Brown Oyster – (Pleurotus ostreatus)
Fun Fact:
The Latin name for oyster mushrooms is Pleurotus ostreatus, which translates to "sideways oyster"
The Brown Oyster strain is one of the best tasting in our collection. Very similar to the native white oyster, this strain differs in that it has a softer, inflated stem that is edible! The entire mushroom can be sliced and cooked, making it a great value for consumers. This strain can grow to almost a foot across and the cap margin becomes a beautiful, wavy shape when mature.
The Brown oyster is light sensitive, so it does not like growing in clear containers or bags, opt for black bags or use nursery pots, buckets or bins with holes in them. This strain becomes trapped in clear containers and they cannot find the holes to escape! Not as sweet as the blue or elm oyster, this one is the best meat substitute we have, and can be oiled and grilled whole for oyster sandwiches or cubed up and threaded onto kabobs.
Outdoors it fruits well on oak, sweetgum, poplar, and many other hardwood species in the spring and fall. Indoors we recommend fruiting this strain on pasteurized wheat straw and cotton hulls for incredible yields. We grow this strain year-round indoors and it forms beautiful, thick clusters, and is the most CO2 tolerant of all of our oyster strains. We are able to produce this mushroom indoors year-round due to its wide temperature fruiting window.
Check out our blog post on How to Cultivate Oyster Mushrooms with Recipe!
The Brown oyster is light sensitive, so it does not like growing in clear containers or bags, opt for black bags or use nursery pots, buckets or bins with holes in them. This strain becomes trapped in clear containers and they cannot find the holes to escape! Not as sweet as the blue or elm oyster, this one is the best meat substitute we have, and can be oiled and grilled whole for oyster sandwiches or cubed up and threaded onto kabobs.
Outdoors it fruits well on oak, sweetgum, poplar, and many other hardwood species in the spring and fall. Indoors we recommend fruiting this strain on pasteurized wheat straw and cotton hulls for incredible yields. We grow this strain year-round indoors and it forms beautiful, thick clusters, and is the most CO2 tolerant of all of our oyster strains. We are able to produce this mushroom indoors year-round due to its wide temperature fruiting window.
Check out our blog post on How to Cultivate Oyster Mushrooms with Recipe!
Features
Cap
Smooth, blue to grey in color, fan shaped, sometimes wavy
Fertile Surface​
White gills producing white spores, running from the edge of cap all the way down to stipe
Stipe
Lacking or very short/thick
Look-alikes
Lentinus tigrinus
Tiger Sawgill
Crepidotus applanatus
Flat Crepe
Pleuricibella porrigens
Angel Wings
Pleurotus levis
Veiled Oyster
Profile
| Edibility & Taste | Meaty and Earthy |
| Grows On | Hardwood Logs and Stumps (Outdoors):alder, ash, aspen, beech, birch, elm, maple, oak, sweetgum, box elder, cottonwood, willow, ailanthus, tulip poplar. Pasteurized Straw or Agricultural Byproduct (Indoors) |
| Fruiting Temps | 50-75F |
| Availability | Year-round |
Nutritional Benefits
Nutritional content of 1 cup (86 grams)
• Calories: 28
• Carbs: 5 grams (38%)
• Protein: 3 grams (27%)
• Fat: <1 gram (1%)
• Fiber: 2 grams
• Niacin: 27% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5): 22% of the DV
• Folate: 8% of the DV
• Choline: 8% of the DV
• Potassium: 8% of the DV
• Iron: 6% of the DV
• Phosphorus: 8% of the DV
• Zinc: 6% of the DV
Medicinal Benefits
High in:
- Antioxidants
- Anti-fungal properties
- Lovastatin (for treating bad cholesterol and reducing inflammation associated with pancreatitis)
- Niacin/Vitamin B3 (improves circulation, suppresses inflammation, can help lower risk of Alzheimer’s and other age-related cognitive issues)
- Pleuran (immunomodulating beta-glucan)
- Other B Vitamins (important to brain function and production of energy)
- Fiber (great for digestive health and weight loss)
- Vitamin D (boosts bone mineral density)
- Selenium (benefits DNA production and thyroid hormone metabolism)
Helpful Links
- Read: How to Cultivate Oyster Mushrooms Sustainably
- Read: Cultivating Oyster Mushrooms With Mushroom Mountain’s Coffee Cultivator Kit
- Read: Fruiting Mushrooms In Your Kitchen the Easy Way
- Read: Which Oyster Mushroom Should I Choose to Cultivate and Other Useful Facts
- Explore our Oyster Mushroom Fruiting Kit
- Explore our Oyster Mushroom Liquid Culture
- Explore our Oyster Mushroom Sawdust Spawn
- Explore our Oyster Mushroom Plug Spawn
- Explore our Pure Culture Slants
- Explore our Dried Oyster Mushrooms
- Zone Fruiting Map
Fun Fact:
Oyster mushrooms can eat nematodes and herbicides. Yep, these fungal freaks-o'-nature produce enzymes like laccase that help them break down all kinds of gnarly stuff—like agricultural waste, oil spills, and even some synthetic materials. In the fungal world, they’re basically environmental cleanup crews with gourmet potential.
