How to Inoculate Jars

Prepare the Jars

• 1

  Pour 1/2 cup of vermiculite and 1/4 cup of brown rice powder into a bowl.

• 2

  Pour 1/4 cup of water into the bowl and mix the contents thoroughly using a spoon.

• 3

  Fill the jar with the mixture until there is only a 1/2-inch gap at the top of the jar. Fill the remainder of the jar with dry vermiculite and run a knife across the top of the jar to level it off.

• 4

  Turn the lid of the canning jar upside down so that the rubber gasket is facing upward. Insert an ice pick into the metal along the inner edge of the gasket. Tap the ice pick gently with a hammer to pierce the metal and form a hole. Repeat this process three more times at evenly spaced intervals around the lid.

• 5

  Place the lid on the jar with the rubber gasket facing upward and secure it to the jar using masking tape. Tap the jar on a flat surface approximately 10 times to pack down the substrate.

• 6

  Place a vegetable steamer onto a stove burner set to high and fill the steamer with 1 to 2 cups of water. Insert the steamer basket into the pot and place the canning jar inside. Loosely cover the jar with aluminum foil to keep out the moisture. Place the lid on the pot and allow the jar to steam for one hour to sterilize it. When done, remove the jar carefully with a potholder and allow to cool completely.

Inoculate the Jars

• 7

  Shake the mushroom spore syringe gently and take the protective cap off of the end of the syringe.

• 8

  Remove the aluminum foil from the top of the jar and insert the syringe needle into one of the holes in the metal lid.

• 9

  Tilt the needle so that it rests against the side of the jar. Press the plunger on the syringe to dispense 2 to 3 drops of spores into the jar. Remove the syringe and repeat the process with the three remaining holes in the lid. The total amount of fluid for one jar should be 1 cc.

• 10

  Place tape over each of the needle holes in the lid.

• 11

  Place the jar in a location that has a consistent temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit and receives indirect sunlight. The mushrooms will begin to grow in three to five days.