing. You may use a hard brush to remove any traces of
the cure from within the crevices on the meat surface. Allow the meat to
dry before storing it in an environment of 50 to 60°F for about a fortnight.
TIP:If you are going to put this ham in the smoker, it has to be firm
to the touch. If not firm to the touch, it is not ready to come out of
the curing mix. If it is not firm, it is because there is still too much
fluid left in the ham.
If the ham is ready to be smoked, thoroughly rinse off the salt and pat
dry before smoking.
In Southeastern Virginia, most hams are smoked to accelerate drying
and to give added flavor. The best way to obtain a ham that can last for
a long period of time is to smoke it for a long time at a low temperature
(lower than 90°F). Wood from hardwood species of trees (trees that
shed their leaves in the fall) should be used to produce the smoke.
Hickory is the most popular, but apple, plum, peach, oak, maple, beech,
ash, mesquite, oak, pecan, alder, or cherry may be used.
Some North American ham and bacon makers smoke their products
over burning corncobs. In Europe, alder is the traditional smoking wood,
but oak is more often used now and beech to a lesser extent.
TIP: Do not use pine, cedar, spruce, and other needle-leaf trees for smoking meat, because they give off a resin that has a bitter taste and odor.
The fire should be a “cool,” smoldering type that produces dense smoke. Keep the temperature of the smokehouse below 90° F. Hang hams in a smokehouse so that they don’t touch each other. Hams should be smoked until they become chestnut brown in color, which may take one to three days.
Smoked Fish
Any of fish can be subjected to smoking and drying—any type of
EDIBLE fish that is. The first thing to do is to wash the fish thoroughly
and chop off any bits and pieces that should be removed. The fish
should be gutted and the head removed; some people do not remove
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the head, and that’s okay too. After removing the innards, wash the
interior of excess blood. Get a bowl filled with cold water and salt, and let
the fish sit for about 30 minutes. Repeat the process every 30 minutes
until there’s no more redness in the water; this is an indicator that the
fish has been bled out completely.
TIP: Never use hot or warm water, as this will soften the fish.
Take the fish out, and pat it dry with paper towels. Gently sprinkle it with
unrefined salt, and place it in the fridge for a whole day. The salt will dry
and dehydrate the fish, which will prevent bacterial buildup. After the 24
hours are up, take out the fish and wash it with COLD water only. Tie a
string to every fish tail, and hang them out to dry in a cool and dry spot
for another 24 hours before smoking.
Fish can be smoked in the following ways:
Cold smoking – small sessions (2–3 hours) for 6–7 days
Hot smoking – for 6 hours
Combined – 5 days of cold smoking and 2 hours of hot smoking in
day 6
The best wood for the job is beech, be it hardwood or sawdust, but you
could also use cherry wood, plum, or apricot wood as well. Throw a
handful of spices of your choosing (laurel, thyme, coriander, rosemary,
green tea, olive branches, etc.) in the fire as this will enhance the flavor
and give a specific color.
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Smoked Oysters
The oysters are the main ingredient, and you shouldn’t settle for
anything less than the best. What works best in this case are six- to
seven-inch long oysters (shell-wise), which would translate in about 3.5
inches of the long meaty part. These are medium-sized oysters and are
the easiest to find. Once you have the oysters, you’ll need to take them
out of the shells and keep them in fridge as they tend to spoil rather
quickly once out of the shell.
Once the oysters are settled, start making the brine. This is a really great
brine recipe that gives an intense and unique flavor. These are the
required ingredients:
¾ cup of salt (non-iodized)
1/5 cup of brown sugar
½ cup of soy sauce
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 cup of brandy
a pinch of pepper
hot sauce
1 tablespoon of onion powder
1½ gallons of water
a stainless steel grill rack
This amount should provide enough brine for about 50 oysters. Throw all
the ingredients in a large container (non-metallic), and stir until all the
crystals dissolve. Once this happens, throw in the oysters, and stir gently
to make sure they don’t stick to each other. Take the whole concoction,
and place it in the fridge for about 40 hours.
After the 40 hours is up, take the oysters out of the fridge and rinse them
in cold water, one by one, in order to remove the excess brine. Get the
stainless steel grill rack, and oil it up. Place the oils on the metal. You
can use a pro smoker or hang them out over a fire in a smoking room.
The oysters will shrink as much as 50% during the smoking process, so
don’t panic when you see the end result. The basic temperature for
oyster smoking is about 130°F–150°F. Depending on your smoker, the
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oyster should be done anytime between 20 minutes and 1 hour. Cold
smoking techniques will take longer two to three hours.
Smoked Chicken
Smoking chicken is just as easy as it is delicious. Chicken meat is very
lean and is very susceptible to the smoking process. Smoked chicken is
a household favorite worldwide, and it can be achieved in many ways.
This is probably the easiest way to do it:
1 whole chicken (3–5 pounds)
1 yellow onion (medium-sized)
4–5 thyme sprigs
1 lemon
3 garliccloves
1 tablespoon of crushed garlic
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of pepper
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1 tablespoon of onion powder
1 cup of kosher salt
1 cup of brown sugar
1 gallon of water
Fill a container (non-metallic) with one gallon of water. Throw in
thekosher salt and brown sugar, and stir gently until they dissolve. Once
the crystals have dissolved, place the chicken in, and let it sit in the
fridge overnight. Smoking chicken is easiest done by grilling, so if you
have one, just set it on smoke with the lid open until the fire has started.
Preset the temperature to 225°F and start the preheat sequence (close
the lid for about 12–15 minutes).
While the grill is preheating, take the chicken out of the brine, and pat it
dry with paper towels. Once the excess liquid has been removed, rub it
with onion powder, salt, pepper, and garlic. Stuff the cavity with thyme,
lemon, onion, and garlic, and tie the legs together. Place it on the grill for
about three hours. When the internal temperature of the chicken reaches
150°F, it’s done.
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***
All these methods and techniques shown are practical and can be done
by anyone. If you don’t succeed at first, try and try again! They may
require a bit of practice before you’ll get them right. But if not-so-modern
man could do them, so can we. Mastering the ways of preserving meat
gets you one step closer to absolute self-sufficiency and self-reliance.
Knowledge translates into power; so the more you know, the more
powerful you are.
***
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HOW TO NEVER GO WITHOUT
MILK, CHEESE, OR BUTTER
Winter storage techniques for dairy products
INTRODUCTION
Just like eggs, milk and milk-based products also have a tendency to go
bad and spoil rather quickly. They’re not the friendliest food groups as
far as long time storage is concerned, because of the many active
proteins they have in their composition. It’s these proteins that confer
milk-based products their nutritional value, and believe it or not, there
are ways that you can put these types of products aside in your pantry
even for long-term storage.
Whether you’re keen on storing milk, all sorts of cheeses, or butter
matters very little. If you’re the type of serious prepper that aspires to
obtain the best results, just follow the easy tips and tricks that you’re
about to read, and you’ll have a winter pantry full of milk-based foods in
no time. Just be patient, and don’t skip over any of the steps; doing
everything by the book will be worth the effort.
Every single storage method contained in this list is practical and
efficient yet inexpensive and easy to do. Dairy storage investments are
negligible, and the dairy storage techniques and tricks are strict but fairly
easy. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to store milk, cheese, or butter for
the winter, because any average Joe can do it. It takes only a bit of
dedication and hard work.
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FROZEN MILK
This is the fastest and best known method as far as milk storage is
concerned. Any type of milk will do well in freezing conditions because
the protein deterioration rate will slow down. Freezing the milk is a really
uncomplicated and cheap method. All you need is a fridge, some airtight
containers, and quality milk (milk that doesn’t show signs of spoilage).
There’s really no way of giving a precise shelf-life in this case, as it
depends a lot on the type of milk that you’ll be placing in cold storage, its
quality, and, of course, how well your fridge is running. Any sort of milk
will do well in freezing conditions, be it cow milk, sheep, goat, and even
human breast milk (should there ever be a need for it).
It does not matter if the milk is “home-made” or carton milk that you
bought from the supermarket. It can be pasteurized or non-pasteurized,
but in general, fresh milk tends to do just a little bit better in cold storage.
Farm fresh milk should be cooled immediately to prolong its storage
term as much as possible. If the milk is too warm, the cooling rate will be
too high to ensure the optimal storage results. Cool the milk as quickly
as possible, and there will be no problems.
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The containersthat are used are a really important variable. Milk can be
stored in pretty much anything (as long as it’s not made from toxic
materials or metal): glass jars, eco-friendly plastic containers, Ziploc
bags, or cartons. It’s not so much about the stuff the container is made
out of but rather about the size. In smaller containers, the milk tends to
freeze faster, which helps maintain milk quality and also allows it to thaw
faster in the refrigerator when you need it later. No matter what you’ll be
using as a container, make sure it’s airtight as this will reduce spoilage
and odor absorption to a minimum.
Once again, shelf-life depends on too many variables to give an exact
number; just smell and taste the milk before consumption. If anything
seems off, throw it away. Color is also a good indicator, and a see-
through container will help a lot. If not, just pour some milk in a clean
glass, and inspect it carefully. Be very wary of the milk’s state as spoiled
milk may seriously harm one’s health.
DEHYDRATED MILK
Homemade dehydrated milk is a great alternative for everybody that just
isn’t happy with commercial powdered milk. If you have too much milk
on your hands and a dehydrator, you can take prepping a step further
and make your own dehydrated milk. Any regular food dehydrator with
fruit trays (the rolled-up kind) will do. The margins are raised to keep the
milk from spilling. Just pour about one cup of milk in each tray, and
you’re good to go.
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Skimmed works better as it will spread evenly, but if you don’t mind tiny
“bumps” here and there, use whatever it is you have. Once the trays are
filled with milk, start “cooking” at about 125°F to 130°F; the process
should take anywhere between 10 and 12 hours, so arm yourself with
patience. If the surface on which the dehydrator is placed isn’t perfectly
level, the milk won’t “cook” perfectly. Uneven distribution will give the
milk a weird look; it’s no problem really, but if you care about aesthetics,
you can try turning the trays around every 25 to 30 minutes to improve
the aspect and the overall heat distribution a little.
The solid milk bits tend to be uneven, so simply take a food scraper and
scrap it gently on the surface of the dehydrator tray. Once all the parts
have come off, redistribute them evenly on the tray, and place them
back in the dehydrator.
