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SPECIES PASSPORT No. 001

Oyster

Pleurotus ostreatus — the easiest mushroom to grow, a joy to cook, and a common find on UK beech logs.

Four ways in

What do you want to do with oysters?

Grow themKits, buckets, coffee-ground tek, monotubs9 guides · 12 productsGo → Cook themShawarma, crispy, soups, drying14 recipesGo → Forage themWhere, when, 7-point ID, look-alikes3 guides · UK mapGo → Understand themBiology, nutrition, research6 articlesGo →

Grow · best oyster kits

Ranked after 6 weeks of weighing

Reader-supported: as an Amazon Associate Psilobase earns from qualifying purchases. It never affects our scores. How we test →

01
Best overall

Blue Oyster Bucket Kit, 5 L

Not yet tested

PendingDraft · no Amazon link
02
Budget pick

Pink Oyster Grow Box

Not yet tested

PendingDraft · no Amazon link
03
Editor's choice

Golden Oyster Countertop Kit

Not yet tested

PendingDraft · no Amazon link

Oyster yield estimator

How much will your bucket make?

Estimated harvest≈ 900 g Preview formula — coefficients must be validated against our grow logs before launch. Open full calculator →

Cook

Oyster recipes we actually make

All 14 recipes →
Recipe · 20 min

Crispy oyster "shawarma" wraps
Recipe · 35 min

Oyster & miso noodle soup
Preserve

Drying oysters: time, temp & storage
Recipe · 15 min

Garlic butter oysters on toast

Forage

Finding wild oysters in the UK

  • Dead or dying beech, oak & ash — often at head height
  • Best after the first frosts: October to March
  • Shelf-like grey-brown caps; white, decurrent gills; no ring

⚠ Look-alikes

Don't confuse with

  • Angel wings (Pleurocybella) — on conifers, thin white flesh
  • Ivory funnel (Clitocybe dealbata) — grows on the ground, toxic
  • Never eat a wild mushroom on one ID feature
How we compare look-alikes →

When

Oyster through the year

Wild (UK)

  1. J
  2. F
  3. M
  4. A
  5. M
  6. J
  7. J
  8. A
  9. S
  10. O
  11. N
  12. D

Grow indoors

  1. J
  2. F
  3. M
  4. A
  5. M
  6. J
  7. J
  8. A
  9. S
  10. O
  11. N
  12. D

Health & safety

  • Oysters shed lots of spores — some growers develop a spore allergy. Harvest early, ventilate.
  • Always cook them: raw oysters can upset the stomach.
  • Per 100 g: about 33 kcal and 3.3 g protein; a source of B vitamins.
Mushroom poisoning: what to do →

Related species

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Species A–Z →