A Review of Growing Lion’s Mane Mushrooms with Kits
This article contains links to our partners in Amazon associates, although our opinions here are genuine. We were gifted the mushroom kits, but we’ve enjoyed using them so much that we had to write a review. We will receive an affiliate commission if you click any of the links in the article and purchase a Grow your own Mushroom Kit. We use this money to continue investment into the running of this site. So it helps us to keep cooking!
Set a box on a moderately lit, sturdy shelf in its humidity bag, spray kitchen roll with water every day and then watch the lifeform emerge and bloom out of the holes! Growing Lion’s Mane mushrooms is easy, really fun to watch and provides a healthy and tasty alternative to meat in many recipes.
We used kits from Merryhill Mushrooms, if you want to try alternatives, then check out our Smart Mushroom grow your own kit reviews here.
Growing Lion’s Mane Mushrooms Quick Summary
These growing kits are very easy to set up, and once in place, take very little maintenance. We had a few harvests from one box, each producing a good-sized head of Lion’s Mane. If Lion’s Mane isn’t for you (and if you are on blood thinners, you CANNOT eat Lion’s Mane!), then check out the Shiitake Mushrooms we also grew using a Merryhill Mushrooms kit.
Grow your own Lion’s Mane mushrooms
A very easy box to use, and great fun to watch grow. We recommend!
What we liked:
The growing kit is self-contained in the box, which makes it a clean and easy process
Overall, the instructions were clear - with a few caveats (see below)
The harvest was good, multiple growths and each head was a good size
The fungi are tasty!
Once the kit was spent, everything was recyclable
What we would improve:
Although the instructions are clear overall, it would have been nice to have photos of when to harvest, which Merryhill Mushrooms has done in their Shiitake kit.
The instructions say to place kitchen roll next to the box in the humidity bag - but the pictures show the kitchen roll touching the box, while the instructions say not to. It isn’t clear enough.
The humidity bag is a bit of a pain; it needs to be a touch stiffer so it stays in place more easily.
What are Lion’s Mane Mushrooms?
Lion’s Mane mushrooms, although appearing exotic, can actually be found across a wide range of Asia, Europe and North America. They love growing on decaying or dying hardwood trees such as oak or maple. In the UK, Lion’s Mane does grow wild; their appearance is very different from the white/creamy version above, but they are a protected species here because of their rarity.
Lion’s Mane has been used for centuries in Asian cooking, often included in recipes because of its health properties, and because it is a good meat replacement, thanks to its thick structure. They have been linked to having positive effects on the brain and the nervous system, although anyone on blood thinners should absolutely avoid lion’s mane.
Are Lion’s Mane Mushrooms easy to grow?
We found the Merryhill Mushrooms grow your own kit really easy to set up and use. Comparing this kit to the Smart Mushrooms oyster mushroom kit - they are about on a par, both take minutes to set up and ongoing care is incredibly simple. Versus the Shiitake kit, we’d say this one was easy to use, it’s cleaner as there isn’t a log, and it’s smaller too.
The kit comes as a box with spores inside; the holes are precut, and the whole thing just needs to be placed into the provided humidity bag. The bag itself is OK, you will need to roll down the top so it stays in place, but even then, it was hard to stop the mushrooms from touching the sides as they grew. Once you’ve put the box in its place in a warm place away from direct light, you’re good to go. It’s then simply a case of keeping the kitchen towel wet and waiting for the fungi to mature. Growing mushrooms this way is incredibly easy!
The early stages of Lion’s Mane growth
Once the box is set up, it’s really easy to see when the fungi start developing. Small heads start growing through the pre-cut holes in the box, resembling cauliflowers.
When the Lion’s Mane is nearly ready to harvest
The fungi will start to take on a more defined appearance, less like a cauliflower (unless it’s one wearing a coat). It will begin to look a little “hairy”, but this is in fact the fungi nearly ready to ripen.
