Oyster mushrooms are a staple in Oriental cooking, but they’re not always readily available at the shops. Here’s how to grow your own oyster mushrooms – in your garage or backyard!

• To grow mushrooms, you need a sterilized growth medium substratum. Straw works well for this.
• Place straw in an old drum with an outlet at the bottom. Place the drum on bricks and cover the straw with water.
• Make a fire under the drum and leave the straw in the hot water – 80 to 85 degrees – for at least four hours.
• Drain off the water and allow the substrate to cool.

• Mix the substrate with spawn (growing fungus spores). For each 25kg of substrate, you need 500g of spawn.
• Place the mixture in a tall plastic bag. Tie it to the roof of your garage of patio and cut a hole in the bottom corner so that it can drain.
• After three weeks a white growth, referred to as mycelium, will fill the bag. Cut four to six big holes into the bag to encourage growth.
• The mushrooms will grow out of these holes.
• For more information on spawn visit http://www.exoticspawn.co.za/ or http://www.ecoafro.com/

• Oyster mushrooms can be harvested when the caps are 5 to 7cm in diameter.
• Harvest them by snipping them off at the stem with a sharp pair of scissors.