Gourmet. Umami-rich. Ready in days. The Shiitake Mushroom Growing Kit grows Lentinula edodes on a ready-growing organic log that arrives already colonised. Keep it in its humidity bag, mist daily, and hold it between 10 and 20°C the first flush of shiitake mushrooms will only take a week or so. This is a ready-growing log, already run through with mycelium, which is what separates it from the inoculated hardwood logs that can take a year or more to fruit. This kit produces a 1kg+ first flush of fresh Shiitake mushrooms, with your first crop ready in around 7 days. The log is capable of a further flush or two with patience and soaking between crops. Explore our full range of Mushroom Kits for more types of mushrooms.

About the Shiitake Mushroom Growing Kit

Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) are native to East Asia and grow naturally on fallen and decaying hardwood. They are one of the most eaten mushrooms in the world after the common white mushroom, prized in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cooking for a deep, savoury, smoky flavour and a firm, meaty texture. Fresh or dried, they carry more umami than almost any other cultivated mushroom, which is why a few dried shiitake transform a stock or a broth.

What's in the kit

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Nothing beats the flavour of freshly picked mushrooms, and it's great fun watching them grow - children love them too! Each kit contains a colonised Shiitake log ready to explode with Shiitake mushrooms. The mushrooms are ready growing so all you need to do is mist daily to keep the log damp and the mushrooms will develop. Growing shiitake from a ready-growing log comes down to two things: moisture and fresh air.

Mushrooms will continue to grow if left between 10 and 20°C, ideal for your kitchen or utility room. In daylight or shade but not direct sunlight. Full growing advice is provided on the instructions and with FAQ's on our website, our contact details are always on hand should you require guidance. You can also view our full guide on growing shiitake mushrooms at home.

How to Grow Shiitake from the Log

1. Unpack straight away

Take the log out of the postal box as soon as it arrives. Left sealed in the box, it cannot breathe.

2. Set up the humidity bag

Place the log in its humidity bag, which holds moisture around the surface while still letting fresh air reach the log. Shiitake need humidity to fruit and fresh air to form proper caps rather than thin, leggy stems.

3. Mist daily

Spray the log and inside of the bag each day to keep the surface damp, not dripping. Consistent moisture is the single biggest factor in how well the log crops.

4. Position the log

Keep it somewhere that holds between 10 and 20°C - a kitchen or utility room suits it well. Daylight or shade both work; direct sunlight does not. Avoid radiators and strong draughts.

5. Watch for pinning and harvest

Small brown caps push through the surface and swell over a few days. Harvest each shiitake when the cap has opened but the edge is still slightly curled under, by cutting or twisting it cleanly at the base of the stem. The first flush is the heaviest.

6. Rest and re-crop

After the first flush, the log rests. Keeping it lightly misted, and soaking it as the instructions direct, encourages a further flush, though this is not always possible if you've had a particularly large first crop.

To see how each stage looks before your kit arrives, our day-by-day growing timeline walks through the cycle in photos.

Shiitake in the Kitchen

Shiitake hold gourmet status for a reason: sliced and sautéed in butter with a little parsley, they release a savoury, smoky depth that few other mushrooms reach. They belong in miso soup, ramen, stir-fries, stews, and dashi, and they take well to soy, garlic, and ginger. Cook them rather than eating them raw, and keep the caps for the plate while the firmer stems go into stocks and broths.

How to Cook Shiitake Mushrooms

Trim the stems, slice the caps, and cook them hot in butter or oil until the edges crisp and the flavour deepens. They are sautéed, stir-fried, simmered into soups and stews, and used across Japanese and Chinese cooking. Our blog covers how to cook shiitake mushrooms in more detail, and the creamy shiitake mushroom pasta recipe is a good place to start.

Nutritional Profile per 100g (cooked)

Beyond the kitchen, shiitake have been used for centuries in East Asian food and traditional medicine, and they remain one of the most studied edible mushrooms in nutritional science. We list the compounds they contain rather than making health claims, so you can read further yourself if the subject interests you.

Storage After Harvest

Keep fresh shiitake in a paper bag in the fridge, never sealed in plastic. They hold well for several days. Shiitake also dry beautifully, dried and then rehydrated, their flavour actually intensifies, which is why dried shiitake are a store-cupboard staple for stocks and broths. You can dry your own Shiitake Mushrooms at home

Shiitake Mushrooms: Frequently Asked Questions