What Our Mushrooms Grow On — and Why It Matters to Your Kitchen

Video credit : Freshcap (Web, Youtube)

At our farm, where we grow oyster, shiitake, and lion’s mane mushrooms for local chefs and home cooks, we know that how a mushroom is grown directly impacts its flavor, texture, and quality. One of the most important factors behind every mushroom we deliver is the substrate—the material the mushroom grows on.

We recently came across a video that breaks down the science and craft of mushroom substrates. It inspired us to share more with you about what goes into growing the mushrooms you cook with.

What Is a Substrate?

A substrate is the growing medium mushrooms feed on. It’s usually made of natural materials like straw, hardwood sawdust, or logs. Each mushroom species has different needs, and choosing the right substrate is what helps us grow fresh, clean, flavourful mushrooms without using chemicals or shortcuts.

Oyster Mushrooms: Grown on Pasteurised Straw

Oyster mushrooms are vigorous and fast-growing. We grow them on straw that has been pasteurised—a gentle heat process that removes harmful microbes but keeps beneficial ones.

Why it matters: Pasteurized straw is sustainable, cost-efficient, and gives oyster mushrooms their rich, savory flavor and tender bite. It’s perfect for sautéing, grilling, or tossing into noodles and stir-fries.

Shiitake Mushrooms: Grown on Sterilised Hardwood

Shiitake mushrooms are more selective. We grow them on sterilised hardwood sawdust or logs, a process that completely removes all other microorganisms to give shiitake the clean environment it needs to develop its deep, woodsy flavour.

Why it matters: Sterilisation gives shiitake its dense texture and umami-rich profile, ideal for broths, risottos, and roasted dishes. The controlled process also results in consistent quality that chefs can rely on.

Lion’s Mane: Grown with Precision and Purity

Lion’s mane mushrooms are delicate and require high humidity and clean substrates to develop their signature cascading shape and crab-like texture. We grow them on carefully sterilized sawdust blocks and maintain strict environmental conditions to ensure purity and freshness.

Why it matters: The result is a mushroom that’s firm, clean, and packed with flavor. Whether you’re making a plant-based crab cake or pan-searing it with butter and herbs, you’ll taste the difference.

Why We Care About the Process

Behind every mushroom we deliver is a commitment to transparency and sustainability. We use local, natural materials and treat each batch with care to ensure it grows in the healthiest possible conditions—without chemicals, without shortcuts, and with respect for the natural growing process.

For Chefs and Home Cooks Alike

When you choose our mushrooms, you’re not just getting a fresh ingredient—you’re getting a product shaped by thoughtful farming practices that put quality first. Whether you’re plating dishes in a restaurant kitchen or cooking dinner at home, you can count on mushrooms that were grown with intention and care.

Want to learn more? We’re always happy to share our growing methods and even give a behind-the-scenes look at how we bring mushrooms from spore to plate. Contact us here.

If you are interested in trying out those amazing mushrooms you can find them here.

And we wanted to say a big thank you to Freshcap for this lovely video : https://freshcap.com/