Harvesting your mushroom crop

HARVESTING

1. Look for mature mushrooms.

Mushrooms are ready to be picked 2 – 3 days after they first appear.

Pick mushrooms gently by grasping stalk and pulling out slowly.

Note: Mushrooms must be harvested at the most appropriate time. If too small, they cannot fetch a good price. If too big, their conservation period is reduced; they are not so sweet and tasty. Harvesting should be done two or three times a day.

2. Put mushrooms in order in a basket, about 5-8 kg per basket. Trim and peel by cutting at the base of the stalk to make the mushroom clean. Place mushrooms in basket.
3. Weigh all mushrooms and take notes.

Note: A bag of mushrooms should yield between 250 – 350 grams of mushrooms in 4 to 5 flushes.

Bags lose much of their weight once they have exhausted their pro

Step 13. PACKAGING

Packaging

Before packaging, make sure all mushrooms are well-trimmed.

For selling fresh mushrooms on the market, little or no packaging is required. Mushrooms are weighed and placed in paper or plastic bags.

Mushrooms cannot keep for long and therefore all mushrooms must be sold quickly the following harvesting. They can keep in a refrigerator for 12 – 24 hours. To avoid humidity from accumulating in the bag, place mushrooms in bags and blow air in them. Tie the bag with a rubber band.

If no refrigerator is available, place mushrooms on banana leaves in a cool area, or put them on top of a water under the shade in a well-ventilated place.