A Great Tasting and Prized Edible
Paddy straw mushroom is a native species to East Asia, and it is very popular in Asian cuisine. It is a truly a tropical mushroom, and perfect for intense summer heat. You can grow it seasonally if you have a few weeks or months when nothing else will grow! These mushrooms fruit only above 80F and actually prefers 90+F, this protein rich species can be grown on many other slightly composted, dried vegetable wastes.
Paddy Straw has wispy mycelium that is very weak compared to other species. However, this mushroom is very fast to fruit. It can take as little as 1 week after planting.
This mushroom fruits quickly, typically in 5-7 days from spawning! The mushrooms form in eggs so they should be grown on a plastic barrier or in containers to avoid confusing with poisonous or deadly amanitas that associate with tree roots.
A great tasting and prized edible, it is rich, meaty, savory and silky. Dried Paddy straw can achieve protein contents of 38-42%, dry weight!
Cultivating Paddy Straw
What You Will Need
- Spawn
- Plastic tarp
- 50 lb bag of cotton seed hulls
- 1 square wheat bale of wheat straw, shredded is best
- 5 lb wheat bran – hydrated
- Hydrated lime
Method
Step 1. Prepare your media (cotton and wheat straw) by mixing each separately with water, and soaking it for 3 days allowing it to briefly ferment. Add 1 tablespoon of hydrated lime per gallon of water used to soak in baby pool.
Step 2. Remove the media from the water and supplement with wheat bran.
Step 3. Solar pasteurize media separately in the sun by wrapping it in plastic for 3 days. You can also steam the substrate for 2 hours at 140-160F if you are not able to wait 3 days.
Step 4. Lay the media out in stripes alternating between the wheat straw and cotton waste on the tarp.
Step 5. Add spawn on top of the cotton rows.
Step 6. Cover the media loosely with another tarp out of direct sunlight. If you are in a cooler climate covering in the sunny area is acceptable.
Try to keep the temperatures of the inner media as close to 100F and not exceed 120F for too long.
Step 7. After 2 days, remove the cover and inspect the area where your spawn was placed. Look for a fine web like growth spreading from where you added spawn. Increase the air flow without allowing the substrate to dry out.
Step 8. Lift the plastic to create a humidity tent, a small hoop house like structure. Can be done
Fruiting
In as little as 4-7 days, but typically in two weeks, paddy straw “eggs” will form on the surface, both in singles, but commonly in clusters, enlarging and and quickly maturing in 2-3 days.
TIP: Paddy straw has overwintered in our spent oyster mushroom compost which stays warm in South Carolina.
Harvesting and Storing
Harvest the fruiting bodies while they are still in an egg stage for best storage. These mushrooms will keep in a paper bag in the fridge for a few days. You can also dry them out, and store them in an airtight container until ready to cook with.
The Next Flush
After the harvest, the bed will rest, and then fruit once more. Then the substrate is ready for cultivating another species called Almond Portabella (blog coming soon). You can also compost this media with worms for a beautiful and rich soil for your plants.
Experimenting With Other Substrates
Experiment with other cellulose and nitrogen rich substrate like spent cotton waste, sugar cane waste, dried hyacinth, hemp fiber, beet pulp, and others.
Paddy Straw Cashew Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1lb paddy straw mushrooms-cleaned and sliced
- 16 lettuce leaves – I used green leaf lettuce out of my garden but butter or bibb is great too
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- I large onion sliced
- 2 bell peppers of different colors – sliced thinly save half to mix in after cooking
- 2 ears corn – cut off cob – blanched
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- A dash of Asian chile garlic paste or sauce – optional, it’s spicy
- 2 tsp pickled ginger- minced
- ½ cup cashew halves
- Garnishes – Green onions, watermelon radishes, sesame seeds
Method
- Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir mushrooms season with salt and pepper cook for about 7 minutes or until well cooked. Drain and discard grease, transfer mushrooms to a bowl. Cook and stir onion in the same skillet used for mushrooms until slightly tender, 5 minutes. Stir hoisin sauce, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and chile pepper sauce into onions. Add half of your peppers, corn and return your mushrooms back into pan; cook and stir until the onions just begin to wilt and your sauce thickens a little, about 4 minutes. Stir in cashews.
- Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter and spoon mixture in the center of each leaf and garnish with scallions, radish and sesame seeds.
Bon Apetit!
37 thoughts on “How to Grow Paddy Straw Mushrooms <i>(Volvariella volvacea)</i>”
Aloha Mr Cotter, all due respect, I named my cat cotter as a kid. I am wondering if I can clone a paddy straw after it’s been refrigerated because the spawn can’t be refrigerated. And I have the same question for almond ports, and eagerly await that blog. The Solar pasteurization is just what I wanted to know. Mahalo!
Hey Adrian! You can still clone a fresh mushroom if it has been refrigerated, no problem. You can email me with your Qs about the almond portabella at olga@mushroommountain.com. Thanks, Olga
I am interested in growing this as a side project on my 7 acre rice farm in north central Thailand. I have unlimited access to rice straw. My concern is the humidity. My house on the beach is usually 90% humidity, but inland the humidity is lower. How can I best maintain the humidity?
BTW – beef stroganoff using straw mushrooms is wildy better than using button mushrooms.
I think you have the perfect climate to grow them. it is very humid down in South Florida, and they naturally grow there. And yum. That sounds quite delicious. With love, Olga
How can I buy spawn straw mushroom from you? And how much? Thanks+
We don’t sell it in the cold months, so April through September you can find it on our site. Thank you
Hi, I am plan to start bulk production of paddy mushroom. So I need help in this regard?
Thanks!
Hemanta
+91 9574492188
How long can I keep the spawn and in what temperature (other conditions)?
For heat only tolerant spawn, it needs to be used as soon as possible. You cannot refrigerate it.
Please can the mushroom be grown in an open canopy location like the garden or back yard where the temperature can’t be regulated?
Yes, as long as your temperatures are not in freezing weather, you are good to go 🙂
Hello! Are the what bran and cotton seed hulls necessary? Can I grow just on wheat straw alone? If not, are there any alternatives? I would be growing in a container if that helps. Thank you!
You need something that is nutritious. So maybe beet pulp?
Can you send culture to Uganda?and what would be da cost
Hey Alex! Unfortunately we do not send cultures to Uganda for these reasons: it takes too long to get there, and rules for importing live cultures are so vastly different from country to country. Are you looking for Paddy straw specifically, or other cultures as well?
the Spawn still available now please let me know
Thank you
We have spawn available for Paddy Straw April through October 🙂
I really like this mushroom..usually I look for this mushroom near the palm oil company. I hope someday I can grow it myself. but i’m noobbb
You can grow it yourself. I am confident. Just pay attention to what it is growing on, and the conditions that it is growing on, since it is native to your area. Then just mimic that process, experiment, and eventually it will happen 🙂
We had such limited success with this mushroom largely due to humidity not being high enough. Is there another mushroom that do ok in a bit drier condition? Thanks, Shari
Hey Shari! What is your location, so I can make some suggestions?
Hi! Where can I purchase paddy straw mushroom spawns?
You can find it right here: https://shop.mushroommountain.com/collections/sawdust-spawn/products/paddy-straw-horse-straw-sawdust-spawn-volvariella-volvacea-5lb We have it in stock mid May. It is a tropical strain, and likes very hot temperatures 🙂 You can sign up for the Notify Me, and you will get an email when we have it in stock.
Dear Sir/Madam,
Among the things you need to grow Paddy Straw Mushrooms you list HIDRATED LIME however in the procedure you never use it.
Is it used to cold sanitize the substrate?
Please advise
Thanks
Carlos
Ooopsies! I have edited the post, thanks for noticing that. You would add 1 tablespoon of hydrated lime per gallon of water used to soak in baby pool.
Please notify me when you have paddy straw spawn available.
If you go to the product page, you xan click on the notify me button, and enter your email address, as soon as we have it available, which will be mid may, you will receive an email 🙂 https://shop.mushroommountain.com/collections/sawdust-spawn/products/paddy-straw-horse-straw-sawdust-spawn-volvariella-volvacea-5lb