Oyster mushrooms, with their delicate texture and mild, nutty flavor, are a popular choice for both home growers and professional chefs alike. If you're growing these fungi at home or just curious about the right time to harvest them, understanding the optimal harvesting window is crucial for maximizing flavor, texture, and yield. In this blog, we'll walk through the signs that indicate when oyster mushrooms are ready to be picked and how to store them.
Why Harvest Time Matters
Harvesting oyster mushrooms at the right time affects their taste, texture, and overall quality. Mushrooms that are picked too early may have a rubbery texture and decreased yield, while those picked too late might become overripe, losing their flavor and becoming too mature for ideal texture.
Signs of a Perfectly Ripe Oyster Mushroom
Oyster Mushroom Cap Shape and Size: Oyster mushrooms are ready to harvest when their caps are broadly rounded but not yet beginning to flatten out or curl upwards (figure 1). If left too long, the caps will grow larger and begin to flatten which may indicate that the mushrooms are past their prime. In some cases you can see oyster mushroom spores starting to drop from the gills (figure 2).
Keep in mind that pink oyster mushrooms have unique harvest guidelines as they do not have the typically shell-shape. Oftentimes pink oyster mushrooms will grow in rosettes (figure 3) and should be harvested more based on texture (see below).
Texture: Fresh oyster mushrooms should feel firm and slightly moist to the touch. Avoid mushrooms that are slimy, waterlogged or obviously dried out, as these are signs of over-maturity or improper growing conditions. If you're harvesting pink oyster mushrooms fresh mushrooms will be slightly moist but still firm to the touch. As pink oyster mushrooms age they will become waterlogged and flaccid.
Oyster Mushroom Harvesting Technique
Pull or Cut at the Base: To harvest, pull or cut the mushrooms at the base of the stem, where it attaches to the substrate. We always pull our mushrooms off as cutting often leaves residual stem on the substrate that can serve as an entry point for mold and contamination.
Harvest the Whole Cluster: Oyster mushrooms grow in clusters. Mushrooms within the cluster will mature at different times. We recommend harvesting the whole cluster as soon as at least half of the mushrooms are at full maturity. If only half of the cluster is harvested, the remainder will often be disturbed and likely stop growing.
Oyster Mushroom Storage
Storage: Store harvested oyster mushrooms in a paper bag or a breathable container in the refrigerator. Avoid plastic bags, as they can trap moisture and cause the mushrooms to become slimy, greatly reducing shelf-life.
Use Promptly: For the best flavor and texture, use your oyster mushrooms within 5-7 days of harvesting. Pink Oyster has a shorter shelf life and should be used within 2 days of harvest. Both are best enjoyed fresh but can also be dried for longer storage.
