Where To Buy Oyster Mushrooms? 6 Locations You Can Always Find Them

Oyster mushrooms are a popular gourmet mushroom available to buy them fresh in buckets, canned or dried. They are widely accessible in grocery stores, Asian specialty stores, Farmers markets, via curated produce boxes, online retailers, or via simple-to-use home growing kits. Discover specific locations on where to buy oyster mushrooms near you.

What are oyster mushrooms?

The oyster mushroom (aka pleurotus ostreatus), is a type of edible mushroom that is a staple in many Asian dishes. Versatile and filling, it is an ingredient commonly found in spicy vegetable stir-frys, creamy mushroom soups and even pasta dishes.

There are different types of oyster mushrooms, whose colors range from light gray to dark brown, with white to cream flesh and decurrent gills.

Some popular oyster mushroom types include the king oyster mushroom and pearl oyster mushroom.

• King oyster mushrooms feature a thick white stem, and brownish caps, and are the biggest kind of oyster mushroom.
• Pearl oyster mushrooms, on the other hand, are shaped like pearls and are known for being the most common variety in America. 

Don’t stress if you’re a fan of the umaminess that oyster mushrooms bring, but happen to not have any on hand. There are loads of oyster mushroom substitutes out there to try that are also perfect ingredients and will not disrupt your dish’s flavor profile, like shiitake mushrooms, portabella mushrooms, and even porcini mushrooms.

Buy them in grocery stores

A quick visit to a big box store like Walmart, Kroger, or Target is usually all that is necessary to stock up on oyster mushrooms on short notice. If you’re really short on time, you can even opt for a quick pickup or home delivery instead.

Find them in Asian and specialty food stores

Another great option for sourcing oyster mushrooms is the produce section of your local Asian specialty store. Likely to be situated right around the corner from where you are, these stores are almost always guaranteed to have them in stock in a wide range of varieties.

H Mart, Hong Kong Supermarket and Asia Market in New York, Tai Nam Food Market in Chicago, and the Asian Family Market in Seattle are some examples of stores where you can buy oyster mushrooms.

Pick them up in a Farmers market

While there are many farms scattered across the country that produce mushrooms, reaching out to ones in your locality is the best way to start looking. Check out Mushroom Grower’s Newsletter which has a comprehensive list of mushroom farms all over the United States. 

Buy them from online retailers

If you feel knackered at even the prospect of shopping in person, skip the crowds and go online instead.

Check out Guan’s Mushroom, Gourmet Food Store, Amazon, and Whole Earth Harvest for a wide range of options that will deliver straight to your doorstep.

Get them via curated produce boxes

Specially curated produce boxes are also available for purchase based on your individual preferences. So, if you want to explore the niche market of fungi culture, look into Smallhold and Foraged, which offers locally produced fresh oyster mushroom packs and even starter packs. 

Grow them at home

Oyster mushrooms are so easy to grow that they are simply perfect for amateurs to have a go at.

With simple starter kits being available in most major cities and online, you’ll even have all the resources you need on hand with relative ease. The kits provide both materials and information on how to grow oyster mushrooms at home.

All you need to do is grab a bucket and create your very own steady supply of home-grown gourmet oysters.

How can you buy them? 

Fresh

Buying them from a loose mushroom bin is always a great way to ensure you are picking the best of the lot. You are also available pre-packaged in buckets, tightly wrapped in saran wrap in most larger stores.

Being a rather sensitive ingredient, picking the freshest mushrooms is an important step. Fresh mushrooms have firm and smooth caps that are free of any damage or dark spots and moisture. A single color with no major changes in texture is an indicator of freshness. And if you’re still confused read all about how to choose and store oyster mushrooms here.

Dried

Super easy to use, simply rehydrate dried oyster mushrooms by pouring hot water over them and then steep them till they are soft. You can then go on and add them to any dish of your choice, just like you would fresh mushrooms!

Canned

When in a pinch, canned oyster mushrooms can be a convenient option as they are fine being stored for longer periods of time. Plus, since canning results in a more acidic environment, there’s a much lower risk of bad bacteria sneaking in to spoil your food or your gut!

How to store them?

Wild oyster mushrooms are often seen after the first frost in fall, while commercially harvested oysters are available year-round.

Now that you’ve bought them, learning about the different ways to store oyster mushrooms is your next step. While fresh oysters can be refrigerated in paper bags or on a paper towel for 5-7 days, just keep in mind that it’s important you give them enough air to breathe.

If you plan to use them much later, you can consider freezing or dehydrating them. Do these 3 steps to prepare oyster mushrooms before choosing how to cook with them.