Growing Your Own Lion’s Mane Mushrooms (& Lion’s Mane Taco Recipe)

Recently, I have been obsessed with growing and learning about a variety of useful plants and fungi, as well as essential oils, herbs, and other functional natural products that can really bolster human health! My dad has always been passionate about expanding his horizons in terms of gardening, plants, herbs, and exotic foods, and I am finding that these interests have been manifesting in my own life as I search for ways to lead a healthy and environmentally-oriented lifestyle. Two weeks ago, he purchased two Grow-Your-Own-Mushroom Kits for each of us; we received two kits with lion’s mane mushrooms and two with maitake mushrooms. Aside from being a much more engaging experience with food, purchasing a kit that will provide an indefinite number of harvests of this delicious and healthy mushroom is also more cost effective than purchasing the supplement in capsules or powder. We purchased these kits from midwestgrowkits.com, which sells kits from only $15.99-$24.99, which is definitely cheaper by mass than most supplements made with these products. I also appreciate that it involves less packaging and manufacturing but more educational experience.

Lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) is a mushroom with renowned abilities to improve brain health in incredible ways. According to alzdiscovery.org, evidence suggests that it can improve cognition in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and that it may be able to increase levels of nerve growth factor (NGF), which increases the length of nerve cell processes. A study by the National Library of Medicine confirms the observation that lion’s mane increases NGF-synthesis. According to many sources, H. erinaceus may help treat Alzheimer’s, afflictions of the nervous system, cancer, and diabetes; it may promote digestive and gut health (by encouraging the growth of good gut bacteria), and it may provide benefits after stroke. I tend to believe in the healing and preventative potential of many naturally-occurring foods and supplements such as lion’s mane which have been used for a long time and whose benefits have been touted for centuries, although modern science with integrity based only on the scientific method can only claim so many benefits due to a lack of studies or clinical trials with humans. Then again, if I were a betting man, I would put my money on the longevity of someone who only eats lion’s mane every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner rather than the typical American diet.

Upon receipt from Midwest Grow Kits, my lion’s mane already had a few small outgrowths from the cake of growth substrate, which had a white coating on it (presumably the material containing the spores). I threw away the box on the first day, placed the bag in a dark room in the basement, and left the bag sealed for the first week since it already seemed sufficiently humid, and I didn’t want to expose it to any unnecessary mold spores or dust (the bag came with a small cloth-covered hole for airflow). After a week, I already noticed substantial growth of the mushrooms with zero effort. Then, I cut a corner off the bag to give it a good misting of purified water with the spray bottle that was included in the kit to refresh the humidity. After one more week, the half of the bag that had once been air was now filled with lion’s mane, so I decided it was time for the first harvest! I washed my hands meticulously with antibacterial dish soap so as not to expose the setup to any unwanted contaminants, then removed most of the lion’s mane from the substrate cake.

Next, I thoroughly cleaned out a large tote bin with hot water, antibacterial dish soap, and vinegar, which I thoroughly rinsed. I filled the bottom with a little bit of filtered water and doused the rest of the substrate block with some remaining water to prepare the cake for its next cycle of growth, then replaced the lid and put it in a darker area within the recommended temperature range of 60-78°F.

While some sources say that lion’s mane may not be eaten raw, the oft-cited reason for this is simply that people’s digestive systems aren’t very good at breaking down the fibrous substance chitin which can prevent the full absorption of nutrients from the mushroom. Cooking can be beneficial by breaking down the substances that are difficult for humans to digest (similar to cruciferous vegetables, etc.), but there may also be a few nutrients and good bacteria that can be lost in the cooking process, so this fact isn’t going to stop me from consuming it in a variety of different ways such as dehydrating the lion’s mane and turning it into an easy-to-use supplement powder, which can help with the body’s absorption of nutrients despite the chitin.

Easy Lion’s Mane Tacos

Since experimental cooking is my jam, I made some tacos with lion’s mane, and they turned out delicious! The texture of lion’s mane is comparable to crab meat; if you don’t prefer that texture, it is hardly noticeable if it is finely chopped before cooking. I will share the recipe so that if you decide to grow your own, you’ll have at least one fun and delicious idea for how to use your abundance of this regenerative fungus!

Ingredients (makes two large tacos):

• Heaping handful of fresh lion’s mane mushroom
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 red bell pepper
• Half of a white onion
• Half can of garbanzo beans
• Spices (salt & black pepper to taste, basil, chili powder, Classic Shore Lunch Seasoning)
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• A few leaves of lettuce
• 1 tomato
• 1 lime
• Fresh cilantro

First, remove any remaining particles of the growth substrate from the lion’s mane, rinse, and remove excess water. Simmer garbanzo beans in small pan. Sauté garlic and chopped lion’s mane in olive oil over medium-high heat, mixing occasionally, for about three minutes (it will shrink substantially when cooked). Add minced bell pepper, minced onion, and spices (go heavy on the herbs for potent health benefits and delish flavor), and remove from heat after around four minutes more once the peppers and onions start to blister or when the lion’s mane reaches your preferred texture.

Warm tortillas in a pan. Add the cooked filling, garbanzo beans, lettuce, and diced tomato.

Top with plain yogurt (a yummy substitute for sour cream) and fresh cilantro. Serve with slices of lime. Compost remaining vegetable matter with a container you keep on your counter and empty in your garden. Enjoy these tacos made from your own home-grown lion’s mane!

Growing your own lion’s mane (or any other food for that matter) can be such a fulfilling way to incorporate a variety of healthy nutrients into your diet. Prevention is the best medicine, so eating well is vital to staying happy and healthy; the things you consume will become a part of you!

Stay healthy!

-Josh