A piece of history and a very rare video from that era when lots of people in France still grew mushrooms (champignons in French and in Dutch!) in the many caves.
From the Middle Ages to the late nineteenth century, the limestone was extracted for the construction of many buildings like castles, churches and mansions.
Yes, a mushroom doubles its size every 24 hours... You see the brown variety of Agaricus above.
Picture shows such Perfect quality mushrooms grown in a marl cave in France! Click link.
In the old quarries people started bringing in compost for growing mushrooms inside those caves where the climate is perfect for HIGH QUALITY mushrooms!
Picture shows such Perfect quality mushrooms grown in a marl cave in France! Click link.
In the old quarries people started bringing in compost for growing mushrooms inside those caves where the climate is perfect for HIGH QUALITY mushrooms!
The only disadvantage is the high labor intensity and also the rather slow growing cycle due to the constant lower temperature.
Instead of making ridge beds on the floor inside those marl caves, Royal Champignon in 1954 used wooden trays to fill those with the compost.
Transporting those trays inside the caves...
Harvesting them off the tray beds by twisting them out of the casing layer on top of the compost. YES the French and also the Italians harvest their mushrooms with the roots left on!
Watch the interesting video about Royal Champignon 1954 by clicking link.
Royal Champignon got created in 1941 by Georges Guilbaud and was a powerful holding company, including cannery.
It used to be a very important employer in the French Saumur region.
Transporting those trays inside the caves...
Watch the interesting video about Royal Champignon 1954 by clicking link.
Royal Champignon got created in 1941 by Georges Guilbaud and was a powerful holding company, including cannery.
It used to be a very important employer in the French Saumur region.
They now seem to be under Bonduelle.
The above screenshot is in funny English, translated from French and not always perfect.
You can click through here for original: Saumur Royal Champignon is well and truly over... but at least they are still employing people!
The above screenshot is in funny English, translated from French and not always perfect.
You can click through here for original: Saumur Royal Champignon is well and truly over... but at least they are still employing people!
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Hello Mariette, I love your older photos showing the history of mushroom culture. There is so much to learn in old photographs! The interesting thing is how each growing region has adapted the basics of mushroom growing to their own local climate, materials and traditions.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Dearest Jim,
DeleteThese are not our personal photos but a very rare marl cave producer in France at present had them in an article on line.
The most historic find for both of us was this video : Royal Champignon 1954
That really brings us back to the time how it got done.
Working in Indonesia we both worked with Bonduelle people that bought their French beens for canning.
Small world...
Yes, regional use of ingredients for making the substrate even differ the world over.
Hugs,
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeletedein schöner Post erfreut mich.
Alles Liebe
Elisabeth
Liebe Elisabeth,
DeleteWenigstens mit sehr schöne Qualität Pilze aus den Höhlen.
Liebe Grüße,
Mariette
I love mushrooms . I remember on a Rotary exchange visiting a mushroom farm in Germany where they were growing their crop in old military Quonset huts.
ReplyDeleteDearest Janey,
DeleteYes, you sure were lucky for having seen those old type military Quonset huts being used for mushroom growing. They were the result of the WWI British Nissen huts.
In a previous post you still can see such a Nissen hut mushroom farm being left over on one of the many abandoned British military airports, used during WWII. British mushroom grower Hugh Barton started his commercial mushroom growing inside those!
Hugs,
Mariette
https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2019/02/husband-pieters-fond-relationship-with.html
Other than eating them, I know nothing about mushrooms! This has been quite fascinating!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I'm sorry you're having to use the wet/dry vac so much right now. And I hope all the cats are okay!
Dearest Kim,
DeleteWell, if it was not for the mushroom consumers, there never would have been a commercial mushroom market.
But it is fascinating to see how the commercial growing evolved over the decades!
We're fine now, we had a restful night and the sun is out. Cats were clever and all inside the house lounging each in their favorite spot.
Hugs,
Mariette
stunning mushrooms!
ReplyDeleteDearest Anne,
DeleteAbsolutely, that cave quality is unsurpassed!
Hugs,
Mariette
Such lovely photos and a lovely post
ReplyDeleteDearest Jo-Anne,
DeleteThank you, again part of some Mushroom History.
Hugs,
Mariette
I had no idea they used to grow mushrooms in caves, how fascinating! I don't like mushrooms myself but it was nice to learn a little more about them :)
ReplyDeleteHope that you are having a wonderful weekend :) We had a date night last night which was awesome :)
Away From Blue
Dearest Mica,
DeleteYes, in most European countries they have been growing them in marl caves for quite a while and still some are being grown that way.
Happy weekend to you as well and you certainly had a special night yesterday.
Hugs,
Mariette
Leuk die film. Wat veel werknemers waren er nodig.
ReplyDeleteFijne dag, lieve groet
Beste Willy,
DeleteJa, heel interessant om een beter inzicht te krijgen, hoe het ook in de mergelgrotten van Zuid Limburg ooit toeging!
Een van de valblokken dat het zo arbeidsintensief is en vanwege de grotten die vaak ook laag waren, niet gemechaniseerd kan worden.
Liefs,
Mariette
Thank you for sharing a history of mushroom growing, Mariette. It’s always interesting to learn more details about it. Oh those mushrooms look so good :-)
ReplyDeleteDearest Tamago,
DeleteThank you and yes, there is a lot of history about mushroom growing.
Don't those cave grown mushrooms look perfect? They really are the best, far more solid too.
Hugs,
Mariette
I had no idea mushrooms doubled in size in 24 hours or that they could be grown in caves. I do love mushrooms! Thanks Mariette.
ReplyDeleteDearest Sami,
DeleteGuess you are familiar with the expression: 'Things are mushrooming!' and that states the speed of certain developments.
Yes, they do grow very fast and for harvesting them timely as first, solid quality is rather tricky.
Those caves were the initial places for growing mushrooms but it is very labor intensive and thus not done at a large scale anymore.
Hugs,
Mariette