Sterilization of Substrate for Mushroom Production
The All-American Sterilizer is touted as the gold standard for home mushroom production. If you’re looking into growing your own gourmet edible mushrooms and want to save the expense of purchasing pre-sterilized substrate bags, you’ll need some way to sterilize substrate for mycelium growth. The Presto 23 Quart Pressure canner is often recommended for beginners due to its affordable price and ease of use. The All-American Sterilizer is a bit pricier, but often recommended for home growers who are serious about their craft. This post will discuss factors you may wish to consider for a future purchase.
The Presto 23 Quart Pressure Canner
As noted above, many in the mushroom community start with a Presto 23 Quart Pressure Canner.
Presto Pros
- Affordable (price was $144.99 at the Presto website at the time of writing)
- Durable- will last for years with proper care
- Replacement parts available- to extend the life of the canner
- Easy to learn and easy operation
- The 23 quart version will fit 4 half-gallon mason jars
- Goes to 15 PSI, which can reliably sterilize substrate
Presto Cons
- Loud- you my feel annoyed being in the same room while this canner is at pressure
- May crack glass on stove (I did not have this experience, but have heard of others who did)
- Takes up room on stove (unless you purchase a separate burner)- can impact your dinner plans without proper planning
- Time intensive- takes approximately 90 minutes at PSI to sterilize wood substrate jars
The All-American Sterilizer 75x
All-American Sterilizer Pros
- Quiet operation does not impact quality of life in nearby parts of house
- Uses a regular 120v outlet
- Extremely durable- should last a lifetime
- Goes to 20 PSI, to reliably sterilize substrate
- The 75x model fits 6 half-gallon mason jars
All-American Sterilizer Cons
- Relatively expensive- (price was $1119.95 at the All American website at time of writing)
- Requires a somewhat large dedicated space for operation and storage
- Time intensive- takes about 1 hour to heat to steam, then 45 minutes to pressurize
- Requires use of distilled water
- Operation is slightly more complicated than the Presto canner
Is the All-American Sterilizer Worth It?
In short, as someone who produces enough gourmet edible mushrooms to feed my family and to sell growing kits to my local farmer’s market, I say yes. The All-American Sterilizer is worth it. My top reason for this is that the All-American Sterilizer is quiet, and does not negatively impact my quality of when operated in the house. I dreaded using the Presto due to the noise. Although the All-American Sterilizer was not as fast as I hoped (it takes a long time to stem and pressurize), I can still sterilize 12 jars quicker with it than with the Presto (because it takes 2 batches instead of 3). Additionally, it will not hurt my glass stovetop.
However, the All-American Sterilizer may not be worth it for everyone. If you are just starting out and are not certain if growing mushrooms is for you, save your money and try the Presto 23-Quart Pressure Canner. If you grow a small amount of mushrooms or dabble in the hobby infrequently, the Presto will likely be your best option.
Several of my complaints about the Presto can be managed by purchasing a separate burner and placing it somewhere like a basement or garage. For example, if you have a separate burner, you can eliminate the annoyance of noise in your kitchen. A separate burner (or a gas stove) will save your kitchen from potential damage. Finally, having a separate burner will get rid of the hassle of a stovetop canner interrupting your meal preparations.
Both the All-American and the Presto work well for sterilizing mushroom substrate. The All-American and the Presto will both last a long time, and their life can be extended by the purchase of replacement parts, when needed. Both can be safely operated in-home (with proper understanding of the instruction manual, of course). We hope this post helps make your decision in purchasing a sterilizing device easier!
Next Steps in Gourmet Mushroom Adventures
Want to learn more about growing your own mushrooms? Click here for directions for growing king trumpet mushrooms or here for growing oyster mushrooms in jars.
Prefer to skip the work but still have fresh gourmet mushrooms? Find us at the Orange City, IA farmer’s market this summer (2023)! We will have a variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and herbs available this season. We’ll also be selling extra produce at our road market stand in Alton. Feel free to reach out if you’re looking for anything in particular! Email us at [email protected].
