A Review of Shiitake Mushroom Growing 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 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!
As we write this article about Merry Hill Mushroom growing kits, there is one absolute fact - our kitchen is PACKED full of Shiitake mushrooms!
We were very kindly sent mushroom growing kits for review, and thanks to a wee delivery error by DPD, we ended up with two logs of Shiitake to grow and test. Both were ready for harvest at the same time which meant we were using Shiitake in every recipe we could think of! Merryhill mushrooms also sent us a Lion’s Mane Grow Your Own Mushroom Kit, which we have also reviewed.
As always with our reviews, they are as impartial as we can make them, even when we’re sent the kits for free. If you would like to compare to other kits we’ve tried, then check out our article on the Smart Mushroom alternative.
Our review highlights for Merry Hill Mushroom Grow Your Own Shiitake Kits
The growing logs arrive ready to go in a sealed bag. You need to remove the packaging and place in a humidity bag, which is provided.
What we liked:
The instructions are clear, pictorial and excellent.
Everything you need is provided in the kit, the log, the humidity bag and the fungi
It’s easy to grow, keep out of direct light and keep moist
Each crop was sizeable, with enough mushrooms to feed a small army!
Cleaning and prepping the fungi was easy, and they are versatile too
What we would improve:
The humidity bag was a floppy bugger, it needs rolling up in a specific way (this wasn’t as annoying here as with the Lion’s Mane however).
It can be a bit messy to setup and keep in the right place (but that’s a very minor quibble).
We’re not sure how many crops you get per log - we are waiting for our second crop still after a few weeks.
Merry Hill Mushrooms Grow Your Own Shiitake Mushrooms
Merryhill Mushrooms have a wide choice of mushroom and fungi varieties and we really loved how easy it was to get a crop ready to eat!
Take one log of Shiitake and just add water!
Our kitchen is full of Shiitake mushrooms - they’re in our fridge, our pantry, on the work surface waiting to be prepped, in the mushroom soup we made in the freezer, and in the sweetcorn and mushroom soup in the fridge. They’re in us, as we just had some in a ramen. They’re everywhere!
So we can say with some confidence that this mushroom kit delivers a really big crop!
The shiitake grow your own kits are delivered in a sealed bag, each kit includes a log covered in soil impregnated with the fungus. Included with the kit is a large plastic humidity bag, which is designed to keep the log at the right level of moistness to encourage the mushrooms to fruit. All you have to do is remove the delivery plastic and then lift the log into the bag. This is probably the messiest part of setting the kit up, and it was a doddle for us. Each log is a good size, and the bag makes the space needed even larger, so you’ll need to prepare a space for the mushrooms before you unwrap everything.
We placed ours in our pantry alongside our Lion’s Mane kit. The bag kept flopping around, so we checked the instructions (which are very good) and it showed the bag needed to have its opening level with the top of the log, and wide enough to allow the mushrooms to get fresh air circulation. It also advised rolling the bag inwards all the way around to keep its shape. This has had mixed results.
Once it was setup in the pantry, all we had to do was spray it with water once in the morning and again in the evening. Nothing too soggy, just a few squirts to ensure nothing dried out (as it were…). Then the real fun began watching the fungi caps pop out and spread.
Two grow your own mushroom kits ready to go
Our shiitake kit was a big block of log, which meant it needed lots more space than we were expecting. However, it provided a TON of ‘shrooms!
Shiitake mushrooms grow so quickly!
The instructions advise that the mushrooms will begin to show within two weeks of being set up, but ours were fruiting within five days! The first signs are little caps pushing through the soil, and the log looks like it has pimples, then gradually the caps grow, gain stalks and then spread until eventually they are ready to pick. Harvesting them is easy, the instructions have multiple pictures showing the many different appearances that ripe shiitake take, and then gives clear advice on how to remove the mushroom at the root of the stalk, so you stand the best chance of getting a second harvest.
The Shiitake begin to fruit
You’ll begin to see small caps and stalks grow out of the log, and then they race to expand. The caps unfurl, and before long, they’re ready to harvest.
Cooking Shiitake Mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms can be used in a huge range of different recipes. Asian cuisine often uses dried shiitake mushrooms that are soaked before adding to food, and the liquor is also used in addition to stock. Fresh shiitake aren’t the kind of mushroom you have on a piece of toast, like oyster mushrooms, but they are delicious in soups, ramens or sliced very thinly and added to recipes like Vietnamese summer rolls.
If you don’t love squidgy or potentially slimy foods, then you may not be a total fan of Shiitake mushrooms - instead you should look at Merryhill Mushroom’s chestnut mushroom kits. If you want something different, a little exotic and adaptable - then Shiitake should be right up your street.
We used them in a ramen, made mushroom soup, added them to Onigiri and also made a rice cooker one pot rice dish with them too. It’s a good job they are so versatile - because we ended up with loads of them!
Which Grow Your Own Mushroom Kits are available from Merryhill Mushrooms?
Grow your own Yellow Oyster Mushrooms
Yellow oyster mushrooms are nutty, easy to grow and work in lots of delicious recipes. This is a meaty mushroom - without sliminess or bounce
Grow your own chestnut mushrooms
A solid classic, chestnut mushrooms are amazing on toast with butter, in stews and casseroles or with a poached egg.
Grow your own white mushrooms
The OG mushroom! This is a classic variety, and with these simple kits, you can grow and cook a massive harvest over and over again
Would we recommend the Shiitake Grow Your Own Mushroom Kit?
Overall this Grow Your Own mushroom kit has been excellent. The crops have been substantial, and we’ve struggled to keep up with the volume of mushrooms we harvested from each log. They are worth the investment, as they’re fun, sustainable and delicious. We’re still not sold on the humidity bag, it’s a pain - but apart from that the process has been extremely simple and effective.
Next time we would like to try the chestnut and white mushrooms - and look out for our review of the Lion’s Mane grow your own kit too! Exotic but easy.
Shiitake Grow Your Own Mushroom Kit: Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for shiitake mushrooms to grow with a Merryhill Mushrooms kit?
We found that the mushrooms started sprouting after around 3 days of being set up and were ready to harvest within 8-10 days. Merryhill Mushrooms advise around 14 days. We are still waiting to see if we get a second crop from both logs, but the first harvest was very substantial.
Do I need special equipment to use the grow your own shiitake kit?
Everything you need to grow these mushrooms is included in the kit except a way to water the log. We used a sprayer/mister that provided a soft but consistent water level over the log. You don’t want to drown it, but it also shouldn’t dry out. We used this spray from Gardena
Can I reuse the kit after it finishes producing mushrooms?
Once the kit has finished producing mushrooms, it’s pretty much done with. The best thing to do is crumble it up and add the soil to your compost or garden. Mycelium is an excellent addition and will improve soil health throughout your garden.