The Black Trumpet Blog

Sterile technique is at the heart of indoor mushroom cultivation, so if you want to step up your game we recommend purchasing an All American Sterilizer to sanitize your equipment and homemade substrates.

Snow oysters have a milder, sweeter flavor and firmer texture than their oyster cousins. Zach at Spore to Fork shares five mouth-watering dishes highlighting their unique taste and texture, including mushroom tempura and a candied maple surprise!

Our friend Zach of Spore to Fork created these 5 delicious recipes starring the beloved king trumpet mushroom.

Chestnut mushrooms are beloved for their woodsy aroma, crunchy texture, and rich, nutty, mildly-sweet flavor. Zach at Spore to Fork shares five unforgettable chestnut recipes, including your new favorite cream of mushroom soup!

In this blog post, we explore a variety of mushroom biology topics including the fungal lifecycle, primary mushroom characteristics, the structure and function of hyphae, the role of mushrooms in ecosystems, and how mushrooms differ from plants and animals.

From fashion and music to performance and fine art, all creative genres seem to be enamored with nature’s humble muse.

What are some of the ways humans might apply the functionality of fungi to the final frontier? Explore with us.

In this guide, you will learn both jar tech and bin tech methods, including preparation, inoculation, growing, and harvesting.

Awhile back, the team at FirstBuild reached out to us about the Mella Smart Mushroom Fruiting Chamber they were creating and asked if we would like to help advise the development team. And, of course, we jumped at the opportunity. This automated mushroom growing appliance has been designed to fit into small spaces (e.g. kitchen countertops) and to make the process of mushroom growing easier, cleaner, more practical for smaller-scale growers and hobbyists. (Think high-tech tiny version of a Martha tent.)

This week, we had the pleasure of speaking with Winslow Robinson of Riverside Farm in North Yarmouth, Maine. Winslow and his partner Laura focus on honest, holistic health and wellness, as well as creative innovations for efficiency in farming. In this interview, we learned more about their experience with mushroom log cultivation and their innovations: a 'Mush Room," wax spraying gun, spawn blaster, and a log turner.

This week we had the privilege of speaking with Matt Fry of Fry Farm in Bethlehem, Georgia about their expertise with growing shiitake, lion's mane, and oyster mushrooms using the totem method.

Angel Schatz is part of the leadership team of both the Central Texas Mycological Society and Austin Organic Gardeners. She shares how she's harmonizing vegetable gardening and mushroom growing, using recycled mushroom blocks.

For this week's grower highlight, we were able to speak with experienced home-brewer and outdoorsman Tag Huff of Peculiar, Missouri about his experience with growing mushrooms. He's translating his skills from home brewing to home growing!

We know mushrooms can do so much to support our bodies, but did you know that includes the outside too? Snow mushrooms are especially adept at hydrating, soothing, and brightening skin.