Pannus unicolor — a little-known edible mushroom, used fresh and pickled. It grows on decaying wood and stumps of broadleaf trees (birch, aspen), in clusters.
Cap: 4-8(10) cm in diameter, irregularly shaped, ear-shaped, shell-like, depressed, funnel-shaped, with an uneven, thin, curled edge, later wavy, straight or drooping, smooth, initially ochre-brown with a purple tint, then brownish, pale. Gills: medium density, narrow, descending, whitish-pink, lilac-white, then yellowish, yellow-brown. Stem: short, eccentric or lateral. Flesh: thin, leathery, firm, white.
Cultivation on plant residues (intensive method):
Substrate: straw or sunflower hulls are used as substrate. Straw and hulls should be of good quality, free from signs of rot or mold. Before processing, straw should be chopped (in home conditions, chopping to 3-7 cm is sufficient). Chopping makes straw more compact and accessible to fungal enzymes. Substrate preparation. For home conditions, simple pasteurization methods can be used, such as boiling water. The substrate is soaked in water at 80-90°C and held for 3-4 hours for hulls or 7-8 hours for straw. Then, water is drained, and the substrate (straw or hulls) should cool to 20-30°C.
Before inoculation and packaging, the approximate moisture content of the substrate is determined: if the substrate is squeezed in the hand, water droplets should appear between the fingers, indicating optimal moisture content of 70%. If overwatered, water will drip in streams. Forming substrate blocks. The cooled and squeezed substrate is mixed with mycelium. The prepared compost is placed in a transparent polyethylene bag, tied, and several 3-5 cm cuts are made across the bag for air exchange. The mushroom block is ready.
Fruit formation: Mycelium germination lasts 15–18 days at 14–28°C. During fruiting, natural and active ventilation is used. Substrate blocks should be illuminated only during fruiting, and in open areas or rooms with windows, a day-night cycle is considered normal. In places where fruiting bodies have appeared, the film should be carefully cut.
Fruiting occurs in waves over 2-3 weeks, with 5-7 days between waves. The first three waves yield the highest harvest. Yield: 35-40% of substrate weight. Consumption rate: 2% mycelium relative to the total mass of moistened, steamed substrate.
