Smallhold reviews and discussion

When I can’t make it to my local greenmarket, I always reach for Smallhold mushrooms at Whole Foods. They’ve become a staple — consistently high quality, organic, and available in a great range of varieties that go beyond the basics. A+ packaging, and the 'shrooms have always been fresh, flavorful, and beautifully grown. I really appreciate being able to count on mushrooms this good even when I’m shopping at a grocery store. Great people, great products!

Awesome mushrooms! I got the BOGO Free offer with try new things and was so excited for the assortment. I bought trumpet mushrooms and made the Serious Eats trumpet mushroom “B”LT and then used the assorted for a wild mushroom risotto. Love the assortment, love the packaging. All around great experience.

Loved these mushrooms! Had a BOGO coupon, so ended up purchasing one pack of blue oyster mushrooms plus a second package with a mix of blue and yellow oyster mushrooms (I would have tried more diverse types, but at the two stores that had them near me these were the only varieties available). They were easy to prepare (stovetop stir-fried with olive oil, kale, and a bit of ginger) and really meaty. The only drawback, and why I am not giving them 5 stars, is the cost. At $9.50/package, I can't imagine I would buy them regularly, esp. knowing I can find oyster mushrooms at local Asian markets for much less. Still, they were and are super tasty!

Got a blue oyster grow kit for my father for Christmas, and grew a large clump of great blue oysters! Couldn't get it to produce a second batch though, despite following instructions from the website.

Incredible product all around. We ordered the blue oyster mushrooms and were floored by how big the flush of mushrooms we ended up with. Really exciting seeing how much the mushrooms grew overnight, and ended up becoming something we were excited to check each morning. When it came time to harvest, we probably had over 1.5 lbs of delicious mushrooms. Ended up sautéing with lots and lots of butter, as all mushrooms should be prepared 🍄

I used the lion's mane mushrooms to make steaks. They were small pieces, not the huge ones you usually see. The recipe I used was for a dry rub after oiling a pan and pressing them flat. These made for nice crispy pieces that were about pancake thin. I used them in a sandwich with vegan cheese, lettuce, onion and avocado and they tasted like the combination of spices that I used. Liquid aminos, which was the marinade, granulated garlic, onion, paprika, cumin, pepper, salt and cayenne, this was like a blackening mixture many people use for meat. I was glad I chose this recipe as they came out not taste like mushrooms, which I have never liked because of the taste. This was different almost a jerky in taste and texture. I did not get a mushroom taste or texture. The only mushrooms I eat are black fungus, portabello and shitake. This tasted like a thicker crispy bacon, but what do I know about bacon, it has been 4 decades, lol. I enjoyed them and will make them again, if they will come in bigger pieces, next time trying a batter of vegan milk and egg, spices and bread crumbs. Loved the boxes for sustainablility although they were hard to find at Whole Foods as from the front of the area they were in, they just seemed like a box on the shelf, they were not sitting face forward, maybe the box does not allow for that? I finally did find them, and I thank you for the exposure to this great mushroom.

I recently tried Smallhold’s Blue Oyster and Umami Mushroom Packs and absolutely love them! These mushrooms have a delicious earthy, rich flavor with a meaty/firm texture and are very fresh. I love that they are packed in eco friendly cardboard packages, are organic and grown in the U.S. I added some of these mushrooms to a soup that I made and they gave the soup a delicious flavor and held up very well after being boiled for a couple of hours. I will definitely be buying these again soon!

Tried the lion’s mane mushrooms and trumpet boxes with the try new things program. We made lion’s mane “steak” tacos tonight and they were delicious. I took the time to marinate them in beet root powder and it’s crazy how much they look like meat. Recipe from wicked kitchen https://wickedkitchen.com/lions-mane-mushroom-recipe-steaks/

Love the smallhold mushroom. Quality and fresh products but they are pricey too. Buy one get one offer makes it a good deal.

