Start a New Christmas Yule Log Gift Tradition: Grow-it-Yourself Shiitake Mushroom Log Kits Last All Year

A shiitake mushroom log may remind us of the traditional Yule Log, but it's not intended for the fireplace. A unique gift for mushroom lovers, gardeners and gourmet cooks, it will grow shiitakes year-round and make family holidays more enjoyable for years.

Perkins, OK (PRWEB) November 8, 2006 -- It's a real log and it has little holes, but you don't adorn it with lighted candles. This log is not intended for your fireplace but, as in days of old, is to be saved from year to year to make family holidays more enjoyable -- especially for mushroom lovers, gardeners and gourmet cooks -- who would love to find this unusual bit of oak under the Christmas tree.

A shiitake mushroom log is an all-natural hardwood log that has had holes drilled in it. The holes are then packed with shiitake spawn and sealed with wax. A shiitake log will grow these popular gourmet mushrooms year 'round, every two months for about four years, and -- they'll grow in indoor light like plants or outside in shady areas of the yard.

"You just add water – ice water," according to shiitake mushroom farmer Doug Williams, of Lost Creek Mushroom Farm. "By soaking the log in cold water, you 'shock' it and start the fruiting cycle. A log will produce about every two months with increasingly larger crops as it matures."

Shiitakes are a traditional Christmas gift in Japan and log-grown shiitakes are especially prized for their deep flavor, their meaty texture, and their health and healing properties. High in protein and low in fat, they are a favorite of vegetarians, gourmets, and mushroom fans around the world.

Lost Creek Mushroom Farm has a variety of log kits available, ranging from a 6-inch 'Shroomie for $16.95 to a 14-inch small log at $38.50 or a 20-inch large log for $46.50, each with a soaking tray. The 10-inch log kit without a tray sells for $27.50 and the Ma and Pa kit features two 10-inch logs that will yield shiitake mushrooms every month by alternating the producing log. The Ma and Pa Kit sells for $47.50. All prices include shipping and handling. Kits come with full instructions and recipes, and logs 10 inches or larger are guaranteed to produce mushrooms.

Shiitake mushroom log kits and gift baskets are available online at Amazon.com and at the Lost Creek Mushroom Farm website, www.shiitakemushroomlog.com. To order by phone or request a free brochure, call 1-800-792-0053. The mailing address is Lost Creek Mushroom Farm, PO Box 520, Perkins, OK 74059.    

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