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Once the milk becomes flaky, you can crumble it by hand as thin as you
can, but don’t put too much time and effort into it. Make them small
enough to be blended. Blend everything as fine as possible, and there
you have it: instant powdered milk (home edition). Place the powdered
milk into an airtight container, and let it sit in a proper pantry or storage
facility that is cool, dark, and germ free. You can keep it in Ziploc bags or
airtight plastic containers too, but any glass jar that you might have
around the house will work best (as long as it has an airtight lid). Just
wash the jar thoroughly first.
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To reconstitute dehydrated milk, just add warm water to the mix; 1.5
tablespoons of dry milk to a quarter cup of water is the perfect ratio.
DEHYDRATED YOGURT
Yogurt in general (homemade or purchased) will keep in the fridge well,
but the shelf-life limit can’t be exceeded, not even by a single day. There
is a more efficient way of storing yogurt, one that will make it stay “fresh”
over the whole winter or even longer. Just like with milk, the key is to
forcefully remove all of the excess water from its structure, which attracts
all sorts of bacteria that will produce fermentation and cause spoilage.
Just like before, you’ll need to have a personal dehydrator device. Start
out by spreading the yogurt as thin as you possibly can (or want to) on
the dehydrator tray. If you don’t have a regular tray and just the grill, you
can use parchment paper instead.
Once everything is set in place, you can close the dehydrator properly
and raise the heat to about 130°F. Let the heat work its magic for about
five to six hours. Because yogurt is already fermented milk (partially), it
will take half the time regular milk needs to dehydrate properly. The
dehydration process depends on the thickness of the yogurt and on the
various components it may contain, so check on the yogurt every two to
three hours to make sure you’re not overdoing things.
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Once it’s done, you can pass it through the blender and throw it in an
airtight container. Then place it in a proper storage area. Fruit yogurts
will maintain flavor, making for an excellent snack.
HOMEMADE YOGURT
Storing milk is one thing, but storing yogurt is a whole different ball
game. Large quantities of milk aren’t much of a strain on the old wallet,
but purchasing large quantities of yogurt just for the sake of storing it
may be a bit tricky, especially if you’re considering the fruit-flavored
ones. For those of you who just aren’t comfortable with throwing that
much money out the window, there’s always the alternative of making
your own in-house yogurt. It’s not exactly easy, but it will be far more
cost efficient than just buying it from your local dairy dealer.
For the best DIY yogurt imaginable, you’ll need the following:
milk (skimmed or whole)
2 tablespoons of yogurt per quart of milk (The little bit of yogurt will
provide the necessary enzymes that will trigger the fermentation
process.)
glass jars
a pot (large enough to hold the glass jars)
a kitchen thermometer
a timer
a clean towel
a picnic cooler
First and foremost, you’ll need to sterilize the jars and the lids before
using them. Run them through the dishwasher, or wash them by hand
with soapy water. Do the same for the picnic cooler. Impurities and
bacteria are a great risk, so don’t take any chances. Once you’ve
washed everything, dry them out well before starting the yogurt-making
process.
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Pour milk into the jars, stopping about an inch from the top; the jars don’t
have to be filled to the brim. Take a washcloth and place it on the bottom
of the pot; this will make for a soft bed and prevent the jars from cracking
once they start shaking from boiling. Place the jars in the pot, and fill the
pot with tap water.
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Put the thermometer and a spoon that you’ll use for stirring on the edge
of the pot. Turn the heat on high, and when the water starts boiling, it will
sterilize both the spoon and the thermometer alike. Once the
thermometer is sterilized, place it in one of the jars and turn the heat to
medium-low, just so you keep the water boiling nice and steady. When
the milk reaches 185°F, you can turn the heat off and put the lids on the
jars.
Next, take the jars out and let them cool to room temperature. You
should also leave the starter yogurt at room temperature for a bit so that
it’s not too cold when you add it to the mix. If you’re in a hurry, you can
also use the alternative of placing the jars in a container filled with ice; it
will reduce the temperature to optimal in about 30 minutes.
If you’re in no hurry and want to do things by the book, put the lid on the
pot of boiling water, and arrange the towel in the cooler so you don’t melt
the cooler; next, close the lid (towel and all).
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The incubation of the fermenting bacteria (the good kind, which you
need) happens at about 110°F. Once the milk reaches the optimum
temperature, take of the lids of the jars and gently stir in 2 tablespoons
of yogurt (which carries the fermenting enzymes) per each quart of milk.
Be very precise about the starter yogurt quality as too much or too little
will ruin the product.
Put the lids back on, and place the jars in a pot in the cooler, next to the
hot pot. Wrap them half-way in the towel, and take the lid off the pot so
that there’s a way for the heat to escape. The lid of the cooler should be
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closed. The whole contraption should be as still as possible as
movement will affect the quality of the yogurt.
Let everything sit for six to 24 hours. Any sooner and you’d just be
having plain milk with a spoon of yogurt in it; any later and the
fermenting bacteria will have consumed all the lactose. Just pick a time
anywhere in between six and 24 hours; just know that the shorter
amount of time it stays in, the sweeter the yogurt is going to be. Leave it
in more for a stronger taste. Once the preset time is up, take out the jars
and place them in the fridge for about 40–60 minutes; this will improve
the texture of the finite product.
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REFRIGERATED CHEESE
Cheese is less pretentious when it comes to winter storage methods
than milk or yogurt. It keeps well, and even if it develops mold all over
the surface, you can just slice it off. But this will deteriorate the overall
quality of the cheese little by little. For winter, a good method of storing
cheese in the fridge is all wrapped up. The wrapping material is key
here; plastic will ruin everything, so it’s not an option. Cheese has high
amounts of fats and oils, which makes it react badly to prolonged contact
with plastic. Plastic not only reduces the natural flavor of the cheese but
will also spoil it all together.
Go for cheese bags or cheese paper instead. The material “lives” in
perfect symbiotic conditions with the piece of cheese it engulfs. It’s
porous enough so that it gives the cheese room to breathe.
If you’re not convinced, however, you can always go for regular
parchment or wax paper as well. Just put your hunk of cheese in a not-
so-tight parchment or wax paper, and place it in a partially sealed plastic
bag. Plastic is not detrimental as long as it doesn’t come in direct contact
with the cheese.
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If you’re not completely sold on the plastic bit, however, just use
aluminum foil instead; it will work just as well, but it will be a bit more
expensive.
Fattier cheeses tend to “sweat” a lot, releasing excess fats. No matter
what wrapping material you’re using in this case, change it periodically.
Greased up wrappers won’t perform as well as far as breathing is
concerned. (Remember, fridge-stored cheese needs regular airflow.)
Don’t let the wrapping material get too greasy either; just replace it every
time you unwrap the cheese.
Softer cheese, like mozzarella, will spoil a lot faster than hard ones, so
always be on the lookout if your fridge is packed with soft cheeses.
Ideally, cheese should be kept in the fridge at a steady temperature of
35°F to 45°F; keeping it near the freezer will degrade the texture of the
cheese, so keep it in the vegetable drawer instead.
If you want to go as far back as the roots of cheese preservation go, you
can replace the wrappers with oils. Just rub the cut faces of the cheese
with a thin coat of olive oil; canola or any other vegetable oils will do, but
not as well. If mold takes hold, it will be on the oil and not on the surface
of the cheese. This way you can wipe the oil off and rinse the cheese
under running water. When cheese goes bad, it will reflect in texture,
color, or taste.
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DEHYDRATED HARD CHEESE
Because cheeses vary a lot in fat consistency and other things, there are
different approaches when it comes to home dehydration. Yes, cheese
can be dehydrated, and the process will prolong shelf life. Hard cheeses
will perform fairly well during the dehydration process, and they will keep
even better in proper storage facilities. This is what you’ll need for
dehydrated hard cheese:
hard cheese (any sort will do, but the less fat and moisture a
cheese contains, the faster the dehydration process will be)
a food processor or a cheese grater
high-quality paper towels (any non-stick sheet available on the
market will do just fine)
a food dehydrator
Get the dehydrator ready to work its magic. Line all the dehydrator’s
trays (or as many as you need for the quantity of cheese you want to
dry) with paper towels. Grate the cheese, or shred it in the food
processor (not necessarily thin), and spread it evenly on the surface of
the paper towels that are covering the trays. Make the cheese layer as
thin as possible.
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Set the dehydrator to about 135°F, and check on the cheese every few
minutes. When the temperature rises, the cheese will start to “sweat,”
releasing fats. Depending on the type of paper sheets you’re using,
you’ll have to check on the cheese every five to ten minutes and either
change the towels (if they’re absorbent) or remove the cheese
temporarily and dry off the excess fat from the towels (if they’re extra
shiny).
Always stay nearby. Cheese consistency varies a lot from one type to
the next, so check on it regularly, not only for “sweat” but also to make
sure the cheese won’t melt. The goal is to remove excess water and
fats, not to turn everything into goo. Airflow is just as important as the
heat is in this case. Melting will happen every here and there, so just
keep it to a minimum.
After a processing time of 10 hours (more or less), the cheese should be
dry and brittle enough to simply snap in half. However, if your goal is to
turn it into the thinnest possible powder you possibly can, you can run it
through a fine food processor or, even better, a grain mill.
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Whether you’ll be keeping the cheese as brittle small pieces or fine
powder (or both) doesn’t matter. Just place it in airtight containers
(Ziploc bags, glass jars, or plastic containers), and store it in a proper
pantry that’s cool and dry.
DEHYDRATED SOFT CHEESE
Soft cheese (like mozzarella) requires a whole different approach from
the get-go. Instead of covering the dehydrator trays with cheese paper
or cheese cloth, use plastic wrap. Punch a hole in the center of the
plastic sheet after doing so; otherwise, air flow will be restricted.
Once the plastic wrap is nice and firm on the trays, spread the cheese all
over its surface in a thin layer. Do it as thin or as thick as you want but
no thicker than a quarter of an inch. Place all the cheese-filled trays in
the dehydrator, adjust it to the lowest setting, and turn it on.
If the dehydrator doesn’t have a proper ventilation system, you’ll need to
rearrange the trays by hand every two or three hours to avoid extreme
dryness on the bottom trays. To even things out, circulate the trays as
follows: Replace the bottom tray with the top tray, but before changing
the two, move all the other trays up one spot.