I loved growing my lion's mane and oyster mushrooms. Both were delicious and so much fun! Unfortunately though I couldn't get a second harvest out of either of them (or a "flush" as I think they are called), although I'm seeing now they've added more instructions on their site, so perhaps I'll try again.

Have always been a big fan of these guys! Love the growing varieties and quality.

I was lucky enough to drop by their store in Los Angeles a little while ago to pick my own mushrooms from them! I was able to grab some yellow oyster, lion's mane, and trumpet mushrooms. Let me just say going to this event was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Life-changing, even. Before this, I didn't really get mushrooms all that much. There were a few varieties that as someone living in California I would see often, most notably button, shiitake, portabello, and a few others. But really American food does not rely on mushrooms that much, and I certainly did not grow up eating any interesting ones, so when I got these mushrooms I didn't quite know what to do with them! Thankfully I went with a friend who knows how to cook and she gave me some advice. The first one I tried was the trumpet mushrooms. I cut them up and sauteed them with butter. And they were absolutely incredible! This truly felt revolutionary. Seeing that something so simple could be so delicious shook me. I'm sure it helped that I cooked some very soon after I picked them. The other mushrooms I tried on subsequent days. And while still delicious, nothing really lived up to my first taste of cooked trumpet mushrooms. It's still crazy to me how good all of these were and just how little of a variety you see in standard grocery stores. These kinds of mushrooms should be everywhere, and I hope one day they will be! It is truly the perfect meat substitute that is also healthy and delicious in a completely unique way.

Really great variety of mushrooms and love the sustainable packaging

I love Smallhold. Mushrooms are good quality and delicious. Excited to see what is next for the company!

I buy Smallhold mushrooms whenever I can, since they're super high quality and locally sourced. I am really eager to try one of the grow kits as well!

These feel fancy as hell. The backstory is what draws me in, and the wide variety is also a plus. I wish they're less expensive, for now they're an occasional treat for me when they go on sale at Whole Foods.

Smallhold mushrooms have amazing, unique, and beautiful varieties that elevate any dish, but they spoiled much faster than my usual grocery store picks. Great concept, but I expected better shelf life.

I first tried Smallhold at the Union Square Farmer's Market and loved how they always had varieties that were not as easy to find at the local grocery stores. Now that they are available at my local Whole Foods and are even easier to obtain. We have been getting their Trumpet Mushrooms recently and have loved finding different ways to cook with them. One of my favorite things about Smallhold mushrooms is that you do not have to wash them and worry about water in your mushrooms because they are not grown in dirt, which is really cool. The only downside is because they are still a small brand, they are on the pricier side compared to mass-production mushroom companies.

The umami mushrooms are fresh and come in a variety of sizes including the full stem and cap. Mushrooms are easy to cook -- the smell and flavor are subtle and tasty on its own, even with light boiling water or soup broth on the stove. The cardboard box also helps with storing and maintaining freshness for longer in the fridge. My only pet peeve is the selection of mushroom sizes. A box can contain a couple of huge mushrooms mixed with some small ones, which can make it challenging to cook unless one cuts all into the same size. More balance would be better and helps with cooking as well as maintaining a more even flavor profile.

I purchased these because of the BOGO deal from Thingtesting. I wasn't able to redeem that deal, though, because self-checkout at Whole Foods was malfunctioning and wouldn't give me a receipt. I'm not disappointed I missed out on that deal, though, since I am stoked about the product. I bought Blue Oyster and Lion's Mane. Both were delicious, and I could use the entire pack without cutting off any bad bits. These Lion's Mane are the best I've ever found in a grocery store; the only comparable ones have been from farmer's markets. I personally love the no-dirt policy, so I can trust that I don't ever need to wash them before cooking. As others have mentioned, you might be able to find similar quality in some varieties for less money at other specialty grocers. I rarely go to specialty grocers, though, so I will continue to purchase these with my regular grocery shopping.