Medicinal mushroom products have grown in popularity over the past decade. From mushroom coffee to mushroom chocolate, there are plenty of options. Double Extract Mushroom Tinctures are another great way to reap the health benefits of mushrooms!
Mushroom tinctures are a convenient way to get functional mushrooms in your daily routine. It’s easy to add a drop to smoothies, coffee, and other foods. Some medicinal mushrooms are difficult to digest in their pure powder form, so extraction helps increase their bioavailability.
Tinctures are a popular way to extract nutrients and flavor from herbs. They use alcohol to extract the beneficial components from the plants into a liquid. Common examples are vanilla extract or herbal tinctures. You can also use glycerin (glycerin) or vinegar (herbal vinegar) to extract the compounds, but technically these are not tinctures.
Another extraction method is to use plain old water! Peppermint tea, marshmallow root infusion, and elderberry decoction (used to make elderberry syrup) all use water as the solvent. They have a much shorter shelf life compared to alcohol tinctures. Water also extracts different nutrients than alcohol.
Double extraction combines aqueous and alcoholic extracts of the same plant. Normally you would choose one or the other, but with mushrooms there are benefits to doing a double extraction. Water extracts beta-glucans and polysaccharides, while alcohol extracts triterpenes.
How to Make Mushroom Tincture
There are many different opinions on the best way to make mushroom tincture blends. There isn’t a lot of evidence behind the different approaches, it’s more a matter of preference. After researching different variations, this is the mushroom extract method I decided on.
Start by placing the chopped or powdered dried mushrooms in a clean jar. If the fragments are too large, they cannot be extracted. Fresh wet mushrooms are more likely to spoil. I used mushroom powder, but you can also use picked and dried mushrooms.
The mushrooms are soaked in alcohol for 2-4 weeks. Once filtered, place the alcohol into a clean jar and reserve the mushrooms. Some people use the same mushrooms to extract the water, while others use new ones.
Next, boil the mushrooms in water for a while and then strain. Finally, the ethanol and water extracts were combined.
Which mushrooms can be used in mushroom tinctures
There are many options here. You can use just one type of mushroom or a mixture of several. Certain mushrooms, such as shiitake and maitake, taste great in soups and stir-fries. Other mushrooms are more bitter and are best mixed with other things or as a tincture. Many of these are also nootropics that help the brain.
There is also some debate as to which part of the mushroom is best. The fruiting body is the part of the mushroom that is above the ground. Mycelium is the underground part. Research shows that the mycelium in some mushrooms has some benefits, but most of the time it’s not that potent.
Here are some different options and a quick overview of their health benefits!
- lion’s mane (hericium) – Supports immune system and cognitive function. Also rich in antioxidants, which may improve memory and mood, and reduce inflammation.
- Ganoderma lucidum (Ganoderma lucidum) – Ganoderma lucidum has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It helps regulate the immune system, prolongs healing time, and may have protective effects against cancer. It is an adaptogen that helps protect the heart, liver, brain, and more.
- Chaga (Unknown slope) – Very high in nutrients, supports the immune system and improves metabolism, strength and endurance.
- turkey tail (variegated documents) – Supports the immune system, aids gut health, has antioxidants, and helps reduce inflammation.
- Cordyceps – Improves energy and athletic performance, and has anti-aging and immune-boosting properties. They also support healthy blood sugar balance and protect the liver and heart.
More ways to get medicinal mushrooms
If you don’t want to make your own mushroom tincture, there are several places that offer high-quality mushroom tinctures. If you want mushroom supplements in pill or powder form, Four Sigmatic is my favorite place. Plus, they make great coffee and cocoa!
How to Make Double Extract Mushroom Tincture
This recipe uses both water and alcohol to create a more powerful mushroom tincture. Use any dried medicinal mushrooms you want or a mixture of several!
yield: 16 ounce
- 3/4 cup mushroom powder (or chopped mushrooms)
- 1 and 1/4 cup 190 proof alcohol
- 4 cup filtered or distilled water (Or more)
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Place the mushrooms in a glass jar and pour the alcohol over them. Place the lid on the jar.
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Let the mixture steep for 2-4 weeks, shaking daily.
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Strain the mushroom powder from the alcohol through cheesecloth and set aside. Pour the infused alcohol into a clean glass jar and add the mushrooms to the clean pot.
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Add water to the pot and heat the mixture on the stove. Simmer for 2-4 hours, adding more water if necessary to prevent burning. You want the liquid to reduce by about half.
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Strain the mushrooms from the water and compost them.
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You need equal parts alcohol and water extract. So if you end up using 1 cup of alcoholic tincture, you will be using 1 cup of infusion. Add additional water or boil water until it equals the amount of alcohol mixture.
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Add the water mixture to a clean glass bottle.
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Next, slowly add the alcohol mixture while stirring. This helps prevent the polysaccharide from separating too much from the solution.
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Pour some of the mushroom tincture into a glass dropper bottle to use and refill the glass as needed.
- Store mushroom extract in a cool, dry place away from direct heat and sunlight.
- Take 1 drop in liquid once daily or as needed.
- If your mushrooms are in large pieces, place them in a blender with the alcohol after soaking for a few hours. Here’s an easier way to grind them. Some mushrooms, such as chaga, are very hard and may not blend well.
Have you tried making medicinal mushrooms a part of your daily routine? What’s your favorite way to use them?