When the cheese feels dry to the touch, it’s ready. You can gently break
it by hand if you want to. Take it out and place it in airtight containers,
like Ziploc bags or glass jars. It’s best kept in a cool, dark, and dry
storage area.
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BUTTER
Storing butter is really tricky as butter requires a cold and dark place
constantly. A fridge is the best option you have. And if you have your
heart set on keeping butter in storage during a SHTF situation, it’s best
to have a generator and fuel at your disposal.
Salted and unsalted butter will keep really well in their original wrappers.
The first thing to consider is to always place the stick of butter in the
fridge only if the butter is wrapped perfectly. No surface (no matter how
small) must remain unwrapped, because the fatty and oily components
will assimilate foreign smells almost instantly, therefore spoiling its taste.
Always keep the butter in the designated butter compartment in the
fridge, away from fruit, vegetables, or home-cooked food; all of these
give out very powerful odors.
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You can take salted butter a step further as far as fridge storage goes,
and you can freeze it if you like. In this case, you’ll need to cut the butter
up into three or four equal pieces, if it isn’t already in sticks, and wrap
them individually in tinfoil (perfectly). Place it in a freezer-proof container
or airtight sealable bags, and let them sit in the freezer; frozen butter will
last 8–10 months.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BUTTER STORAGE:
The butter compartment in the fridge is always designated on the
fridge door. The door opens a lot, exposing the butter to
temperature variations; this takes a toll on the butter, so placing it
on an inner shelf in the fridge would be even better.
Butter specialists and product companies seem to agree on the
fact that unsalted butter is best used within three months.
The expiration date on the package should always be taken
seriously; there are plenty of tests and biochemical data analysis
as far as food safety is concerned.
Spoiled butter can be identified by the following signs: pale color,
bad odor, too soft or hard to the touch, or covered in mold.
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FINAL THOUGHTS
There are plenty of methods and means to storing dairy products, and
they all work just fine. But the indications should be respected and
followed to a tee. All of these storage processes are comprised of
chemical reactions, which, if performed incorrectly, might endanger your
health. Do everything by the book, and not only will you have the best
storage pantry imaginable but you’ll also have a clean bill of health.
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DELICIOUS MUSHROOM
RECIPES
A practical guide to making the best edible mushrooms
INTRODUCTION
HEALTH BENEFITS OF MUSHROOMS
The health benefits of mushrooms include lowering the chances of high
cholesterol levels, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and diabetes. It also
helps in weight loss and increases the strength of your immune system.
Almost all of us are familiar with mushrooms and their almost
miraculous, beneficial powers,particularly those who have read or heard
a lot of fairytales, such as Alice in Wonderland or Goldilocks and the
Three Bears, or even those who have played the Super Mario Brothers
video game.
You have probably seen mushrooms making someone bigger or acting
as a shield against some dangerous monster. These aren’t just popular
culture references; they are actually symbolic representations of the
actual health benefits of mushrooms. They truly can make you bigger
and protect you against diseases and infections as they are full of
proteins, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antibiotics, and antioxidants.
Mushrooms are edible fungi with various scientific names, but the family
name is Agaricus; then there are many secondary names for different
species. They are essentially Saprophytes, the organisms (plants
without chlorophyll) that thrive by extracting nutrients from dead and
decaying plant and animal matter. They vary greatly in their color,
texture, shape, and properties.
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There are approximately 140,000 species of mushroom-forming fungi in
the world, but science is only familiar with about 10%, and only 100
species or so are being studied for their potential health benefits and
medicinal applications. Some of the most well-known benefits of
mushrooms are explained below.
CHOLESTEROL LEVELS
Mushrooms themselves provide you with lean proteins since they have
no cholesterol or fat and are very low in carbohydrates. The fiber and
certain enzymes in mushrooms also help lower cholesterol levels.
Moreover, the high, lean protein content in mushrooms helps burn
cholesterol when they are being digested. Balancing levels of cholesterol
between LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) and HDL (“good”
cholesterol) is essential in the prevention of various cardiovascular
diseases like arteriosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke.
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BREAST CANCER AND PROSTATE CANCER
Mushrooms are very effective in preventing breast and prostate cancer
due to the significant presence of various polysaccharides, like beta-
glucans and conjugated linoleic acid, which both have anti-carcinogenic
effects. Out of these two, linoleic acid is particularly helpful in
suppressing the harmful effects of excess estrogen. This increase in
estrogen is one of the prime causes of breast cancer in women after
menopause. The beta-glucans, on the other hand, inhibit the growth of
cancerous cells in cases of prostate cancer, and numerous studies have
shown the antitumor properties of mushrooms when applied medicinally.
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DIABETES AND BONE HEALTH
Mushrooms are an ideal low-energy diet for diabetics. They have no
fats, no cholesterol, very low levels of carbohydrates, high protein
content, and a wealth of vitamins and minerals. They also contain a lot
of water and fiber. Moreover, they contain natural insulin and enzymes,
which help the breaking down of sugar or starch in food. They are also
known to contain certain compounds that help proper functioning of the
liver, pancreas, and other endocrine glands, thereby promoting the
formation of insulin and its proper regulation throughout the body.
Diabetics often suffer from infections, particularly in their limbs, which
tend to continue for long periods of time. The natural antibiotics in
mushrooms can help protect diabetics from these painful and potentially
life-threatening conditions.
Mushrooms are a rich source of calcium, which is an essential nutrient in
the formation and strengthening of bones. A steady supply of calcium in
the diet can reduce your chances of developing conditions like
osteoporosis and can also reduce the joint pain and general lack of
mobility that is associated with bone degradation.
NUTRIENT ABSORPTION
Vitamin D is a relatively rare vitamin in vegetables, and in fact, edible
forms in general are not particularly common. However, mushrooms
have it, and this essential vitamin can facilitate the absorption and
metabolism of calcium and phosphorous. Mushrooms also contain these
two nutrients, so the combined effects of having all of these nutrients in
one powerful source—mushrooms—makes it a good idea to eat them
whenever possible.
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IMMUNE SYSTEM STRENGTH
Ergothioneine, a powerful antioxidant present in mushrooms, is very
effective in providing protection from free radicals as well as boosting the
immune system. It is actually an amino acid that contains sulfur, which is
something that many people are deficient in without knowing it. That
being said, the presence of this “master antioxidant,” which is unique to
mushrooms, can give a major boost to your immune system health. It
helps to eliminate free radicals, which are the dangerous compounds
that are released during the metabolic processes of cells and can float
throughout the body and cause significant damage and disease, so
antioxidants like ergothioneine are vital elements for overall health.
Mushrooms contain natural antibiotics (similar to penicillin, which itself is
extracted from mushrooms) that inhibit microbial growth and other fungal
infections. Those same polysaccharides, beta-glucans, can stimulate
and regulate the body’s immune system. They can also help heal ulcers
and ulcerous wounds and protect them from developing infections. The
good combination of vitamins A, B-Complex, and C that is found in
mushrooms also strengthens the immune system.
BLOOD PRESSURE
Studies of various types of mushrooms, including shitake and maitake
mushrooms, have shown them to be high in potassium content.
Potassium acts as a vasodilator, relaxing tension in blood vessels and
therefore reducing blood pressure. High blood pressure is connected to
a number of deadly conditions, particularly heart attacks and strokes.
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Potassium also increases cognitive function because increased blood
and oxygen flow to the brain stimulates neural activity. Studies have
shown that increased levels of potassium improve memory and
knowledge retention.
Maitake mushroom
COPPER AND SELENIUM CONTENT
Copper has a number of beneficial effects on the body, and can be
found in mushrooms. Calcium can regulate and stimulate the absorption
of iron from food, and properly utilize it by getting it released from
primary storage spots in the body like the liver. Mushrooms also have
high levels of iron, so the two work together for healthy bones and
preventing anemia.
The selenium content in mushrooms is one of the most beneficial
elements that is often overlooked. The primary source of selenium is
found in animal proteins; however, due to their classification as fungi that
feed off animal and plant matter, mushrooms are the best way for
vegetarians to obtain the necessary amount of selenium. Selenium is
found in large quantities in mushrooms and can benefit bone health by
adding to bone strength and increasing durability. It also strengthens the
teeth, hair, and nails. Furthermore, this essential nutrient is a powerful
antioxidant that rids the body of free radicals and generally strengthens
the immune system. The bioavailability of selenium in mushrooms differs
with species, but the majority of commonly consumed mushrooms have
significant levels of this important mineral.
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WEIGHT LOSS
Would you believe that a completely lean protein diet is ideal for losing
fat and building muscle mass? Well, believe it or not, it’s true. Most fats
are burned to digest proteins found in our food, more so when the
protein is accompanied by a very low carbohydrate count, no fat or
cholesterol, and a good amount of fiber. This is exactly the combination
that mushrooms offer to help in losing weight! Due to their nutrient
density, they actually rank higher than most fruits and vegetables, and
some researchers say that mushrooms are one of the rare foods that
people can eat as often as possible with no side effects.
One study replaced red meat with white button cap mushrooms,
approximately one cup per day, and found that those test subjects who
ate mushrooms not only lost a significant amount of weight over a
standard period of time but they also decreased their waistline and were
better able to maintain their new weight rather than ballooning back to
the original weight as is the case in most crash diets.
A FEW WORDS OF CAUTION:
On a much more serious note, mushrooms can be very dangerous! Most
species of mushrooms are not edible, are highly poisonous, and look
strikingly similar to their edible counterparts. Don’t ever try picking
mushrooms for consumption from the woods unless you have been
trained to identify them very well. Mushrooms have the unique ability to
absorb the material that they grow on, either good or bad. This quality is
what gives mushrooms so much of their beneficial power but also their
dangerous aspects. Many mushrooms, when picked in the wild, contain
heavy metals, which can be very toxic, as well as air and water
pollutants.
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<<<Beautiful but deadly (Amanita muscaria)
Also, do not trust any unknown vendors when you buy mushrooms.
Always trust sealed products from reputable companies or those that
you have grown yourself under controlled conditions after buying their
seeds (called spawns) from a trusted source. A single poisonous
mushroom among others in a dish can threaten a large number of
people’s health, resulting in comas, severe poisoning symptoms,
nausea, vomiting, convulsions, cramps, and insanity. Many species can
even be fatal if ingested. Always avoid eating discolored mushrooms or
those that are different in color than the typically accepted color of their
species.
