This post is a quick visual guide to what to look for as your Shiitake kit begins fruiting, plus a simple note on when to harvest for the best flavour.

Your Shiitake kit ready and raring to go, you should be able to see and feel little firm ‘pinheads’ pressed against the protective wrapper.

Place the kit in a cool spot to grow, ideally at 12-20 degrees, away from direct sunlight. Proceed to spray the kit and the inside of the bag to ensure a high humidity. You will see the mushrooms developing quickly, during this time maintain the spraying twice daily of both the inside of the bag and kit itself.
	When to pick: It is important to pick the mushrooms on time for maximum flavour, it is best to pick them just as the caps start turning up. To harvest fold the bag down, cutting each mushroom as close to the block as possible.

Want to grow your own? Here’s the kit featured in this post: Shiitake Mushroom Growing Kit. You can also browse the full range of mushroom growing kits to explore other varieties.