How to Germinate Spores From Dried Mushrooms

To avoid spending money at the grocery store every time mushrooms are needed in a home-cooked meal, germinate your own spores from previously dried mushrooms. While growing your own mushrooms can be an involved process, the process only gets easier after you've learned to do it. You'll need to purchase equipment from specialty stores and practice home sterilization techniques before you begin. Once the equipment is purchased and the technique mastered, you'll never have to buy mushrooms again.

Mushrooms
Glass
Bowl
Petri dish
Agar mix

Instructions

Collecting and Germinating the Spores
- 1
  Purchase the type of mushroom you wish to grow. Place the mushroom gills-down on a piece of glass. Cover the mushroom and glass with a bowl to keep spores from escaping.
- 2
  Leave the mushroom on the glass overnight. It helps to run a dehumidifier near the mushroom to dry it out more quickly. As the mushroom dries, spores will release and drop to the glass to be collected.
- 3
  Place agar mix into a sterilized petri dish. All petri dishes are sterile upon purchasing. To re-sterilize an old petri dish, place it in a 1 to 9 bleach/water solution for two minutes, dip it in rubbing alcohol, then allow it to air dry.
- 4
  Transfer the spores from the glass to the petri dish. Seal the dish and store it in a dark, warm place -- approximately 55 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The spores have successfully germinated when small strands branch out across the dish. This process can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

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How to Germinate Spores From Dried Mushrooms

Instructions

Collecting and Germinating the Spores