Oyster
Pink oyster
Pleurotus djamor
Never eat a wild-foraged mushroom you identified from a website, this one included. Wild mushroom misidentification can be fatal, and no page can rule a specimen IN. This reference is about cultivated and shop-bought mushrooms only: species you buy, or grow from bought spawn, where there is nothing to identify. To identify anything wild, consult a qualified local expert holding the actual specimen, never a description on a screen.
Also sold as
- Salmon oyster
- Flamingo oyster
In the kitchen
Flavour
Stronger and more savoury than the pearl oyster, with a bacon or ham note reported when crisped. The pink colour cooks out to tan.
Texture
Thin-fleshed and quick to dry out; best crisped rather than stewed.
In the kitchen
Crisp hard in a hot pan for a smoky, chewy result often used as a bacon substitute. It does not keep, so cook it within a day or two of harvest.
How it is cultivated
Substrate
Pasteurised straw or supplemented hardwood sawdust, the same as the pearl oyster.
Fruiting temperature
18-30°C (64-86°F)
Humidity
85-95% relative humidity
How it is grown
Pasteurised straw in warm conditions
Time to first harvest
As little as 2 to 3 weeks in warmth
How much, how long
Fast, heavy first flush; tails off quickly
Difficulty at home
Beginner. A warm-weather oyster: fast and productive in summer, but with a very short shelf life once picked.
What is worth knowing about it
The warm-climate oyster, and the fastest common mushroom to fruit. Its short shelf life is the reason it is rarely in shops and often grown at home instead.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Pleurotus djamor
- North Spore and GroCycle grower guides (fruiting range)
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