Why Buy, When You Can Grow Your Own Mushrooms

I admit that I am not a fan of the fungi, but my husband LOVES mushrooms. He begs me to saute some mushrooms just for him when I'm cooking dinner. However, I almost always forget to buy mushrooms when I go shopping. I happened to see on The Chew today a story about Back to the Roots, a grow your own mushroom kit made from used coffee grounds. It's pretty amazing that while in college the founders and creators of Back to the Roots started experimenting with growing mushrooms in a fraternity kitchen at UC Berkeley. A professor of theirs sparked the idea, when he proposed the idea of growing mushrooms from coffee grounds.

Back to the Roots mushroom kits don't just produce garden variety button mushrooms. These kits produce gourmet oyster mushrooms, known for their delicate and subtle taste with succulent flesh that quickly absorb flavors during cooking. The company is looking though to expand their product line to include shittake mushrooms.

Not only are the kits perfects for growing your own mushrooms to cook with, they are also a great tool for classrooms. Kids get a chance to grow something other than bean spouts and learn a little about sustainability.