• The main varieties of mushrooms can be grown at home.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  The health risks involved in eating wild harvested mushrooms are well known. Yet many mushroom varieties are quite expensive to buy at the store. A third method of acquiring them is to grow your own. Knowing which ones thrive in home cellar conditions is the important first step in bringing a wide array of delicacies to your plate. The good news is that three of the most popular mushroom varieties will grow nicely in a cellar.
  
  

White Buttons

• White buttons are the biggest-selling mushrooms in the U.S.mushrooms image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
  
  White Buttons are the best-selling mushrooms in the United States, in no small part due to the fact that they are found on most mushroom pizzas. Bright white and firm, they lack the exotic flavor of some lesser-known varieties. What they lack in flavor they make up for in antioxidants and minerals. And if you let them keep growing you will end up with big, juicy portobellos.
  
  

Portobellos

• Portobellos take longer to reach maturity.mushroom image by AGITA LEIMANE from Fotolia.com
  
  The portobello is closely related to the white button. In fact, it is a cremini, a darker button mushroom that is allowed to mature, brown and open. Up to 6 inches in diameter, these mushrooms are so "meaty" that they can easily take the place of a beef patty between two buns. Due to their impressive size these mushrooms are expensive to buy, making them a rewarding choice for the home cellar grower. The process is similar to growing white buttons, only more time is needed for them to reach their desired size.
  
  

Shiitakes

• Shiitake mushrooms have a chewy texture.shiitake Pilze image by Yvonne Bogdanski from Fotolia.com
  
  Shiitake mushrooms have long been prized in Asia for their health-giving properties.They have a lower moisture content than most other mushrooms, which gives them a chewy texture. Traditionally grown in wooded areas on the trunks of fallen trees, they are now available to cardboard box home-growing kits. They are often dried after harvesting and then rehydrated in soups or broths. The flavor is rich and buttery, which comes out in sautes and with baking.
  
  

The Cellar Farm

• The essential conditions for growing mushrooms in a home cellar are a dark, well-ventilated area and the use of sterilized compost or growing medium. A stable temperature around 60 degrees Fahrenheit is also important. It may seem unusual at first to grow things in the dark that need no fertilizer and little water. However, raising a crop in such a protected environment without the unpredictability of the weather and pests can be remarkably easy.