The oyster mushroom or oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) is one of the winter mushrooms. Frost does not harm it at all, on the contrary, it only thrives at temperatures below 11 °C. When looking for the veal mushroom, as the oyster mushroom is also called, you should look up. It often grows very high up on the tree trunks.
Oyster mushrooms grow on wood
Appearance of the oyster mushroom
The oyster mushroom can be very variable in its hat color, from ocher to slate gray to brown, everything is possible. The hats are also arranged on top of each other in the shape of shells and roof tiles.
cap
However, the laterally stalked hat is shell-shaped and rather small only in young oyster mushrooms; older specimens develop up to 15 centimeters in size, rather oval to funnel-shaped hats. In addition, the hat is curved inwards at the edge. Typically, oyster mushrooms growing in cool summers are more beige, turning darker from slate gray to brown in the fall and winter. They never stand alone, but on top of each other.
slats
The broad, distant lamellae are whitish to cream-colored in young mushrooms and only turn yellow with age. They always run far down the stick.
stalk
The white to brownish stem is usually on the side of the hat and is usually very short or even only indicated.
meat
The flesh of young oyster mushrooms is whitish and soft, with age the mushrooms become tough, especially in the stalk.
risk of confusion
The slightly poisonous Oyster Mushroom is much smaller and has lamellae that end abruptly on the yellow velvety stalk.
When and where to look
When stalking oyster mushrooms, you need to examine thick, lying or standing deadwood from deciduous trees - especially beech. Even with snow in the cold season you can find what you are looking for, because oyster mushrooms only form fruiting bodies from 11 degrees Celsius and less. This makes them perfect for a Christmas menu made from self-collected mushrooms. It is mainly collected in the months of December to March, although oyster mushrooms can sometimes also be found in cool, damp summers.
tips
The oyster mushroom is one of the edible mushrooms that can be cultivated very well in the garden or even on the balcony or even in the basement. It is able to use various substrates such as straw, paper, coffee grounds or wood.