How to Cultivate Mushrooms on Agar

Scientists use agar, a gelatinous product derived from algae, to produce gelatinous growing media for bacteria and fungi. If you have access to a sterile environment such as a laboratory, you can mix your own agar to make a mushroom starter culture. After healthy mycelia develop on the agar's surface, you can transfer them to sterile grain, wood and eventually logs to grow full mushrooms.

Mushroom cap
Tray
Potato
Cheese grater
Distilled water
Sieve
Plain nutrient agar
Corn syrup
Yeast
Sterilized 8-oz. mason jars with seals and lids
Hammer and nail or awl
Pressure cooker and rack
Sterile gauze pads and tape
Wire

Instructions

- 1
  Place a mushroom cap spore-side-down on a sterile tray and leave it overnight to make a spore print.
- 2
  Grate a potato into 2 cups of distilled water and boil the mixture for 30 minutes.
- 3
  Strain the mixture to remove potato chunks and add 2 more cups of water, 2 tbsp. of agar, 1 tbsp. of corn syrup and ½ tsp. of yeast. Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
- 4
  Pour the agar mixture into 8-oz. mason jars, put lids on the jars and place on a pressure cooker rack. Pressure-cook the jars for 30 minutes at 15 psi. Allow the jars to cool before proceeding.
- 5
  Punch two quarter-inch holes in each mason jar lid, using a sterile awl or nail and hammer.
- 6
  Tape sterile gauze pads over the holes in the lid to prevent bacteria from entering and eating the agar. Allow the agar to set before proceeding.
- 7
  Bend a piece of wire to make a quarter-inch loop at one end.
- 8
  Heat the loop over a flame until it turns red hot and allow it to cool.
- 9
  Dip the wire loop into the mushroom spores on the tray and rub the loop onto the surface of the agar. Fine white filaments, called mycelia, will grow on the agar's surface.

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