Unusual Gift Idea: Pret a Pousser

I think we all receive Christmas gifts that we receive every single year without fail so why not surprise someone with a gift that they definitely won't be expecting! I love to give gifts that are a little more unusual so Pret a Pousser is perfect! They are based in France but you can buy the mushrooms kits as well as their indoor herb garden kit on Amazon UK.

*Pret a Pousser Pink Oyster Mushroom Kit (£19.90)

I was very kindly sent the pink oyster mushroom kit to review and you may have seen the progress of the mushrooms as well as the blogger mail unboxing on my Instagram (@ofbeautyand). I received the kit a couple of weeks ago and now I've harvested my first batch of pink oyster mushrooms (they really are pink!) which is amazing.

The kit comes with everything you need including an instruction booklet and a spray bottle. The kit is quick and easy to use, you just cut a cross in the plastic covering the soil and spray with water everyday. You should start to see mushrooms growing within a week or so as mine started to be noticeably growing after around 6 or 7 days and then they grew so quickly!

The mushroom kit can be bought a kept for 2 to 3 months in a room temperature environment before you gift it or before you use it yourself. I kept mine in the office as it's quite warm and out of direct sunlight so I think that's why they grew really well, especially over the last 8 to 10 days. It was amazing to see the progress each day and every time they seemed so much bigger than before!

I've just harvested my first batch of mushrooms so I should get another in the next 10 or so days which is amazing. They turned out so much bigger than I thought they would and the colour is gorgeous - they are a salmon pink shade. I hoped the colour would stay pink when cooked but it changes to a more orange shade; I added mine to my unusual version of pesto with basil, spinach, celery, lots of garlic and courgette along with spaghetti and it was good! As with most mushrooms they have a fairly mild and subtle flavour but I like these, especially their colour and texture.

I have tried a kit like this before but from another brand and it was much more complicated with transferring soil, keeping the kit in the dark and it's safe to say that it didn't work but this one did and very quickly too! I cannot recommend this kit enough as not only does it look like an interesting and unique present but it's a gift that keeps on giving, it's an interesting process watching the mushrooms grow and you get delicious, versatile organic mushrooms too. I think it would be great for any foodies, gardeners or families as it would be great to do with children.

Have you tried any of the Pret a Pousser kits? Have you ever tried to grow mushrooms or veggies?