Take note when watering the Lion’s Mane Kit
The pictorial instructions included in the kit show paper towels that need to be kept moist in the humidity bag. It looks as though the paper towel is touching the box.
If you read the Merryhill Mushrooms website and the instructions further, it actually says the paper towel SHOULD NOT touch the box. We made that mistake initially - but as you can see, it hasn’t affected the growth of the fungi.
Watering is extremely easy, though, simply spray the paper towels each day a few times to ensure they don’t dry out - and that’s it!
We used this Gardena plant sprayer
What recipes can Lion’s Mane mushrooms be used in?
Lion’s Mane mushrooms have a meaty, but juicy texture. Structurally, they respond well to being thickly sliced, and work in both soups/ramen or a meaty dish like a casserole or instead of steak. They will require plenty of seasoning to help bring out the earthy mushroom flavour, but if you get the balance right, they are delicious.
If you want to try your newly harvested Lion’s Mane on its own to gain an idea of its flavour, then we recommend slicing a head of Lion’s Mane thickly, frying some butter on a medium/high heat and then frying/sauteing the fungi until it’s browned on both sides. Serve on toast with a pinch of salt and a turn of pepper. It’s a delicious brunch, and once you’re happy you have the cooking times down, you can add a poached egg as well.
A very versatile mushroom, Lion’s Mane can be shredded, battered or breaded or even “pulled” as a replacement on tacos or in bao buns.
Fried Lion’s Mane Mushrooms
Frying the Lion’s Mane simply in butter is easy and makes for a great vegetarian lunch. You can easily make this vegan by replacing the butter with olive oil.
A decent knob of butter
A head of Lion’s Mane, sliced into thick slices
Toast (from a sourdough or similar)
Wipe the Lion’s Mane before use; don’t wash them as they will go slimy. Once cleaned, then slice it into thick slices, as if it were a steak.
Melt butter over a medium/high heat, and when it turns nutty, add the Lion’s Mane.
Make your toast.
Turn the fungi halfway through cooking, and remove from the pan once it is golden brown on both sides.
Place on top of the toast and then season with sea salt and a liberal turn of black pepper.
Would we recommend the Lion’s Mane grow your own kit?
If you’re looking for an exotic, delicious fungi that’s super easy to grow - then this kit is a fantastic option for you. It takes a few minutes to set up, and then within a few weeks, you will have multiple crops of this tasty mushroom.
If you want something a little less adventurous, then we recommend you check out Merryhill Mushroom’s chestnut and white mushroom grow kits, or their shiitake kit, too.
Growing Lion’s Mane mushrooms with kits: Frequently Asked Questions
How easy is it to grow Lion’s Mane mushrooms with a kit?
The Merryhill Mushroom kits are perfect for even the very basic beginners. The instructions are easy to follow and reasonably accurate. The maintenance is very simple and just involves a few sprays twice a day, and the harvest is exciting and plentiful. This makes it a great present for a foodie or someone green-fingered, even if they are time-poor.
How long does it take to grow Lion’s Mane mushrooms from a kit?
Once the Merryhill mushrooms box is in its humidity bag and sitting in the right location, you should expect to see your first crop within 7-14 days. Once you have harvested your first fungi, then expect another 10 days before the second heads are ready to pick. If you’re lucky, you may get a third; however, our experience was that each harvest produced smaller heads.
Where is the best place to keep a Lion’s Mane mushroom growing kit?
Ideally, you need to keep the box somewhere that will be reasonably dry and away from direct sunlight. We kept ours in the pantry under the stairs, and we recommend you don’t place the box on a windowsill or in a conservatory.
The soil needs to be kept moist, so keep the box away from radiators or sources of direct heat, too.
Find a recipe for your Lion’s Mane below
Our easy Laab recipe - simply replace the Turkey with shredded Lion’s Mane
Try this Mushroom bhaaji with lovely thick Lion’s Mane slices
Replace the pork in these meatballs with pulled Lion’s Mane for a veggie version of this meal