Agar‑Agar Powder for Mushroom Culture

Agar‑agar is a purified polysaccharide extracted from red seaweed. When dissolved in hot water and cooled, it forms a clear, firm gel—ideal for making petri dishes or slants to isolate and expand mycelium.

Why Use Agar?

• Creates a nutrient medium that shows contaminants clearly while letting mycelium grow.
• Thermally reversible: melts at ~85 °C, solidifies at ~40 °C—easy to pour and re‑sterilise.
• Plant‑based, odourless and free of animal gelatin.

Basic Recipe (per litre)

• 15 g agar powder
• 10 g light malt extract
• 1 L reverse‑osmosis or boiled tap water

Heat while stirring until fully dissolved, dispense into bottles or jars, cover loosely and sterilise 20 min at 15 psi. Cool to ~50 °C, then pour plates in a still‑air box or flow hood.

Pack Size

100 g resealable pouch—enough for about 6 L of medium (≈ 240 standard petri dishes).

Tips

• Softer gel for tissue cloning: use 10 g agar per litre.
• For long‑term culture slants, add 5 g extra agar for a firmer surface.
• Store powder sealed and dry; hygroscopic agar can clump if exposed to humidity.

Legal & Safety

Food‑grade but not intended for direct human consumption. Keep out of reach of children and pets.