Pink Oyster Liquid Culture

Description

Pink oyster is a tropical oyster mushroom. It grows dense, ruffled clusters of thin, fan-shaped caps in bright flamingo to salmon pink, with pink gills that run down to a very short stem. Caps reach 4 to 10 cm across. The color fades as the caps age and turns orange-tan when cooked. It fruits fast in warm rooms, which makes it a good summer grow.

This syringe holds living pink oyster mycelium in sterile nutrient broth. It is one isolated culture, so every jar grows the same strain. The mycelium is already growing, so it starts colonizing sterilized grain within days, faster and more predictably than spores, which have to sprout first.

Flavor and kitchen uses

Pink oysters have a stronger, woodier flavor than other oysters and a firmer, chewier texture. Raw caps are tough, so cook them all the way through.

• Fry torn or thinly sliced caps in oil until the edges crisp. They turn chewy and savory, with a texture close to bacon.
• Shred clusters with two forks and sear them for tacos or sandwiches.
• Add crisped pink oysters to fried rice, noodles, or grain bowls as a topping.
• Cut off the tough base where the caps join.

Pink oysters do not keep well. Cook them within 1 to 2 days of harvest.

Growing profile

Biological efficiency is fresh mushroom weight divided by dry substrate weight. At 100%, one pound of dry straw gives one pound of fresh mushrooms. Pink oyster gives up some weight in exchange for speed.

Tips for success

• Let the syringe reach room temperature, then shake it for a few seconds before each use. Shaking breaks up the mycelium so each jar gets an even dose.
• Inject the culture straight into sterilized grain, not into straw or sawdust. Use 1 to 3 ml per quart jar of sterilized rye, millet, or oats, or 2.5 to 5 ml per grain bag, so one syringe covers 3 to 10 jars.
• Wipe each injection port with the alcohol pad before you inject. The needle comes sterile. If you set it down or come back to the syringe later, flame the needle until it glows red and let it cool first.
• Check the broth before you inject. A clean culture has clear broth with white to cream wisps or clumps of mycelium that settle when it stands. Broth that stays hazy after it settles, a slimy film, green or black growth, or a sour smell means contamination. Do not use it, and send us photos.
• You do not need agar. To confirm the culture is clean before a big run, put a drop on an agar plate and look for even white growth with no colored spots after 3 to 5 days.
• Keep everything warm. Below about 60 °F (15 °C) the mycelium slows down and cold can damage it, so never put colonizing jars or blocks in a cold room or a fridge.
• Pink oyster often pins before the block is fully white. Open the bag and give it fresh air and humidity as soon as you see pins.
• Harvest when the cap edges start to flatten, before they curl upward. Older caps turn pale, tough, and dusty with spores.
• Expect uniform results. This is one isolated strain, so jars and blocks should match in color, cluster shape, and speed.
• Oysters drop heavy spore loads. Fruit them in a ventilated space and wear a dust mask when you harvest large indoor crops.

Kit includes

• One 10 ml luer-lock syringe of pink oyster liquid culture, living mycelium in sterile nutrient broth.
• One sterile 1.5 inch needle in a sealed package.
• One alcohol prep pad.

Storage

Pink oyster is a tropical species, and cold kills its mycelium. Store this syringe at room temperature, 18 to 24 °C (65 to 75 °F), in a dark place. Never put it in the fridge or freezer. Use it within 1 month of delivery, and shake it before each use.