Recipe
Savory Oyster Mushroom & Quinoa Wraps
🌱 Ingredients (Makes ~4 wraps):
– 1 tbsp olive oil
– 1 cup oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped
– ½ cup cooked quinoa
– ½ onion, sliced
– ½ bell pepper, sliced
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– ½ tsp smoked paprika
– ½ tsp cumin
– Salt & pepper to taste
– ÂĽ cup hummus (or more, for spreading)
– 4 flour or corn tortillas (gluten-free if needed)
– Optional: chopped herbs (parsley, cilantro, or basil) & greens or sprouts for extra crunch
– 1 tbsp olive oil
– 1 cup oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped
– ½ cup cooked quinoa
– ½ onion, sliced
– ½ bell pepper, sliced
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– ½ tsp smoked paprika
– ½ tsp cumin
– Salt & pepper to taste
– ÂĽ cup hummus (or more, for spreading)
– 4 flour or corn tortillas (gluten-free if needed)
– Optional: chopped herbs (parsley, cilantro, or basil) & greens or sprouts for extra crunch
Flavor-packed, satisfying, and totally workshop-worthy. Serve warm or room temp—great for meal prep or outdoor events!
🔥Directions:
1. Sauté the veggies: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and peppers, and sauté 3–4 minutes.
2. Add mushrooms & garlic: Toss in chopped oyster mushrooms and garlic. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and golden.
3. Season & stir: Add paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir in the cooked quinoa and fresh herbs. Heat through and remove from pan.
4. Assemble the wraps: Warm your tortillas slightly. Spread hummus on each one, add a scoop of the mushroom-quinoa filling, and any greens if using.
5. Wrap it up: Fold in the sides and roll up like a burrito. Slice in half and serve warm or chilled.
1. Sauté the veggies: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and peppers, and sauté 3–4 minutes.
2. Add mushrooms & garlic: Toss in chopped oyster mushrooms and garlic. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and golden.
3. Season & stir: Add paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir in the cooked quinoa and fresh herbs. Heat through and remove from pan.
4. Assemble the wraps: Warm your tortillas slightly. Spread hummus on each one, add a scoop of the mushroom-quinoa filling, and any greens if using.
5. Wrap it up: Fold in the sides and roll up like a burrito. Slice in half and serve warm or chilled.
Mycoremediation Potential
• Biosorption of heavy metals
• Biodegradation of gas oil
• Biodegradation of synthetic dyes
• Biodegradation of pesticides and persistent herbicides
• Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
• Biodegradation of ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic that is accumulating in the environment, causing a rise in multiple drug-resistant microbes
• Biodegradation of Green Polyethylene
• Biodegradation of Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
• Biodegradation of gas oil
• Biodegradation of synthetic dyes
• Biodegradation of pesticides and persistent herbicides
• Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
• Biodegradation of ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic that is accumulating in the environment, causing a rise in multiple drug-resistant microbes
• Biodegradation of Green Polyethylene
• Biodegradation of Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)