Organic Chicken of the Woods Sawdust Spawn

Cultivation:

We only recommend chicken of the woods sawdust spawn for log projects.

To grow on logs, you need an inoculation tool. For larger projects you may want to purchase an angle grinder adapter and specialized 12mm drill bit.

Sawdust spawn is ideal for larger mushroom log projects (10 or more logs) or for use by those wanting to inoculate logs every year.

Inoculation:

Chicken of the woods does best in oak logs. After colonization period in filter patch bags above ground, Chicken of the Woods logs should be partially buried under 2 inches of top soil. The mushrooms will fruit from logs and emerge out of the soil.

It should be noted that chicken of the woods is prone to being out competed by other fungi and is not a reliable producer without first treating your logs. To limit variables we strongly suggest you sterilize 8" by 8" segments of oak log in a pressure cooking or steam sterilizer before inoculation and incubate your log segments for a few months in sealed filter patch bags until they are completely colonized. Remove them from the bag and partially burying them in a shady location. (You can sterilize your log segments in a 22 qt or larger pressure cooker such as an All-American.)

Cooking:

Be sure to harvest chicken of the woods mushrooms when young to avoid a brittle texture. When cooked, they have a meaty, slightly lemony, flavor with a texture similar to chicken. The tougher outer pieces are best dried and used in soups or risottos or ground down to make rubs. The more tender, center pieces are delicious when sauteed with garlic, onions, salt, and olive oil. (A splash of white wine is nice, too!)