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MUSHROOM MANCHURIAN RECIPE
THE REQUIRED INGREDIENTS
For the batter:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
½ tsp black pepper powder or freshly crushed black pepper
1 tsp soy sauce
¾ cup water
salt and sugar as required
For the Manchurian:
200–250 grams button mushrooms
3–4 spring onions, finely chopped (reserve the greens for garnish)
2–3 green chilies, finely chopped
2 tsp finely chopped garlic
2 tsp finely chopped ginger
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1 tsp finely chopped celery (optional)
½ tsp black pepper powder or crushed black pepper
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 medium green or yellow bell pepper, sliced, diced, or chopped
Salt as required
HOW TO PREPARE IT
Preparing the mushrooms:
Rinse, dry, and halve the mushrooms.
Mix everything for the batter.
Heat oil for frying,
Dip the mushroom in the batter,and fry them till golden brown. Put
these aside.
Preparing the sauce:
Heat oil; add the spring onion whites, and stir fry them for a minute on a
medium flame.
Now add the chopped celery, green chili, ginger, garlic, and some of the
spring onion greens.
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Stir fry these also for a minute on a medium flame.
Add the black pepper, salt, sugar, and soy sauce.
Mix well. Add the fried mushroom to this sauce.
Stir so that the sauce coats the mushroom well.
Serve mushroom Manchurian hot and garnished with chopped spring
onion greens and celery.
Notes: The black pepper, sugar, and soy sauce can be adjusted to your
taste preferences. Also, the quantity of ginger, garlic, and green chilies
can be increased or decreased according to your spice preferences.
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MUSHROOM BIRYANI RECIPE
THE REQUIRED INGREDIENTS
1 heaped cup basmati rice, about 100 grams
2½ cups water; add more if required
200 to 250 grams button mushrooms
1 medium onion, about ½ cup finely chopped onion
1 medium tomato, about ½ cup tightly packed finely chopped tomatoes
1 or 2 green chilies, finely chopped
2 tsp ginger garlic paste, about 5 to 6 garlic and 1-inch ginger crushed in
a mortar-pestle
¼ cup tightly packed chopped mint leaves
¼ cup tightly packed chopped coriander leaves
8 to 10 medium-sized curry leaves
½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp red chili powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
1½ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp black pepper powder
2 to 3 tbsp oil
salt as required
whole spices:
¾ tsp cumin
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¾ tsp fennel
1-inch cinnamon
2 to 3 cloves
2 to 3 green cardamoms
2 to 3 strands of mace
1 small to medium Indian bay leaf
1-star anise
HOW TO PREPARE IT
Soak rice in enough water for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes drain
the rice and put aside.
When the rice is soaking, prep the rest of the ingredients, such as
chopping veggies, etc.
Heat oil in a deep pan or pot. Make sure that the bottom of the pan
is thick; otherwise, the rice can get browned or burned.
When the oil becomes hot, add all the whole spices: fennel, cumin,
cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, green cardamoms, star anise, and
mace.
Fry the spices till fragrant for a few seconds.
Then add chopped onions and sauté till translucent.
Next add ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, half of mint and
coriander leaves, tomatoes,and curry leaves.
Stir well, and sauté this mixture till the tomatoes soften.
Then add coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala
powder, red chili powder, and black pepper powder.
Stir very well again so that the masalas or dry spice powders are
mixed evenly with the rest of the mixture.
Add sliced mushrooms. Stir again.
Sauté on a low to medium flame for 6 to 8 minutes. Keep on
stirring at intervals.
Add water andbring the mixture to a simmer.
Add the rice. Add the rest of the mint and coriander leaves; stir.
Season with salt.Check the taste of the stock; it should taste a bit
salty.
Cover the pan with a lid. On a low flame, cook the rice till the
grains are cooked well and all the water is absorbed. If the rice
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grains are not cooked and the water has dried up, add about ½ to
¾ cup water or more, if required.
You have to keep on checking the rice a couple of times to see if
the water has dries up or not. Once done, allow the rice to sit for 5
minutes. Then open the lid and gently fluff the rice.
Serve this south mushroom biryani with onion-tomato raita.
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KADAI MUSHROOM RECIPE
THE REQUIRED INGREDIENTS
For kadai masala:
1 tbsp coriander seeds
3 to 4 dry red chilies, broken and deseeded if preferred
½ tsp cumin seed
½ inch cinnamon
1 green cardamom
2 cloves
3 to 4 black pepper
1 single strand of mace (optional)
200–250 grams button mushrooms, sliced
1 medium to large bell pepper, thinly sliced or julienned (red, green,
or yellow)
2 medium to large tomatoes, pureed, about ¾ cup tomato puree (use
tomatoes that are ripe, red, and not too tangy)
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1 medium onion, about ½ cup finely chopped
½ inch ginger plus 3 to 4 medium garlic, crushed in a mortar-pestle or
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves, crushed
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ cup water
3 tbsp oil
Salt as required
For garnish:
1 to 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
½ inch ginger, julienne
1 or 2 tbsp cream (Low fat 25% to 35% cream can be added right at the
end and mixed with the gravy.)
¼ tsp garam masala powder or Punjabi garam masala (Garam masala
powder can be added when you add the dry fenugreek leaves.)
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HOW TO PREPARE IT
Preparing the kadai masala:
First dry roast all the spices mentioned above for the kadai masala
on a low flame in a wok or a pan till fragrant. Don’t burn them.
Once the spices cool down, add them to a grinder jar.
Grind to a semi-fine or fine powder. Put the ground kadai masala
aside.
Preparing the kadai mushroom gravy:
In the same jar, add the chopped tomatoes. Blend the tomatoes
to a smooth puree. Put aside.
Rinse, wipe, and then slice the mushrooms. Also thinly slice the
bell pepper and chop the onions, etc.,and put aside.
Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok or pan. Add the sliced mushrooms.
Stir and sauté the sliced mushrooms. First you will see the
mushrooms releasing a lot of water.
Later, the water will evaporate.Sauté till the mushrooms get
browned around the edges.
Remove the mushrooms, and put aside.
In the same oil, add the finely chopped onions; sauté the onions
till translucent or light golden.
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Now add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté till their raw aroma
disappears.
Add the tomato puree; stir and sauté till you see some oil
releasing from the sides.
Then add the sliced bell pepper. Stir and sauté for 5 to 6
minutes on low heat.
Add the ground kadai masala, and stir very well.
Then add ½ cup water. Season with salt.
Stir and bring the gravy to a simmer on low heat till you see a
few specks of oil on top.
Add the sautéed mushrooms.
Lastly, add crushed dry fenugreek leaves. Turn off the stove.
Stir and then serve kadai mushroom hot with rotis, parathas, or
naan. Garnish kadai mushrooms with ginger julienne and
chopped coriander leaves.
Notes: Other varieties of mushrooms can also be used instead of button
mushrooms. You can increase or decrease the number of red chilies as
per their heat and pungency.
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METHI MUSHROOM RESTAURANT-STYLE
RECIPE
THE REQUIRED INGREDIENTS
200–250 grams mushrooms
½ tsp turmeric or haldi
½ tsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ cup curd
1 cup fresh methi leaves or 2 tbsp dry fenugreek leaves
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 or 2 green chilies, sliced or chopped
½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste
Salt as required
Whole garam masala
1 inch of cinnamon
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1 big cardamom
2‒3 green cardamom
2‒3 cloves
1 bay leaf
A pinch of mace (optional)
HOW TO PREPARE IT
Rinse the mushrooms in running water to get rid of any dirt.
Chop them, and put them aside.
In a bowl, beat the curd and salt.
Add the mushrooms to the curd, and marinate for 30‒40
minutes.
Meanwhile,remove the stems from the fenugreek leaves.
Soak in water for some seconds so that the dirt, etc., settles
down at the bottom.
Dump the water, and soak the leaves again.
Do this process a couple of times.
Now rinse the leaves well and drain them in a colander.
Chop the leaves finely.
Heat oil in a pan or kadai.
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Add the whole garam masala: cardamom, cinnamon, green
cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaf, and mace.
Fry the whole garam masala till the oil becomes fragrant. Don’t
burn it.
Add onions, and fry till golden brown.
Be patient as onions take time to get browned.
Keep stirring the onions.
Add the green chili and ginger-garlic paste.
Fry for a minute.
Add the tomatoes, and sauté them till they become pulpy.
Keep on stirring the masala.
Add all the dry spice powders: turmeric, coriander, and red chili
powder.
Sauté till the oil leaves from the sides of the whole mixture.
Lower the flame, and add the marinated mushrooms with the
yogurt.
Also add the chopped methi leaves or dry methi leaves.
Add about ¼ to ½ cup of water.
Stir, cover the pan or kadai, and simmer till the mushrooms are
cooked.
Check in between, and if the consistency looks dry, then add
some more water.
Once the mushrooms are cooked, adjust the seasoning.
Garnish methi mushroom with some coriander leaves.
Serve methi mushroom hot with rotis or naan.
Notes: Use fresh yogurt in the recipe. If the yogurt is not fresh or is sour,
there are chances of it getting spilt in the gravy. You can reduce or
increase the amount of red chili powder, green chilies,and ginger-garlic
paste as per your preference. Instead of oil, you can also use ghee.
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CHILI MUSHROOM RECIPE
THE REQUIRED INGREDIENTS
1 packet of white button mushrooms (200 to 250 grams)
1 large green bell pepper, cut into fine strips
3 tbsp onion or spring onion/scallion whites chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped celery (optional)
1 tbsp ginger
1 tbsp garlic
2‒3 green chilies, finely chopped or slit
1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
½ tbsp soy sauce (add more if you prefer)
½ tbsp vinegar
1 or 1½ cups water or vegetable stock
1 tbsp red chili paste or 2 tsp red chili powder
½ tsp freshly crushed black pepper, black pepper powder, or white
pepper powder
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
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Some chopped spring onion/scallion greens for garnishing
HOW TO PREPARE IT
Rinse the mushrooms in water and chop them.
Heat oil in a wok or kadai. Add the onions or spring onion whites.
Stir fry them on medium heat till they become transparent.
Now add the ginger, garlic, and green chilies, and stir fry for a
minute.
Add the capsicum and celery, and stir fry for a couple of minutes.
