Lion's Mane Mushroom Harvesting Standards and Harvesting Methods

1. Maturity Standard

The fruiting body is white, the thorns are rough and begin to eject spores. A thin layer of white powder accumulates on the surface of the bag, indicating that the fruiting body is mature. The amount of spores in Hericium erinaceus is large. With the increase of maturity, the ejection amount of spores also increases, and the quality of the fruiting body will continue to change. Depending on the use of Hericium erinaceus, the maturity of harvesting is slightly different. Hericium erinaceus used as a dish, such as fresh sales, canning and salting, should be harvested when the length of the thorns does not exceed 0.5 cm. At this time, it has not yet begun to release a large number of spores. The mushroom body is white in color, the internal quality is firm and crisp, the flavor is delicious and pure, there is no bitterness or very little bitterness, and the taste is excellent. As a medicinal Hericium erinaceus, the maturity of the fruiting body can be appropriately increased, and it is best to harvest when the thorn is about 1 cm.

2. Harvesting method

When harvesting, you can use a knife to cut it from the base of the mushroom bag. The root of the fruiting body should not be left too long. Generally, it is cut along the inoculation port of the bag, but avoid cutting the plastic bag to avoid contamination by miscellaneous bacteria. It is also not advisable to cut off the entire base to avoid affecting the regeneration of mushrooms. When harvesting, you can also hold the bag in one hand and the fruiting body of the whole Hericium erinaceus in the other hand, gently rotate it, and then pull it outward to pick the fruiting body. This method is faster to harvest. The harvested Hericium erinaceus can be placed in plastic, bamboo, or plastic buckets. The container requires a smooth inner wall, and the fruiting body should be handled with care to prevent squeezing and damage to the appearance, which will reduce the value of the product.