10 Most Profitable Gourmet Mushrooms to Grow

If you are looking for some extra cash to earn, these 10 most profitable gourmet mushrooms to grow may be your ideal choice.

Throughout the history, edible mushrooms have been a source of both food and medicine (and certain religious rituals that require mushroom-induced trans and hallucinations, but those aren’t the subject of this article.) Considering how many of them are poisonous, our ancestors went through a lot of pain before being able to tell with certainty which of them are edible, more than once at least.

As mushrooms started playing a bigger role in human diet, a group of them became known as gourmet mushrooms. These mushrooms have a strong taste, which can be quite various, depending on the exact species. Their health benefits are well-documented, but mostly they are consumed because of their impact on our taste buds. This is what makes them so expensive, similar to oriental spices when they were first introduced to European markets back in a day. Their high prices have naturally led people to the idea of growing gourmet mushrooms commercially and not just wandering the woods and hoping to find some. Plus, plenty of gourmet mushrooms are usually restricted to certain regions across the globe and can’t be found anywhere else, at least until they have been cultivated.

As meat and other farm products prices rise (and they are expected to go even higher, with all the measures governments across the world are taking in reducing human effect on global climate change), mushrooms are becoming more popular than ever.

Growing gourmet mushrooms for profit is rarely the only source of income for people, although there are farms that specialize in them. For most growers, they are an additional occupation that can provide a significant cash source. What they do require is a lot of knowledge, since they can be quite fragile and a single mistake can cost you your entire crop. That is why it is so important to do your research before starting a gourmet mushroom growing business, just like you would picking Most Profitable Livestock to Raise in 2017 and make sure you have covered all the angles. We will offer you some advice, but these are mere starting points and in no way should be taken as a definite guide. We have also provided you with some great sources where you can learn more about growing gourmet mushrooms.

First of all, if you are thinking of getting rich quick by growing gourmet mushrooms, you are in for a surprise. There are business endeavors and opportunities if you are looking for a small investment that turns up big profits, like some of the Most Profitable Low Cost Franchises to Own, but gourmet mushrooms aren’t one of them. Starting a mushroom farm business can and if you do everything right, often will provide you with a decent income, but that villa in Beverly Hills will have to wait a bit.

Your location will determine whether a gourmet mushroom is a profitable venture or not. This will primarily determine your market and what you can sell on it and at what price. Usually, big cities have plenty of restaurants which can provide a steady demand and are some of the best buyers for gourmet mushrooms. Also, the location will play a role in selecting a species best suited for that climate, although with most mushrooms grown indoors, that is of lesser concern.

Finally, be careful where you buy spawns and substrates. There are a lot of frauds out there advertising best mushrooms to grow for profit and getting scammed is a real possibility. Use only reputable vendors, with a proven record or your mushroom farming career will be both expensive and short lived adventure.

Despite the wealth of information on how to grow gourmet mushrooms on the Internet, finding exactly which species are the most profitable ones can be tricky. As our starting point, we choose Hobby Farms and further refined it with the info we found on Mushroom Shack and Mycotopia forums. We used the advice we found to rank most profitable gourmet mushrooms to grow, by taking into account how easy they are to grow and sell. Here is what we came up with.

10. Truffles

We kick off with truffles, but first a word of disclaimer. Growing truffles for profit is a daunting task and there are too many uncertainties that can make the whole process futile, despite your best efforts. To make matters worse, there are plenty of scammers trying to sell their inoculated trees to people who have no way of checking if the trees really contain truffle spores. That is why we put truffles on the 10th spot, despite their high price, with exceptional pieces going for 6 figures.

9. Chanterelles

The reliable way of growing Chanterelles is yet to be discovered. There are several pieces of advice that can be followed, but they are mostly hit-and-miss. The reason for this is that Chanterelles prefer the proximity of tree roots in order to grow, but the exact nature of this relationship is still unknown and thus hard to replicate. So far, the best advice is to find them in the wild and try to cultivate them on that spot, by putting them into a bucket of water and adding some salt. After one day spread that liquid all over the spot and hope for the best. Are you wondering what’s next on the list of most profitable gourmet mushrooms to grow?

8. Morels

Morels are extremely hard mushrooms to grow commercially, although it can be done. With morels, indoor cultivation is almost impossible, so your best bet, according to Paul Stamets, would be spreading the spawn over the ashes of burned wood and covering them with peat moss or sawdust. The area has to be kept in the shade. It may take up to several years for them to be ready for human consumption.

7. Reishi

Next on the list of most profitable gourmet mushrooms to grow is Reishi that is mostly consumed for its medicinal characteristics, so finding a buyer for them can prove to be difficult. A semi-tropical mushroom, Reishi requires high temperatures and high humidity. Growing method is similar to Maitake, seeded long buried few months after into the ground. They can take up to 12 weeks to mature, but once they do, they can be harvested any time after, giving them great flexibility.

6. Wine Cap

Known under the names of King Stropharia and Garden Giant as well, wine Cap can be a great intercrop to be planted between two plants season. Not only it will provide a nice yield, it will also enrich the soil, making the next plant increase its yield. It can be seeded in spring in mulched areas and will provide the harvest in late summer. It is recommended for beginner mushroom growers since it is easy to see when it is ready to be picked.

5. Almond Portobello

At 5th spot on our list of most profitable gourmet mushrooms to grow we have Almond Portobello that is a close relative to the button and ordinary Portobello mushrooms, but much more forgiving for growing and a great choice for beginners. Usually, Almond Portobello provides several flashes each summer and prefer mature compost.

4. Lion’s Mane

Preferring cooler temperatures in a range between 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, Lion’s Mane, one of the most profitable gourmet mushrooms to grow, is a good spring or autumn mushroom. These magnificent looking mushrooms prefer broad-leafed trees as their habitat and can be grown commercially on walnut, oak, or maple logs. Their taste mostly resembles seafood and that is what makes them very popular.

3. Maitake

Maitake’s taste reminds many people of roasted chicken, which earned them the nickname “Hens of the Woods”. Many chefs will give you a premium price for a reliable supply, but they are fragile and you have to wait up to two years before you see any fruits, plus usually, they fruit just once a year. Pasteurized logs seem to be the preferred growing method. About six months after seeding, logs should be buried into the ground. They prefer cooler temperatures in a range between 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Oysters

Oysters are among the two most profitable gourmet mushrooms to grow, and also among the easiest to grow. They came in several varieties, mostly distinguished by their color, golden, blue, or some other. They are considered among the easiest mushrooms to grow and are recommended for beginners. They aren’t very choosy about the substrate you use, it can be either a soft wood or straw or even a cardboard or coffee grounds. In terms of protein content, oyster mushrooms will out-produce free-range chickens. Their high yield makes them a favorite among gourmet mushroom growers.

1. Shiitakes

Whether you choose to plant them indoors or outdoors, shiitakes can provide you with at least two harvests per year. They are fairly easy to grow and are probably the best known among most profitable gourmet mushrooms to grow. In order to thrive, they require a temperature between 45 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit and a thorough soaking of the log or wood chips you are growing them on. They also don’t like too much sun, so make sure that if you are growing them outdoors to provide them with a partial shade. According to Penn State paper on shiitake cultivation, the vast majority of production in the United States is being done on synthetic logs.