Add the mushrooms, and stir fry on medium heat till the
mushrooms start to get browned. They will shrink in size too.
This will take about 7‒8 minutes. The whole mixture should
become dry and the mushroom browned.
Add soy sauce, pepper powder, salt, sugar, and vinegar, and stir.
Stop here if you want a dry, chilly mushroom.
For a gravied and saucy chilly mushroom, follow the below steps.
Add water or vegetable stock to the mushrooms. Let this mixture
heat up and simmer.
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Add the cornstarch paste to this mixture slowly. Keep on stirring so
that the sauce does not form lumps.
When the sauce is thick enough, remove from heat.
Check the seasonings, and add more soy sauce, sugar, salt, or
black pepper as required.
Serve chili mushroom hot with some veggie fried rice or even plain
rice.
This chili mushroom recipe also goes well with breads.
Notes:
1. Green chilies, garlic, ginger, red chili paste, black pepper powder, salt,
and sugar can be adjusted to suit one’s taste.
2. I have stir fried the veggies on medium heat so that they don’t burn. If
using high heat to stir fry the veggies, then be careful so that they don’t
burn.
3. Add more cornstarch if you want a thicker sauce or gravy.
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MUSHROOM TIKKA
THE REQUIRED INGREDIENTS
200‒250 grams button mushrooms
½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste or crushed ginger-garlic (approx. ½ inch ginger
and 3‒4 garlic crushed in a mortar and pestle)
½ tsp carom seeds
¼ or ½ tsp organic red chili powder (½ tsp red chili powder makes the
tikka a bit hot)
¼ tsp garam masala powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
3‒4 tbsp besan or gram flour
1 tbsp oil (to be used only if grilling or baking the mushrooms in the
oven)
Salt and black salt as required, or rock salt
chaat masala to sprinkle
A few chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
A few drops of lemon juice as required and lemon wedges to be served
1 medium onion, sliced thinly with some salt and lemon juice added to
serve as an accompaniment
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HOW TO PREPARE IT
Rinse the mushrooms well in water.
Drain and wipe them dry.
Trim the earthy base stalks a little.
Put all the mushrooms in a mixing bowl.
Add all the spice powders,
carom seeds, salt, and oil.
Mix well.
Keep aside to marinate for
20‒25 minutes.
Preheat the oven to
200°C.
After 20‒25 minutes, add
the gram flour, and mix
well.
Bake in the oven for 25‒30 minutes or till the mushrooms are
tender and browned.
When grilling, after 15‒20 minutes, you can turn the skewers so
that there is uniform grilling.
If you want, you can sprinkle or spray some oil on the mushrooms
after 15‒20 minutes.
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Sprinkle some lemon juice, chaat masala, and coriander leaves on
the mushroom tikka.
Serve mushroom tikka hot or warm with a green chutney, rotis or
naan, or even bread.
Notes:
1. If frying the tikka, then don’t add oil to the marinade.
2. Another option for frying:Marinate the mushrooms first. Then make
a thick batter with gram flour, water, and salt. Dip the marinated
mushrooms in the batter, and deep fry or shallow fry.
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DHINGRI DOLMA RECIPE
THE REQUIRED INGREDIENTS
200 grams of button mushrooms
175 grams paneer
½ tsp black cumin seeds/caraway seeds
1 onion
1 tomato
½ inch ginger
1 or 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
½ tsp white pepper powder (as an alternative, you can use black pepper
powder)
¼ tsp red chili powder
¼ tsp garam masala powder
¼ cup coriander leaves/cilantro leaves
2 tbsp ghee or oil
Salt
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HOW TO PREPARE IT
Wash the mushrooms, and slice them.
Dice the onions and tomatoes.
Grate the paneer coarsely.
Crush both ginger and garlic in a mortar pestle to make the paste.
Chop the coriander, and julienne the ginger.
Heat ghee or oil in a wok. Add the black cumin, and fry till it
crackles.
Add onions.
Sauté the onions until light brown.
Add the ginger-garlic paste, and sauté till the raw smell of the
paste disappears.
Add mushrooms and stir. Sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the red chili powder, pepper, and salt. Sauté for 2‒3 minutes
more till the mushrooms are cooked.
Now add the paneer. Mix the paneer with the rest of the mixture,
and cook for 4‒5 minutes, stirring periodically.
Add the tomatoes, and sauté for 4‒5 minutes more. You just want
to cook the tomatoes and not make them mushy.
Towards the end, sprinkle garam masala and stir.
Add some chopped coriander leaves and julienned ginger, and put
aside the remaining to be used for garnish later. Adjust the
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seasoning. Remove to a bowl or a dish, and garnish with the
remaining ginger and coriander.
Serve Dhingri Dolma hot or warm with phulkas. This Dhingri Dolma
recipe even goes well with bread.
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MUSHROOM PULAO RECIPE
THE REQUIRED INGREDIENTS
1½ cup basmati rice (or any type of long grained rice)
1 packet of button mushrooms (about 200‒250 grams)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced or finely chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed (optional)
1 green chili, chopped
1 or 1½ tsp ginger-garlic paste or crushed ginger-garlic, about 2 to 3
garlic and ½ inch ginger
½ tsp cumin
2 to 3 green cardamoms
3 to 4 cloves
4 to 5 black peppercorns
1 to 1½ inches cinnamon
1 cup thick coconut milk and 1½ to 2 cups water or 2½ to 3 cups water
(Add depending on the quality of rice; usually most basmati rice that has
been soaked for 20 to 30 minutes before, requires about 2½ cups water
if you want separate grains. For a slightly more cooked texture, you can
add 3 cups of water.)
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2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt or sea salt as required
HOW TO PREPARE IT
Wash and soak the rice for 20 to 30 minutes. When the rice is
soaking, chop all the veggies. Rinse and chop the mushrooms too.
Take all the garam masala, and put it aside.
In a pressure cooker, heat the oil. Add the garam masala,
including the cumin, and fry till they become fragrant.
Add the onions, and fry them till translucent.
Add the ginger-garlic paste, and sauté till the raw smell of the
paste disappears.
Now add the chopped tomatoes, potatoes, and mushrooms. Sauté
for 8‒10 minutes till the mushrooms are half cooked. Keep on
stirring periodically.
Add the soaked rice and the chopped green chili.
Sauté the rice for 1‒2 minutes, stirring on low heat.
Add the coconut milk and water. Stir and season with salt.
Pressure cook the rice for 2 to 3 whistles.
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When the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid and
gently fluff the rice.
Garnish with coriander leaves or mint leaves, and serve mushroom
pulao with sliced onions and lime. You could also have mushroom
pulao with onion-tomato raita.
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GOAN MUSHROOM VINDALOO RECIPE
THE REQUIRED INGREDIENTS
For the Vindaloo Paste:
10‒11 Kashmiri red chilies, deseeded
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
4 cloves, each 1 inch
2-inch piece of ginger
11‒12 small- to medium-sized garlic
1 tsp turmeric powder
3 tbsp vinegar/malt vinegar
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For the Vindaloo:
2 packets of button mushrooms, rinsed and chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed
2 medium onions, chopped
2 green chilies, chopped
4 green cardamoms
4‒5 cloves
10‒12 black peppercorns
¾ cup oil
½ cup chopped coriander leaves
2 to 3 cups water (add more water if you want a thin curry)
Salt to taste
HOW TO PREPARE IT
Grind all the spices and herbs mentioned for the vindaloo masala
paste with vinegar to a smooth paste.
Heat oil and fry the potato cubes. Drain and put aside.
In the same pan, fry the whole spices: cardamom, cloves and
peppercorns.
Once they sizzle, add the chopped onions and fry till they become
transparent.
Now add the masala paste, and fry the paste for 12‒15 minutes on
low heat.
Keep on stirring the paste periodically to ensure it does not burn.
Add the green chiles and mushrooms, and mix these well with the
vindaloo paste.
Sauté the mushrooms for 8‒10 minutes.
Add water and salt, and simmer the gravy for 10‒12 minutes.
Finally, add the fried potatoes, and simmer for 1 minute.
Garnish mushroom vindaloo with coriander leaves.
Serve mushroom vindaloo hot.
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MUSHROOM CHEESE OMELET RECIPE
THE REQUIRED INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
3‒4 fresh button mushrooms
½ an onion
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp mixed herbs
1‒2 tbsp butter or oil
1 tsp salt
1‒2 tbsp grated or chopped cheese
HOW TO PREPARE IT
Chop the onions. Finely chop the mushrooms so that they take
less time to cook.
Beat the eggs well. Add ½ tsp salt, and put aside.
In a pan, melt the butter or heat the oil. Add in the onions and
mushrooms with the remaining ½ tsp salt.
Sauté for 2‒3 mins till both the onions and mushrooms are
cooked. Add the dry mixed herbs and pepper. Mix it with the
onions and mushrooms. Sauté for a minute.
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Now spread the onion-mushroom mixture evenly on the pan.
Pour the beaten eggs on this mixture. The eggs will spread and
cover the onion-mushrooms mixture. Spread the eggs with a
spoon or spatula so that they cover the onion and mushrooms
evenly.
Drizzle more butter or oil on the sides and top.
Lift the base, and check if it’s browned. When it’s browned, flip the
omelet carefully with a spatula.
Let the other side cook. Add more butter or oil if needed.
When this side becomes slightly brown (check by lifting the
omelet), then top the omelet with chopped or grated cheese.
Fold the mushroom omelet, and cook for 1‒2 minutes more or till
the omelet is browned. Flip sideways if required.
Remove from the pan, and serve the mushroom omelet hot with
buttered toast.
Notes:
1. After adding the beaten egg, ensure that the omelet is cooked on
low heat so that the omelet does not burn.
2. Instead of mixing the eggs with the cooked mushroom-onion
mixture, you could first prepare this mixture and put it aside. Then
make the omelet, and when it gets cooked, top up the mushroom-
onion mixture with cheese. Fold the omelet, and serve.
3. Use freshly ground pepper to give the omelet a fresh aroma and
taste.
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Final Thoughts:
Mushrooms can be considered a super-food thanks to their nutritional
and even medicinal properties. Not only are they tasty in almost all
shapes, sizes, and forms but they are also very versatile when it comes
to cooking methods. Edible mushrooms are easy to find and procure but
not necessarily easy to spot. If you’re picking your own mushrooms, you
must be 150% sure that you’re getting your hands on only edible
mushrooms. Do some research in the field of biology first as looks can
be deceiving and you might pick the wrong mushrooms. This is to be
avoided as mushroom poisoning can cause serious health problems and
even death.
