Mushroom tea is an easy and tasty way to reap the health benefits of mushrooms. When brewed properly, mushroom extract can release many of its medicinal and nutritional components into hot water, making this drink far more than just an up-and-coming health trend. Mushroom tea can even act as a therapeutic agent when consumed regularly!

In order to fully exploit the potential of mushroom cultivation, it is vitally important that a high-quality substrate that has been pasteurised or sterilized be chosen as this will remove competing microorganisms that might hinder mycelium growth. Once this step has been taken, inoculating with mushroom spawn – which is simply diluted mycelium grown elsewhere that quickly colonises new substrate – should follow.

Substrates can be constructed out of various materials, with straw, wood chips and sawdust being common choices for mushroom cultivation. Some species of mushroom may require organic materials like cardboard. Before inoculating mycelium (mushroom spores), however, the substrate must first be saturated with water and often supplemented with extra nutrients before pasteurization/sterilization will ensure no competing molds or bacteria spoil it or compete for nutrients with it.

High nutrient substrates like supplemented hardwood sawdust must be sterilized to avoid contamination with molds and other organisms that quickly take hold on these substrates if left ungesteriated, quickly infiltrating your desired mushroom mycelium before it takes hold.

Mix coco coir and vermiculite for an affordable substrate suitable for many species of mushrooms, known as mushroom mix in garden stores. Vermiculite helps retain moisture, while coconut coir provides valuable carbon sources.

Coffee grounds, rye grain, cornmeal and wheat straw all make excellent substrates for growing different species of mushrooms. When selecting these substrates for cultivation it is important to sterilize them as they contain food sources which attract numerous microorganisms competing for space on your substrates. Without sterilizing these materials first, they quickly become infested with molds and other organisms that compete with or damage mushroom mycelium production. To properly sterilize, they need to be heated at very high temperatures under pressure for several minutes in order to kill these organisms and preserve mycelial formation. Sterilization can be accomplished using a steamer, hot water bath or other methods of heating. Although a more complicated process than pasteurization, sterilization ensures all organisms in your substrates have been removed completely and won’t repopulate after pasteurization has completed. For those short on time or wanting an easier option than sterilizing their own substrates themselves, check out our ready-to-fruit mushroom substrate blocks which come fully colonized and ready for growing; an ideal way to bypass any learning curve and get down straight to growing right away!