Hen of the woods, aka Maitake (Grifola frondosa) is a succulent polypore with a delicate feathery texture and earthy rich flavor. Its lacy sides make it a great option for frying, roasting, sautéing, and adding a visual flair to many dishes.
Hen of the woods can be difficult to cultivate, and is therefore recommended for enthusiast growers who have had some success with other more advanced species or are looking to experiment and try new methods.
Because hen of the woods is not a strong competitor, it requires a different cultivation strategy. Inoculation works best when logs are steam sterilized, incubated and colonized in filter patch bags, then removed from bags and partially buried in a shaded spot.
Note: Aside from being kiln dried, our wooden dowels are not treated in any other way.
Ideal project size: Plug spawn is ideal for smaller projects of 1-10 logs, though some log cultivators will use them for larger projects.
Inoculation: Hen of the Woods will only fruit in oak logs. After a 1-year colonization period above ground, Hen of the Woods logs may be partially buried under 2 inches of top soil to mimic their natural place in an ecosystem. The mushrooms will fruit from logs and emerge out of the soil.
*It should be noted that Hen of the Woods is prone to being out competed by other fungi and is not a reliable producer without first treating your logs. To limit variables we strongly suggest you sterilize 8" by 8" segments of oak log in a pressure cooker or steam sterilizer before inoculation and incubate your log segments for a few months in sealed filter patch bags until they are completely colonized. Remove them from the bag and partially bury them in a shady location.
You can sterilize your log segments in a 22 qt or larger pressure cooker such as an All-American*
Difficulty: Advanced
Hen of the Woods mushrooms are great for enthusiast growers who have had some success with other species. Hen works best when logs are steam sterilized and incubated in . Fully colonized logs are buried underground.
Cooking: Hen of Woods has a semi-firm texture and earthy flavor. It can be ripped into small pieces and added to a dish or left large to be the centerpiece of a meal. We love to confit Hen of the Woods by slow cooking it at a low temperature in an oven submerged in extra virgin olive oil. After 4-5 hours the Hen of the Woods will be crispy and delicious and you'll have mushroom infused olive oil!
Properties: Hen of the woods is traditionally valued for it's medicinal qualities and has been used to reduce cancer growth as well as lower blood pressure and cholesterol. In human trials, Hen of the Woods has improved symptoms by over 50% in patients with second to fourth stage liver or breast cancer (Lindequist, 2005). Hen of the Woods has also been shown to activate essential components of the immune system including macrophages, T-cells, and NK cells (Namba et al.,1992). While boasting medicinal properties, Hen of the Woods can also be dried, powdered and turned into a restoring tea. The dried powder has been shown to reduce hypertension (Rogers, 2011).