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HOW TO STORE AND PRESERVE
MUSHROOMS
Filling Up the Pantry with All Sorts of Edible Fungi
INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS A MUSHROOM?
“Mushroom” can be a pretty confusing word. Is it plant? Or is it an
animal? In recent times, it has been discovered that they are most likely
related to animals. I am clearing up the mystery. Mushrooms are the fruit
bodies that are created by some fungi. Fungi are not the same as plants,
and plants are different from animals (obviously). In reality, animals and
fungi are now included in the same group, and that means one super-
kingdom. A large number of spores are created separately by the visible
division of the fungi in the shortest duration. The spores can be
considered the seeds of the mushroom. The spores are carried from one
place to another by the wind or by living beings that come in contact with
them. When they land in a suitable place, they grow and develop into
newindividuals. The mushroom body is called mycelium.
The oldest mushroom found in amber is from 90 million years ago. A
fossil was exposed by scientists in 1859, and it was named Prototaxite.
Qualitative analysis going back over 420 million years says that they
originated from a time when the plants were a couple of feet tall.
Prototaxites that were three feet tall were abundant; however, there
were other living organisms standing over 30 feet tall. In either case, it
might be the tallest organism in the world,and it was one of the largest
fungi! In the oldest living mushroom groups, there are fairy rings growing
around the renowned Stonehenge ruins. The rings are giant looking, and
they can be seen from airplanes.
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MUSHROOM MORPHOLOGY
True mushrooms usually appear to be umbrella-shaped. They have a
flat-topped stalk followed by a flat or bowl cap. Their spores are
createdin special cells known as basidia, which are settled on the side of
the cap. The categories of fungi whose spores are created by basidia
are known as Basidiomycetes. People often want to know about the
distinction between toadstools and mushrooms. Any mushroom will be
known as agarics, and sometimes it may be a toxic mushroom.
Mushrooms contain no pigment, and most of them fall into the
saprophytes group. They acquire their nutrition from metabolizing non-
living organic matter. This impliesthat they break down and eat dead
plants, just like our compost pilesdo.
The body of the mushroom stores nutrients and alternative essential
compounds, and once enough material is stored and the conditions are
right, they begin to fruit, turninginto full-grown mushrooms. It is a hidden
kingdom. The fungus part that is visible is simply the “fruit” of the
organism. The living body of the fungus is hidden from sight. It creates
little filaments known as hyphae, which are very moist. The mycelium is
usually hidden inside wood, the soil, or anotherfood supplies (which will
spoil as a result). The hyphae are made up of two parts. One is the
mushroom’s cap, and the other part is its branch.
A mycelium could look like one-winged insect or cowl several acres of
ground. The branching hyphae will add a linear unit (1 km) of total length
to the mycelium on a daily basis. These are hidden from sight till they
develop the fruiting body, brackets, truffles, cups, puffballs, corals, birds’
nests shape, or alternative mature bodies.
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WHERE AND WHEN MUSHROOMS GROW
Mushrooms and other fungi in general reproduce pretty much
everywhere, on every nutritious substrate. Some fungi grow only in
association with certain trees. Others grow on large firewood.
Mushrooms are also found in natural woods, in soil, on rotten leaves, in
cow dung, and in manure.
Mushrooms will not appear until the temperature and moisture
conditions are appropriate. Some mushrooms will grow during only one
season of the entire year. During hot weather, they often appear seven
to ten days after a rain.
CAN MUSHROOMS BE PRESERVED OR STORED?
If you happen to live in an area full of edible mushrooms or you go
mushroom picking for fun, there is no reason to let the fruits of your labor
go to waste. Don’t let the surplus spoil for nothing. There are plenty of
tips and tricks you can use from the mushroom industry, or you can take
the way of the prepper. Fill the fridge with some for immediate
consumption while storing away the rest for future use. Mushrooms can
be dried or frozen in order to last for as long as possible.
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CHAPTER I: 4 WAYS TO PRESERVE FRESH
MUSHROOMS
If you thought freezing mushrooms was impossible, you were wrong.
White button mushrooms are the most widely available fresh
mushrooms for freezing, but they aren’t particularly tasty. Crimini and
portobello varieties have an earthier flavor, as do shiitake mushrooms,
which can be identified by their umbrella-shaped caps. Oyster
mushrooms are more fragile and don’t last over long cooking periods.
You can freeze any of these varieties, but as far as taste and nutritional
value goes, it’s better to consume them as fresh as possible. Freezing
them before cooking will destroy the cellular walls, which will result in a
soft texture after they defrost. So the process of preservation will vary for
different types of mushrooms. What is appropriate for one may not be
appropriate for the other.
1. Freezing cooked mushrooms
2. Blanching and freezing
3. Freezing uncooked morel or morel-type mushrooms
4. Duxelles
FREEZING COOKED MUSHROOMS
Some mushrooms may be frozen whole, and every one of them may be
frozen after a brief sauté. To freeze mushrooms whole, it is
recommended to put them through a process consisting of blanching
them in a pot of boiling water for about one minute. Remove the
mushrooms from the water; then drain well. Place the mushrooms on
cookie sheets, and then place the cookie sheets into a deep-freezer for
approximately 30–40 minutes or till the mushrooms are frozen. Remove
the mushrooms, and transfer them to labeled bag. Chanterelles,
Hedgehogs, Blewits, Hericium species, Black Trumpets, and closed (cap
is unopened) genus Agaricus mushrooms respond well to this technique
of storing.
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If you are planning to sauté the mushrooms initially, begin by slicing
them to your required size and putting them in a frying pan on low to
medium heat. Add enough butter to coat the bottom of the pan and keep
the mushrooms from sticking. When the mushrooms begin to cook,
cover the frying pan and permit the water to be drawn out of the
mushrooms. Keep them coated for a couple of minutes and stir often.
Take the cover off, and permit the water to cook away. Remove from
heat, cool, then place them in storage containers and freeze for later
use. Any mushroom can be preserved via this method, and they’re great
for flavoring soups, sauces, and stuffing or, with additional preparation,
can be eaten as a separate dish.
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BLANCHING AND FREEZING MUSHROOMS
1. Wash the mushrooms.
2. Slice the mushrooms into quarters.
3. Let the mushroomsdrain. Then place them directly into a
pot of boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Remove the blanched mushrooms by tipping into a sieve or
a strainer.
5. Throw the mushrooms into the chilly water to end the
cooking process and sieve.
6. Put them in a plastic freezer container. Leave a little space
on the top.
7. Close it and then freeze.
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FREEZING UNCOOKED MOREL OR MOREL-TYPE
MUSHROOMS
When defrosted, some mushrooms will turn into a soggy pulp;if you want
to counteract this effect, use the follwing method. It will better some
types of mushrooms that have a deep texture, like morels.
1. Washthe desired amount of fresh morel mushrooms under
running tap water (wash them whole or slice them before
doing so).
2. Then take a pan and add a teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add
oil to the mushrooms too, and then mix well.
3. Put the washed mushrooms,either whole or sliced, into a
plastic freezer bag. Put in the freezer. You can freeze for as
long as they are required. It is best for up to three months
however.
4. Defrost mushrooms when required. Remove them from the
freezer, and get them ready tocook. Sometimes no thawing
will be necessary. Just throw them into a cooking pan,and
let the excess water evaporate.
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DUXELLES
Duxelles are mushrooms that have been previously thinly sliced or
chopped. They require some additional ingredients, such as butter,
green onions, orherbs.This method is easy to do, and it’s perfect for
short-term storage. Storage time can be anywhere from a week to a
month. This is how you do it:
1. Wash and dry the mushrooms.
2. Slice or chop the mushrooms thinly.
3. Start cooking the sliced/chopped mushrooms, and add onions and
butter in a pan until theysoften. You can mix fresh herbs
according to your taste. You should make sure that the
mushrooms are thinly sliced or chopped. Parsley leaves best
improve the taste.
4. Add a pinch of wine to the mix as well.
5. Keep the pot in the freezer; just make sure to label it first. This
way you’ll know the exact expiration date.
6. It can be used with chicken breastsor in mushroom cream soup.
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CHAPTER II: HOW TO FREEZE MUSHROOMS
FOR PRESERVATION
Here is how to freeze two of the most used mushroom types.
1. How to Freeze White Button Mushrooms
2. How to Freeze Oyster Mushrooms
THE STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS OF FREEZING WHITE BUTTON
MUSHROOMS
Sometimes people get mushrooms on sale only to later find that they
bought more than they actually needed. Well, they don’t need to go to
waste if you use them properly before they decompose. Considering the
unstable economic situations many are facing today, it is
understandable why people want to stock up on vegetables while they
are on sale. However, if you don’t use them while they’re fresh, they’ll
spoil and lose all of their nutritional value. If this happens, you’ll have
lost both money and food. But there’s no need to worry. Many
vegetables can be frozen for up to one to two years in the freezer,
depending on the kind.
Here is how you freeze fresh white button mushrooms after cooking.
The method is easy, fast, and efficient, and the mushrooms can last for
up to a year in the freezer.
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Items you’ll need for the preservation process:
Mushrooms
Freezer pot with cover
Plastic wrap
Stockpot
Steamer
Steaming stand
Pot for ice water
Seasonings (i.e., salt, pepper)
Citric acid or lemon juice or orange juice
Ice cubes
The Stir Fry Method:
1. Mushrooms should be pre-sliced. If they are not,you can slice or
chop them yourself.
2. Use 1 tablespoon of food preparation oil per 8 ounces of
mushrooms.
3. Take a skillet and place it over medium heat(with the appropriate
amount of oil in it); sauté the mushrooms for about 5 minutes or
until they become tender and turn a light brown color.
4. If you wish to enhance the flavor, just add seasonings (i.e., salt,
pepper), onions, green onions, garlic, and shallots to the pan.
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5. Let the mushrooms cool down to room temperature. Move to a
freezer container and cover in plastic wrap. Close it properly, and
be sure to write the date on it.
