First, a disclaimer. I have no idea what I'm doing, so DO add to the conversation below. HIVE is a social media and a conversation - it's not about me being an expert and you blindly listening to me. This is what worries me - I'm following information on the internet, which is not always accurate, so I'm super willing to hear from anyone about what I'm missing.
I'm not going to talk about the medicinal benefits of mushrooms here - there's plenty of that online! Part of the reason I want to get into reishi medicine is for liver and for my asthma/lung function. Also - mushrooms are just all around amazing so it's about time I learnt more about making medicine from them! But, asthma again:
First of all, I grew my own reishi from a kit from Aussie Mushroom supplies. That was cool enough. Then I tinctured it in alcohol for three months. I mean, amazing enough, right?
Then to a little bit of research, reading what I could. For the recipe, I ended up using three articles to deduce what would work for me - one from Mountain Rose Herbs, one from Practical Self Reliance and one from Modern Forager. Each one added to my understanding of what to do. It was a little frustrating having it all in quarts and gallons as we're metric here in Australia so I had to keep converting! Let alone fahrenheit...
First of all this is what my measurements worked out at, for my own record.
1 3/4 cups of reishi alchohol extract (I Used 43% abv vodka 0r 86 percent)
2 cups of leftover soaked reishi (I was left with two cups)
1.3 litres of water (that's what worked out in my pan)
This article suggested that the ratio is 1:3. That means I needed about 2/3 cup of the water extract, reducing what was in the pan considerably!
This took about two hours. Some people use the magic butter machine and keep the temp stable but most recipes said 'simmer' so that's what I did. Then, the whole lot goes in together, and then it goes into little brown dropper bottles ready for dosing!
I have recently ordered a book on medicinal mushrooms and am keen on learning more! I was listening to the Mushroom Hour podcast and they interviewed fourth generation herbalist and mycologist Christopher Hobbs - you can listen here. I got mine from Life Cykel so if you're in Australia and would like to order a copy, use my referall link below for a discount! This is the book:
There was so much interesting info in the podcast, I can't even begin to see what I might get from the book! I've been wanting to buy a medicinal mushroom book for a long time so I'm pretty excited about the post coming in a week's time.
Referral Link to Life Cykel - get $12 off your order
Do you grow your own mushrooms?
Have you ever made a mushroom tincture?
With Love,
The Fungi Lovers Community: Home of #FungiFriday
The Herbal Hive Community
Are you on HIVE yet? Earn for writing! Referral link for FREE account here!
I thought that I deep dive into a subject but you are taking it to another level. I can feel the enthusiasm from your writing, it makes me want to learn more about mushrooms too.
Thanks! It's fascinating to learn. I love these long days at home where I have a chance to explore these things - when I was working I had no time. I might not have as much money but I have time to do cool things like this!
I met someone recently who told me that they have seen reishi growing higher up the mountains here in Spain. I am so excited, when they return I am getting them to take me to that spot.
That book looks amazing, I am patiently waiting to be in the right place to create my mushroom farm. xxx
Oh wow get up the mountain girl! You'll be a mushroom farmer before you know it.
I have only grown chestnut mushrooms from a kit, no garden so did inside.
I am curious to have you used the tincture?
I am impressed though, it looks like you did a great job.
I haven't used the tincture yet as I am waiting for the bottles to arrive via post! Thanks. Chestnut mushrooms - yum!!! I'm yet to branch out into other types, sticking with the oyster and growing others in kits like reishi and lions mane, but who knows!
Ah yes the bottles, well I hope they are here speedily and you get to use the tincture.
Chestnuts I must admit are my favourite standard sort of mushroom. I know we can get Oyster kits, so I may start growing them too😁
I'm always rooting for your health. Thank you for sharing your experience, I'll let you know if I ever attempt such a tincture.
I was reading about another type of mushroom being sold here in Vancouver. When I saw it in brick and mortar, I did a double take. I think the grey area situation, how these shops are tolerated, is explained by the fact that the police is hard at work, fighting other substances, like opioids. I'll have to stop by one of these days, for a ticket to opening the psychedelic floodgates.
Oh yes, that kind of mushroom is banned here, which is a shame as I'd like to try microdosing!!!! Yeah the whole opiod thing - is that as bad in Canada as I hear it is in America?
Have you opened said psych floodgates before?
Hahaha! I have. My friend's decorative trees, once real trees spray-painted in a metallic coating, they were dancing slowly, bending the very space around them. Then, suddenly, I gave a very dramatic pep talk to my friend. He thought he ruined a very good professional situation while travelling in Europe. He was a Montreal Night Life lobbyist and helped his non-profit obtain a sizeable grant. I urged him to snap out of it! That if he gave up, he was letting me down. I remember feeling like there was a spotlight on me, like in a Shakespearean play.
As I came back to my senses, I could read fractals on the cement columns of the loft which served as an office for that job he loved so much. On his face, too, there were translucent tribal designs. I remember it all with clarity, like a lucid dream. I have dabbled with lucid dreaming, the whole point is to remember your dreams. While I haven't gained this ability, I credit the practice for remembering this experience so well.
Of course, this was regular dosing.
I am glad that I could be vulnerable, talking about some of my woes. After this we listened to the most experimental Frank Zappa vinyl, some Genesis and more. What a night!
After all you've put into getting this far, I'm waiting with baited breath to find out how well it works.... :))
I'm now PAUSING my reishi tincture plans to read more widely... Luckily we have reishi in some abundance if I screw it up. In the coming days when my energy levels perk up a little, planning to have a solid read about all this.
And will post when I do get there...
I hope you recover fast!! Xx Look forward to reading it... I'm.sure your post will be better constructed than this hastily written social babble!
I live this! I wonder if they would grow here with a kit. We don't have much experience growing mushrooms. Though I really want to try a reishi tincture. I got a medicinal herb book from a lady who has MS too and she is using a reishi tincture, among many other things, to help control her disease. Let me see if we can find a reishi greoung kit too that they can ship to Cambodia. How long do they take to grow? Maybe I should start this project once we moved to Portugal. Have a beautiful day 😘
I think they're slower growing, but they definitely don't mind the heat. Mine took a few weeks but in the warmer humid weather they'll probably go fast? Jsut make sure they have light and air flow and you'll be fine. Good luck, if not, grow them in Portugal in the summer!