Eringi - this is what the white steppe mushroom is called, which is also called the “royal cherry”. This is one of the most popular varieties; it can easily be grown at home. He is loved and revered by oriental culinary specialists and to some extent fills the culinary segment of our country. The taste qualities of the mushroom are similar to porcini mushroom, and sometimes surpass them. These representatives of the spore are not too demanding on environmental conditions, so they are suitable for growing even at home.
Having at hand such a product as mushroom eringi (photo), you can always supplement your culinary masterpieces with new ingredients or diversify your diet. Eringi, unlike ceps, is available at any time of the year when grown at home.
What is the use?
White steppe mushroom is famous for its beneficial properties. Therefore, many say that on this subject you can talk endlessly. It is both a dietary and therapeutic product, enriched with a complex of vitamins of group B and vitamin aquadetrim (D 2 ). Therefore, when eating dishes that contain Yeringa mushroom, there is no feeling of heaviness in the stomach. In addition, the beneficial properties of the product have a positive effect on the human immune system and nervous system.
The high content of minerals has a positive effect on the body as a whole. Traditional medicine and cosmetology of the East cannot do without the use of the mushroom for medicinal purposes in the form of tinctures, extracts, pulp, masks.
White steppe mushroom and cooking
Culinary experts speak of eringi as an excellent product with a delicate and delicate aroma, somewhat reminiscent of cashew nuts. It is also surprising that the mushroom does not lose its beneficial properties even after heat treatment.
Mushroom eringi perfectly complements broths, it is invariably fresh in the composition of salads, main dishes, side dishes. Steppe mushroom can be subjected to various processing methods: drying, frying, cooking, stewing, grilling. Any dish supplemented with such an ingredient is immediately filled with exquisite taste and rich aroma.
Mushroom cultivation at home
For the cultivation of mushrooms, tree species are used: stumps or large branches of trees with a diameter of at least 15 cm and intact bark. So the process of overgrowing with mycelium will take longer, and the mushroom crop will be more plentiful. Resins contained in the bark of some tree species (for example, in cherries, apricots, plum steppes, etc.) slow down the process of growth of eringa. Coniferous trees are generally not suitable for growing the described fungus.
You can also grow oyster mushrooms on stumps, straw bales, in plastic bags, boxes with a substrate. This method of growing mushrooms in vivo is called extensive.
Mushroom can be grown in specially equipped rooms with an adjustable microclimate, which determines the rapid growth of eringi. The advantages of this method is the possibility of year-round harvesting, subject to a properly organized process. For a year you can get up to 4 oyster mushroom crops. One full cycle from the moment of seeding of mycelium to the collection of mushrooms takes 8-10 weeks. As a substrate, crushed straw of cereals is used: rye, rice, wheat, millet, oats.
Features of cultivation when using mycelium
When grown in natural conditions, it is customary to use mycelium on sticks, which is introduced into the holes prepared in advance along the perimeter of the stump. These grooves are tightly closed with beeswax or plasticine. When carrying out such a procedure, it is important to ensure that, along with the spores, no foreign objects enter the hole: dust, earth, seeds, debris.
The more mycelium spores are introduced, the sooner the log will grow, therefore, the earlier the fruiting of the eringa fungus begins. Cultivation of such a culture is not difficult, but has some features:
- Seed buy only in a specialized laboratory. It should be sold in transparent packaging, be lively, of a characteristic color without color changes and with a humidity that is maintained at the norms (about 65%). Bright spots or blotches of mold should not be present.
- Overgrowing of the logs is carried out in the open air, in the basement or in a specially dug trench for such purposes.
- During inoculation, it is important to maintain stable conditions: temperature and humidity, otherwise the mycelium may die.
As you can see, it’s not so difficult to grow Eringa mushrooms at home. The photos and descriptions presented in the article will help you understand how to grow a mushroom and properly care for it. We hope this article has become useful to you, and the mushroom crop will be generous.