For my conditions, it seems that 50/50 hardwood saw dust/wheat bran is performing better than standard masters mix. It's probably a hair too humid for it in my tent, but it's gotta be higher for the oysters that are fruiting now.
(That is a 5lb block of substrate)
I eat them, mostly. Lions Mane is actually really tasty and it's quite healthy. For now, I have been growing Lions Mane, Oyster mushrooms and shiitake. These are all ones that are really good to eat and are much better than your typical grocery store button mushrooms.
I am also going to experiment with extracts as well. This particular mushroom has been used in Chinese traditional medicines for a long time to help boost mental cognition. While I am a person to generally disregard superstition and magic, there have been some recent studies that show that some of the compounds in Lions Mane can help with neurogenesis. Since I have a good supply of mushrooms, it can't hurt to test for myself.
Aside from food and some personal curiosities, I am looking to eventually start a gourmet mushroom side business.
You know what? Coincidentally I am very aware of those cognition studies because my daughter suffers from a rare illness that affects her brain development. Last I saw, you're correct, it's more than just health food store mumbo jumbo and has some actual efficacy.
If I may bother you again, could you describe the taste ? Mostly because I'm a foodie and now I'm AGAIN curious ๐ค
I am extremely curious about brain chemistry mainly because I have ADHD and might even be autistic to a degree. My journey in the world of psychedelics actually kicked off my current fascination into the entire realm of mycology. It is very under-studied field, for sure. The benefits I have gotten from psychedelics are amazing as most reports show, but alas, it's mostly subjective/anecdotal.
The taste of Lions Mane is variable, based on growing conditions mostly. If I had to generalize, it has a light seafood flavor when cooked without spices, but it's similar in texture to tofu that is not wet, but also not fully dried out and tough. Like most all mushrooms, there are the umami notes, but not as powerful as a shiitake or dried oyster mushroom for example. (Dried Lions Mane is fairly dull and doesn't bring out any other flavors, but it does rehydrate fairly well back to a mostly original state.)
Also, like tofu, its a flavor sponge. I have seen "bacon" recipes for it where the fruit is soaked in your typical bacon flavorings and some kind of fats are pushed into it. It's then sliced and fried fairly crispy.
Quite honestly, the taste is secondary to texture. It's a solid base for whatever recipes you can dream up.
Edit: I am currently making some "chicken nuggets" out of the lions mane and got a fresh taste of it raw. The standard earthy mushroom smell and taste is there as well and it's got a mild sweet flavor. The profile changes a ton when you cook it, but I just thought I would add a couple more notes for you.
Thank you again for all the info. I doubt I will grow much or any, but it's nice to know about so it doesn't seem so frightening. I thought you were growing mold for a fermentation when I first saw this. Ty again !