Take the grow kit out of the box. The block often needs a few days to recover from the journey.
STEP 2
Use a sharp knife or a pair of scissors to cut a cross of about 4 by 4 cm in the plastic. The clusters will grow out of that cross.
STEP 3
Do not put the block in direct sunlight and not too close to the heating. The chestnut mushroom fruits best between 12 and 19 degrees at a high humidity. Stand the block on a wet cloth to raise the humidity right around it and keep the surface at the cross moist with a plant sprayer. Give it fresh air as well.
The first knobs appear after one to three weeks.
STEP 4
Harvest when the mushrooms are full grown and before the cap edges start to curl up. Pull the clusters off the substrate. Some substrate will come with them, but that way as little as possible is left behind for mould to grow on. The chestnut mushroom has a firm bite and a nutty flavour and works well in soup, sauce or a stir fry.
STEP 5
Keep the block moist after harvesting. New knobs appear after a few weeks. You can usually harvest twice. Once the block is exhausted it serves excellently as compost.