6. When you want to help yourself to the mushrooms, just serve
them out of the container. If you use the frozen mushrooms for
soup, casserole, steaming, or baking, there is no need to melt
them. But melting is needed if you are using oil to boil orcook, like
stir-fry.
Steaming Process:
1. Take alargesteam pot, and putarack on the bottom. Get a steamer
where the vegetables are steamed on top of the rack, and put
water in it.
2. Bring water to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Put the
mushrooms in the steamer. Cover it and continue to simmer for 2
to 3 minutes.
3. Remove mushrooms from the heat, and let the mushrooms cool
at room temperature. Store them in a freezer container;cover
them with plastic wrap to help prevent freezer burn. Use when
needed.
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THE WHITE MUSHROOM BLANCHING PROCESS
1. Prepare a container with ice and cold water. Put it aside.
2. Put more water in a pot, and then add freshly sliced white
button mushrooms to the boiling water. Blanch for 2
minutes.
3. Move mushrooms to the icy cold water to abruptly stop the
cooking process.
4. When the mushrooms are chilled, throw them in the freezer
inside a containerpartially wrapped in plastic wrapin order to
prevent frost damage. Lock the container tightly. Consume
like fresh mushrooms when needed.
5. Citric acid like orange juice, lime juice, or lemon juice can be
added during cooking to avoid dark coloring while you
defrost them for later for use. Use or ½ teaspoon citric juice
or ¼ teaspoon citric acid per8ounces of mushrooms.
People can freeze mushrooms just like the frozen vegetables or frozen
foods that can found at the supermarket. Just don’t keep uncooked
mushrooms in your freezer for too long; they will decay, making them
soggy and unfit for human consumption. Mushrooms should be cooked
or blanched in steam or boiling water.
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HOW TO TELL WHEN WHITE MUSHROOMS ARE BAD
First check the color and surface of the white mushrooms.
Mushrooms that are older and disfigured due to dehydration are
dried up;sort out the good ones from the bad ones. White
mushrooms should be flawless, with a smooth texture and a bright
white color.
Check the caps of the white button mushrooms and cup
mushrooms. Rotate the mushrooms over to check the caps.
Unwrapped caps show that the mushrooms are old, where closed
caps are a symbol that the mushrooms are fresh and tender.
Mushroom caps open up when the mushrooms become older.
Check the outside of the white mushrooms. If you notice that the
mushrooms is covered in a thin layer of substance all around, this
means it has gone bad and should be thrown away.
THE PROCESS OF FREEZING OYSTER MUSHROOMS
These types of mushrooms grow on different trees and might grow eight
inches in width. It is low in fat and contains a high amount of protein.
They’re used as a replacement for seafood because their flavor and
texture is similar to oysters. As oyster mushrooms tend to become
unhealthy within a number of days, appropriate storage is crucial for
long-term use. At first, blanch freshly cut oyster mushrooms before
chilling. This process kills the enzymes and stabilizes chemical
reactions within the mushrooms.
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Here is the step-by-step preservation process:
Items Needed for Freezing
Freezercontainer
Oyster mushrooms
Metal strainer
Large pot
Instructions
1. Clean mushrooms carefully with a moist cloth and warm water.
Remove sand and dirt thoroughly from small gaps.
2. Warm up a pot of water until it starts to boil.
3. Blanch the mushrooms in boiling water for two to three minutes.
4. Remove boiled mushrooms from the boiling water and put them
in a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process.
5. Put the mushrooms in a strainer, and let them dry completely;
excess moisture will cause spoilage.
6. Seal an 8-ounce container full of mushrooms, and place it in the
freezer. It is the ideal quantity to add to a soup or stir-fry.
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Tips & Warnings
Store mushrooms in a paper bag in the fridge at a temperature
of approximately 40°F. Cook the mushrooms within three days
of buying them. Consume them as soon as possible, according
to the expiration date on the package.
Never store mushrooms in plastic bags, to prevent them from
spoiling due to moisture surplus, which tends to build up; use
paper bags.
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IMPORTANT: Paper bags are best option for storing mushrooms
at low temperatures!
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CHAPTER III: HOW TO STORE MUSHROOMS
Before storing,there are a few steps that you shouldn’t skip: cleaning,
cooking, and salting for storage. Once the searching is over and you
have the mushrooms you need, it’s time to start the real work. But how
exactly do things work? There are many methods, and everyone will
uphold the one that works best for them.What you’re about to read is
common knowledge thatwill provide you with some general concepts
thatwill work in anyone’s kitchen. The following tips are some very
helpful concepts and methodologies.
Before starting these processes, keep in mind that mushrooms will
keepin the fridgefor a few days at most. Therefore, you shouldn’t wait
too long before you start cleaning and processing your mushrooms; the
sooner you start, the better. Just place a damp towel over your
mushrooms while storing them in the freezer or an alternative cooling
place. This will prevent them from drying out before use.
CLEANING
The bodies of the mushrooms will remain dirty, even after a decent rain.
While we have a tendency to love the flavor of wild mushrooms, nobody
wants to serve a side dish of dirt, germs, and bugs with their
mushrooms. So the question is, what is the most effective mushroom
cleaning process? Cleaning mushrooms is just as important as sorting
them right, if not more. It’s a popular belief (for some people at least)
that subjecting mushrooms directly to water will permanently spoil their
taste. Others (people with more common sense) believe that not
washing them is nonsense, as unwashed mushrooms can seriously
jeopardize your health. Cleaning the mushrooms properly before
consumption or storage is a must. And you don’t need much to do so; all
you need is a knife, a mushroom brush (available at cooking stores), or
a soft bristle toothbrush and some dish towels to get you started.
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Use a knife to chop away or scrape off larger contaminants and leaves.
You can remove finer soil particles with a nylon mushroom brush or a
soft bristle toothbrush. Use a moist towel to wipe the dirt from firm
mushrooms. If the dirt doesn’t come off by brush only, try running cold
water over the mushrooms whilegently brushing away the residue. A
knife should be used to cut away unhealthy or unusable parts and to
scrape off dust and dirt found in the crevices of some mushrooms.
Mushrooms like Hen of the Woods (Grifola frondosa) and Hedgehog
(Hydnum sp.) typically contain areas that are quite dirty, and a knife is
an absolute must in this case.
Wild mushrooms are buggy. To get rid of the bugs, you can soak them in
salt water. It works well, but keep in mind that prolonged exposure to salt
water will reduce flavor and texture; the effect is more noticeable in
some mushrooms than others.
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COOKING
We will not mention individual recipes here. As a rule, never eat a wild
raw mushroom. Yes, there will be exceptions to this rule, but therisk of
death is high unless you really know what you’re doing. Well-textured
mushrooms are easier to digest and supply additional nutrients once
boiled.
The preparation of mushrooms in unsalted butter enhances the flavor of
most edible mushrooms. Some people suggest that the utilization of
vegetable oil or different pungent oils will reduce the natural flavor of the
mushrooms. These oils will overpower the fragile flavor and aroma of
some wild mushrooms. But if you have your heart set on cooking your
mushrooms in oil, stay as far away as possible from canola or false
saffron oil. Adding citric acid (orange, lime, or lemon juice) during the
cooking process will help the mushrooms maintain their color and flavor.
Salt is also a flavor enhancer but only if added toward the end of the
cooking process. Large mushrooms should always be sliced or chopped
before cooking; this is not necessary for small mushrooms. Try to slice
or chop the mushroom as consistently as possible.
Most mushroom varieties ought to be cooked; the remaining juices from
cooking can be used in any recipe or consumed in small amounts. One
such mushroom is the Agaricus, one of the most famous cooking
mushrooms in the world.
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DEHYDRATING MUSHROOMS
Dehydration is a very efficient way of preserving the mushrooms for a
long time. It is very important that dried mushrooms are placedin proper
storage conditions to preserve their nutritional value. They should be
kept under practical and strict storage conditions in a proper pantry or
storage room that is dark and cool. They’re best kept in air-tight plastic
containers or glass jars. If you don’t have a proper pantry at your
disposal, you can always freeze them and keep them in the fridge. Place
the dried mushrooms in a clean, tightly sealed cooler sack. The purpose
behind most intense icy stockpiling is to protect warmth and dampness
levels, whichare the main enemies of stored mushrooms. The
mushrooms ought to keep for 6–12 months.
Oven Drying:
You must remove any stalks or unnecessary parts;then slice the edible
partsthinly. Consistency is necessary and will help better the flavor. If
you are going to use an over, then follow the manufacturer’s directions.
You will be able to dehydrate mushrooms in the oven by placing them on
a tray lined with parchment paper. Set the oven’s temperature to 150°F,
and dry the mushrooms completely. Some mushrooms, like morels, can
be pierced with a needle and hung up to dry.
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The key part of drying is to remove ALL the moisture to avoid spoilage.
Once dried, the mushrooms should be placed in airtight containers and
moved to a dark place to preventmoldfrom growing on their surface. If
you are unsure of whether or not the moisture has been completely
removed, store the containers in a deepfreeze. Some mushrooms are
sensitive to drying: Morels, Chanterelles, Black Trumpets (whose flavor
appears to be increased by drying), Clitocybe nuda, and Boletes.
Note: To structure dried mushrooms, you have to soak them in warm
water for approximately 20 minutes. Don’t use boiling water, as this will
reduce shelf life. The water that is leftover from the soaking can be used
as a flavor enhancer for various dishes or saved for soup. The Hericium
abioticmushroomcan be simply preserved by chilling.
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Salting:
This preservation method goes back a long way, and itis still utilizedall
over the world. You need to use a ratio of three components salt to
onemushrooms for this method. (One pound of mushrooms would
require three pounds of salt.) First clean up the mushrooms completely
and slice them properly. Take a coated glass jar and fill it with a layer of
sea salt; on top of that, add a layer of sliced mushrooms. Continue this
method till the jar is full, and then put the lid on tightly. After a few hours
the mushrooms will have decreased in size; when this happens, more
space opens up in the jar, so add more sliced mushrooms and salt.
Continue till full and then store in an extremely cool location.
Mushrooms preserved in this manner should be rinsed and soaked in
cold water before being cooked. These mushrooms work well with meat-
based dishes. People use this technique with Hedgehog, Blewits,
Russulagenus Lactarius species, or Oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus)
mushrooms.
