Last fall, seeing adorable shiitake mushrooms sprouting from logs in the woods behind my friend Rachael’s house, I knew I wanted some too. I took a couple of mycology courses in college and have always had a special love for fungi, as long as I don’t have to eat it. Knowing that I don’t eat mushrooms, Rachael laughed at me when I told her that I wanted to grow some. I explained to her that I wanted to take photos of them. This makes sense, right? And really, the whole process intrigued me. I like to grow things, and this was new. So, I jumped in on a mushroom plug spawn order with Rachael and a couple others. I chose oysters and shiitakes. Shiitakes because they are cute and oysters because they are mild flavored and I thought I might be able to eat them.
In February, I drilled and plugged about 10 poplar logs. The process was really fun and my kids were all able to help, even Mabel. I drilled the holes and then a child would hammer in the inoculated plugs. After all the logs were plugged I added a thin coat of wax over each peg, presumably to keep other fungi from invading the logs. We moved them all to a shady spot at the edge of the woods and forgot about them for the most part over the summer. But as soon as the fall rains came I started checking my logs. So far, there have been a handful of shiitakes, which my kids ate sautéed in butter. There have been even more oysters, and my kids like those too. I fully intended to make myself eat them again and again until I started to like them, but after a go with some sautéed oysters, I am instead going to remain 5 years old when it comes to eating mushrooms. I don’t like to eat them. I think they are gross as food, but I love to study and photograph them, and my kids like to eat them! If you are interested in learning more or doing this yourself, we ordered our supplies from Field & Forest Products. They have all the information you need on their site and if you can find friends to order with you will save money! (This is not a sponsored post, I’m just letting you know where I bought my supplies.)
Sometime last year, around the time we started plugging all those logs, Seth presented me with a trio of hand turned wooden mushrooms. (The photo I shared of them was one of the most liked ever on my Instagram page!) He ended up making quite a few on the lathe over the following months. They were a huge hit with local friends and he ended up selling some at our local farmer’s market as well. He has a few left and they are in his shop now!
Also, I am updating my shop on Monday, November 25th at 4 p.m. ET. My last batch of play silks for the year will be available along with scarves and goat’s milk soap. I have one gorgeous deep blue-green baby swaddle available as well.
I hope you all have a great week and Happy Thanksgiving to my U.S. friends!
p.s. After “planting” all those mushrooms, I discovered wild oyster mushrooms growing on a log in the woods behind our house. I’m not tasting them.
Christy says
This makes my mushroom and mushroom photo loving heart so happy!
(And unrelated, it also makes me so happy to see so many comments on your lovely blog!)
Arianne says
I have always wanted to try growing mushrooms. I love eating them.
Sonjia says
Love that little tongue sticking out as she hammers. My dad always did that when he hammered.
karen Awan says
hm, I like mushrooms and most of my family does too. However, I know many that do not like the texture. Your photography is beautiful!
kim says
Ha! I can totally relate to you on the part about wanting only to look at & study them and not eat them. God’s gifts of nature are so incredibly wonderful and beautiful and one doesn’t even necessarily know the depth of the beauty! I took a summer mycology class one year and, even though it was too fast for me to learn what I wanted to, fungi are forever in my heart. Did you see the spores under a microscope? aren’t they amazing? I loved sketching them. Moss too. Did you ever study mosses? I had two collections that I saved after college. one was a box of moss that I intended to do drawings of from the microscope (which I have never owned one) and another of 3 – 3″ binders of samples of different types of dye on different substrates from a class on dying I took. years ago my husband said to make room I needed to get rid of them. of course I did not want to and it was extremely difficult. I was able to keep the moss as it was only in a shoebox, but I still have such huge regrets about not having those binders! sigh. sorry to ramble!
love your photos!
Theresa Boedeker says
The wooden mushrooms are so cute. And while I do like mushrooms, it sounds perfectly normal to want to grow mushrooms to photograph. That sounds like something I would do. (And don’t we grow lots of things, like flowers, that we don’t eat?)
Alva Clark says
My husband does not eat mushrooms either, but I do make Mushroom Soup and he loves that. Very simple and quite tasty for a lunch on these cold days. Love Mabel’s tongue out and her concentration. Lovely photographs again Ginny. Alva
Joan says
Mabel looks like a serious worker. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU and YOUR BEAUTIFUL FAMILY
Joan,Marilyn and Marion
Catherine says
Mabel concentrating looks so sweet. What a wonderful activity with children. I love the wooden mushrooms having acquired many over the years.
Daphne goodenough says
Oh ginny I adore your blogs and photos, I think all of your children are so adorable, too, you have a busy life with them all and yet you take time to write about it all, and I just love it my heart lifts when I see another post from you popping into my inbox, I am an 80 year young English lady and I find hearing about life where you live fascinating, don’t put yourself down you do such a wonderful job of being a mum, wife, creator home schooler etc, and I think we all admire you very much I have read all your old post and about your babies, how they have grown up so well in that.wonderful environment you have made for them, Thankyou for sharing Ginny, and look after you too, lovely girl x Daphne
Cheryl says
On average, I like mushrooms. Some of them have a weird texture to me, weird enough to make me gag. The only way I’ll eat those mushrooms is if I saute them with garlic (or onion) and olive oil and then run them through a blender until they’re almost a paste. I add it to pizza sauce, stir-fry, etc. They’re so good for the immune system!
Teresa says
I just made beef stroganoff last night in celebration of our snowstorm.
The recipe called for a lot of mushrooms. I have two children who do not like the texture but who don’t even notice the taste. So I purée the mushrooms, beef broth and cream cheese before adding it to the ground beef, onions and garlic. Tastes great and no one is unhappy with dinner.
Jen says
I would love it if you would share the way you do Advent with your family- like if you read specific scripture verses with them, pictures of the candles you light, or links to resources you like.
Helen says
You are such an inspiration to me. Bless YOU for sharing your life with me/us …
Thoughts and prayers for you and family always
Aria Hauser says
Mushroom planting! What fun. I don’t like mushrooms as food either, but they are nice to look at. Those wooden mushrooms are so cute!
Cristina Reintjes says
I used to never eat mushrooms either! My husband loves them though so I keep trying. I think the first thing I ever actually liked was a mushroom risotto. Now I put them in Italian dishes too. I would never just eat them plain as a side though! They basically need to not taste like mushrooms at all and be coated in some sort of sauce ???
Carly Orris says
Oh Ginny! I LOVE Seth’s mushrooms! I could only afford to buy one this time..but I would love to buy another after Christmas! Please let us know again when he has another shop update! God bless you and your beautiful family! Your pictures and writing brings so much joy!
Kate says
I’m with JRR Tolkien – I love mushrooms! Lightly sauteed in EVOO with a bit of seasoning is best, but I’ll eat them in any form. My husband hates them. I don’t think it’s the taste that bothers him, but the texture. He doesn’t like oysters or clams either. And although he likes nuts, he doesn’t like them in brownies or cookies. I was so excited when we moved from the west to the east and saw the mushrooms springing up spontaneously (not that I feel confident enough to pick and eat wild ones).
Aria Hauser says
Interesting, I also dislike mushrooms, oysters, clams and nuts in brownies and cookies or any bread because of the texture. Also, I dislike Lobster because of the texture.
Colleen says
I love that darling hat with ears! Can you please link to the pattern?
Rosie says
I am with you 100% on mushrooms for aesthetics but not consumption! I have a few kids who adore them and jump at the chance to eat them, but I’m not even going to attempt to make myself like them…