Harvest

The harvest can be carried out in two ways, manually or mechanically.
When the mushrooms are destined for the fresh market, they have to be harvested manually.
The picker picks a mushroom from the bed with a rotating movement and cuts off the stump. In that same action he grades the mushroom and places it in the appropriate packaging. Picking has to be done carefully to avoid damages. Grading is carried out on the basis of cap diameter, condition of the veil and pollution, for instance, with casing soil. If the veil of the cap is open and the plates are visible, the mushrooms are not suitable for the fresh market and are then sorted for industry quality.

Approximately one third of the Dutch mushroom growers grow mushrooms for the preserved food industry. They produce approximately two thirds of the total of harvested mushrooms in the Netherlands. Due to a very even growing process the mushrooms can be harvested mechanically in one action. A machine drives over the cultivation beds and cuts off the mushrooms from the beds. The mushrooms go into boxes via a conveyor belt. These go to the preserved food industry as quickly as possible to be processed in jars, cans or deep freeze products.