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Powdering:
Dried mushrooms can be systematically turned into powder, and the
powder can be used for flavoring various stews, different types of soups,
and all assortments of dishes. Just place the dried mushrooms in a food
processor or grinder and grind them to a fine powder. Keep the powder
in a well-sealed container, and preserve in a cool place. Powdered
mushrooms have a very intense flavor, so use it wisely. It’s best to
experiment with it over time if you wish to get it right. The best powdered
mushrooms are Puffballs and Boletes.
Pickling:
Mushrooms can be pickled with regular pickling salt water and pickling
methods. If anyone knows the procedure for pickling cucumbers, they
will know how to pickle mushrooms as well. In order to improve the
overall flavor, you can add various herbs and spices to the brine; feel
free to experiment, and go as far as your imagination will take you.
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Packed in Oil:
Here is one more procedure in which you can use different types of
oilsas preservatives. You will need to mixa mug of wine vinegar with 1/3
cup of water and boil it in a pot over medium heat. Add a few spices to
the mix, like thyme, salt, bay leaf,and so forth, and then boil for about 15
to 20 more minutes. Clean the mushrooms thoroughly and slice them.
Once they’re ready, throw them in the boiling pot and let them simmer
for about 8–10 minutes.
Once the time is up, take them out and let them dry. Put the mushrooms
in a clean canning container (glass jars work best), and cover them in
olive oil. Close the container and put in a cool and dark place. The oil
coating will inhibit potentially harmful bacteria from degrading the
structure of the mushrooms. During maturation, the oil will borrow flavor
from the mushrooms; after taking out the mushrooms, you can use the
mushroom-flavored olive oil as salad dressing.
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CHAPTER IV: TYPES OF MUSHROOMS
Mushrooms are fleshy, plant-like growths that are utilized in gastronomy
throughout the world. There are several thousand varieties of
mushrooms. Not all mushrooms are edible however; some are toxic and
can cause death. There are many ways of telling them apart, but this
can be tricky too as many poisonous species have a lot of similarities
with non-poisonous ones. Some of the best edible fungi in the world are
the white mushrooms, morels, truffles, portobello mushrooms, the
chanterelle, shiitake, oyster, and enoki.
WHITE MUSHROOMS
The most common kind of mushroom found in stores is of the Agaricus
sort. Its color varies from white to dark brown, and it has several
common names, like the white mushroom, Italian mushroom, white
button mushrooms, or table mushroom. This delicate mushroom
includes a stalk and a tall, dome-shaped “umbrella.” White mushrooms
can be served fresh, dried, or canned.
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PORTOBELLO
Portobello mushrooms are similar to white mushrooms; however, they
are abundantly larger and browner. They are harvestedonly after
reaching maturity, which provides them with an additional dense texture
and a deeper flavor. Before they reach full maturity, they are referred to
as crimini mushrooms. They are a great substitute for white mushrooms.
CHANTERELLE
These mushrooms have a very distinct look and rise from a white or
slightly yellow colored stalk and gap into a vase-like or flower-like form
covered in bright yellow or orange hues. They have a fragile texture and
become even more fragile after cooking. They are easy to gather and
prepare. Chanterelles are particularly easy to make into salads and
appetizers.
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MORELS
These conic shape mushrooms vary in color from tan to brown. In
contrast to white mushrooms, which have a sleek surface, morels have a
porous, sponge-like look. They possess a strongflavor that has been
represented as earthy, smoky,and even nutty. These mushrooms are
more expensive than white mushrooms. They need to be thoroughly
cleaned before cooking or storing.
TRUFFLES
Truffles are quite rare and expensive, meaning they’re considered a real
delicacyamong the wealthy. Technically, they are not actual mushrooms.
However, they are closely related. Truffles have a rugged, uneven look.
Their appearance is striking, looking similar to a meatball. Their color is
a taste indicator: The darker the color, the tastier the truffle.
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SHIITAKE
Shiitake mushrooms are largely brown and have wide, umbrella-shaped
roofs. They contain a dense texture and meaty flavor, so they’re typically
used as a meat substitute in vegetarian dishes. Shiitake mushroom are
one of the many different kinds of mushrooms that are widely used in all
sorts of dishes and recipes all over the world.
ENOKI
Enoki mushrooms grow in bunches. They possess long, slender stems
and little white caps. These crisp mushrooms have a gentle flavor that
has been represented as somewhat fruity. They are typically eaten raw
in salads or sandwiches.
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OYSTER
These mushrooms get their name from their look and their flavor. They
are white, beige, or gray and are found in the wild growing in big trees.
Their branches have broad gills. Usually, it is the top that resembles an
oyster. These mushrooms have a soft, delicate texture, very similar to
that of seafood. They are particularly common and are very tasty if deep
fried.
CRIMINI
These are similar in appearance to white mushrooms and have a rich,
brownish cap. They are marginally tan and have a firm texture.Criminis
have an earthier and more profound flavor than that of their counterpart,
the white mushroom. They have a full, meaty taste. This makes them
perfect for meat-based dishes or even as a substitute for meat.
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MAITAKE
Maitake is a substantial edible mushroom that isindigenous to the
mountains of northeastern Japan. It’s scietifically known as Grifola
frondosa. The maitake can be eaten as a normal foodbut also as a
supplement. A concentrate from this mushroom, called maitake-D, is
promoted as a dietary supplement in the United States and Japan. The
beta-glucan compound found in the maitake is a great energy booster.
NUTRITION
Mushrooms are a low-calorie food that can be consumed cooked, raw,
or as a side dish to a main course. A small portion of mushrooms (3.5
ounces) contains a high supply of B vitamins, like B complex. Vitamin B
and Pentothal are comprised of essential minerals—selenium (37% DV)
and copper (25% DV)—and a generous supply (10‒19% DV) of
phosphorus and iron. Fat, saccharine, and calorie contents are low.
There are 27 calories in an average mushroom serving.
When exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, natural ergosterols in mushrooms
produce the compoundVitamin D2. This method has also been artificially
implementedto grow vitamin D-producing mushrooms for the
pharmaceutical industry in particular. Scientists discovered that
exposure to UV rays also stimulates the production of viosterol.
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FACTS REGARDING TOXIC MUSHROOMS
Learning about toxic mushrooms is crucial if you would like to gather
and consume mushrooms from the wilderness. The results of consuming
poisonous wild mushroom vary from feeling faint to severe diarrhea and
even death. Yes, you can die from mistaking a poisonous mushroom
with an edible one. That said, mushroom searching is not the dangerous
experience that some would have you believe. Many of have safely
consumed wild mushrooms, but this came as a result of knowledge or
luck. Always identify the mushrooms correctly; if you’re not sure or in
doubt, stay away from them. If you find yourself in a survival scenario
and can’t pass on the opportunity of wild mushrooms, have only a little
taste at first then wait it out for 24 hours to see if there are any side
effects at all.
If you’re not keen on picking wild mushrooms yourself, that’s okay. But
truth be told, most of them are excellent and are both tasty and
nutritious. Going out and identifying mushrooms can be a fun experience
as some are really pleasing to the eye. Finding out how many of the
beautiful mushrooms are actually toxic will come as a shock!It’s almost
impossible to estimate with 100% precision the number of toxic species.
But if you have your heart set on mushroom identification, grab your
book and go out in the field and do it; there’s no better way. Some of the
most beautiful poisonous mushrooms that are widely spread are the
amanitasand the false morels. They are liable for the majority of the
mushroom poisoning-related deaths. Although the amanitas are easy to
distinguish (red caps with white dots), the false morels are harder to tell
apart from their edible counterparts.This is exactly why the identification
process should be as precise as possible.
FALSE MORELS
The term “false morel”covers many completely different species that are
usually mistaken as the edible delicacies within the Morchella genus,
which is true morels. Many false morels contain chemicals that are
poisonous, inducing vomiting, dizziness, and even death. However,
people from certain regions seem to be boiling them down and eating
them without any noticeable side effects. This may be due to certain
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resistant features in their genes, which in your case is most likely
missing, so don’t count on it.
I recommend avoiding the false morels altogether. Nobody is certain of
how toxic these fungi actually are,so just keep away from them. People
fall prey to their potent toxin every day because of the lack of knowledge
or because they listen to various legends about these mushrooms,
which get them killed. Most of these myths are inaccurate and don’t
have any scientific basis. Toavoid illness (or worse),don’t trust anybody’s
word when determining which mushrooms are safe unless it’s an expert
or an expert guide.
Below are some common samples of toxic mushroom “fairy tales.”
•“All white mushrooms are safe to eat!” – This is probably the most
common myth leading to mushroom-related illnesses and death. Not all
toxic mushrooms are brightly colored.
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• “Heating a toxic mushroom and stirring it with a metal spoon can
turn the spoon black!”– Some people believe (falsely) that the toxins
will blacken silver or inox once heated. This myth has been perpetuated
for a long time without any scientific basis. There is no known toxin that
blackens metal.
•“Any mushroom is safe to eat once completely cooked!” – This is
as false as it can possibly get. Fungus toxins won’t be neutralized by
heat; the poison molecule isthermostable.
• “Insects can tell toxic mushrooms apart from edible ones and will
avoid them!”– Not true! Simply because it’s poisonous to us doesn’t
mean it’s poisonous to insects too. Some nephrotoxic species, like the
death cap,will shelter insects and their larvae.
•“Poisonous mushrooms have a bad, bitter, or sour taste!” – The
truth is your taste buds won’t be able to tell the difference! Poisonous
mushrooms don’t necessarily taste bad, so taste is not a criterion for
differentiating mushrooms.
• “All toxic mushrooms have pointy caps!”– Yet again, this is a false
statement! The structural characteristic is not enough to determine the
levels of toxicity when it comes to mushrooms.
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CONCLUSION
Edible mushrooms are healthy, nutritious fungi with a nice flavor. There
are quite a few varieties of wild and cultivated mushrooms that you can
use fresh or dried for all sorts of nutritious meals. Foreign mushrooms,
such as maitake and shiitake, can be foundin stores dehydrated rather
than fresh. But white mushrooms, like button mushrooms and cup
mushrooms, are also available for purchase fresh. Fresh white
mushrooms have a short shelflife and degrade easily in the presence of
light, warmth, and moisture. Cautiously examine white mushrooms when
buying, before cooking, and before storing. Always verify whether they
are safe for consumption or not. Do everything by the book and always
consult an expert guide, and you’ll have the best stored mushrooms
imaginable.