Mushroom Cultivation Process
At STOFFN, every mushroom receives the attention it deserves.
Our mushrooms are 100% cultivated on our farm in Schleedorf, and we place great importance on working with local partners.
Below, we’ll give you an insight into how your Stoffn gourmet mushrooms grow.
Cultivation can be roughly divided into four steps:
The inoculation, the colonisation phase, the fruiting phase, and the harvest.
Step 1: Inoculation
To ensure the mycelium grows undisturbed, the straw used for cultivation is pasteurised. Once the straw has cooled, the mushroom spawn—rye grains colonised with mycelium—is mixed in. By packing this substrate mixture into bags, artificial tree trunks are formed.
Step 2: The Colonisation Phase
After filling, the artificial tree trunks are placed in the colonisation room. Here, conditions mimic those found underground during summer: it is warm, dark, and the air has an increased carbon dioxide concentration. Over the next three weeks, the mushroom mycelium spreads throughout the substrate, gathering energy for the later formation of the fruiting body.
Step 3: The Fruiting Phase
Once the substrate is fully colonised by mycelium, the artificial tree trunk is moved to the fruiting room. The climate here resembles a cool, humid autumn day, with the sun already relatively low in the sky. This change in conditions signals the mushroom to start fruiting. Over the next two weeks, the developing fruiting body doubles in weight and size every day.
Step 4: The Harvesting Phase
When the cap of the mushroom begins to curve upwards, it is fully grown. By gently twisting, the fruiting body is detached from the substrate and is immediately cooled and portioned.
