How To Use Dried Reishi Mushroom

If you're interested in natural medicine, chances are you've come beyond reishi mushrooms at some signal. These fungi are treasured by herbalists and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and have been used therapeutically for thousands of years.

The skilful news is that they grow quite prolifically worldwide! This means you'll probable be able to find some when you're out on your next foraging risk.

What is Reishi?

The genus known equally Ganoderma is a type of fungi that grows on various tree species. They're generally referred to as "shelf fungi" in English, and they have a number of benign backdrop when used medicinally. In fact, these fungi—known as "reishi" in Japanese or "lingzhi" in Chinese, have been referred to as "the mushrooms of immortality" for several millennia.

Many Ganoderma species have remarkable allowed-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, they seem to be virtually beneficial when used preventatively. [i]

In fact, research has shown that the primary Asian species, Ganoderma lucidum, has around 400 beneficial, bioactive compounds. Not only do these take immune-enhancing and anti-inflammatory actions, they as well evidence antimicrobial, anti-tumor, and complimentary radical scavenging activities. [2]

Two main North American species are Ganoderma tsugae and G. oregonense. The G. tsugae fungi are named for the Tsuga conifers they grow on, colloquially known equally hemlock. These trees aren't poisonous in the least. They got their name because their needles olfactory property similar to water hemlock when crushed.

Equally you might imagine, 1000. oregonense fungi are so named because they're prolific in the Pacific Northwest. Like Oregon. Ohhhhhh. They abound on conifers in the PNW, and tin get admittedly huge: up to a yard across, in some cases. Check out this epitome to go an thought of this behemothic species.

I'm going to exist focusing on Yard. tsugae, as these are the ones I'm most familiar with. I've harvested them from various spots on my property, and I've managed to figure out the best way to wildcraft them without maiming myself.

How to Place and Harvest Reishi

Diverse Ganoderma species are pretty easy to place. They tend to have glossy brown, brown-ruddy, or orange tops, and porous white underbellies.

The lower white portion darkens to beige-brown every bit they age. When you lot're foraging for reishi, exist sure to harvest fungi that are still white underneath. They'll be the freshest and near potent, rather than their more dehydrated counterparts.

Reishi mushrooms don't take any gills, and their white portions will trample a chip if you poke into them. They grow in fan-like or kidney shapes, and can vary from one to four inches in thickness.

As mentioned, only harvest the ones with white bellies. Once they've started to brownish, they brainstorm to disuse… and y'all don't want to make medicines out of decaying plant matter. But the salubrious stuff.

Yous'll find these shelf fungi on dead or dying conifers. Remember how G. tsugae fungi got their name? Well, look for them wherever stands of hemlock trees grow. I commonly observe them growing within three to five feet in a higher place basis level, only they can show upward anywhere.

Be sure to familiarize yourself with reishi photos before you go tromping into the woods after them. They don't have any poisonous lookalikes, which is reassuring, but it's always all-time to know what you're looking for. Y'all may see a similar-looking conk species named Fomitopsis pinicola. They're super difficult to the touch and won't poke inwards or bruise when you prod at them.

Harvesting Equipment:

Okay, now that you're fairly confident that you lot know what you're looking for, information technology's time to suit up.

Since you'll be foraging these fungi during the summer, wearing apparel for the weather and your environment. Out here, that ways loftier boots to fend off ticks. We also dress in lite but tightly woven fabrics to ward off mosquitoes. I likewise clothing leather gloves because reishi tin be rather stubborn to harvest.

If you have a good all-purpose utility knife, have that with you. Otherwise, a Swiss Army or Leatherman with a saw blade option will work also. Swords tin can be fun as well, but you lot may startle other foragers.

Bring a big cloth handbag or knapsack, as fungi don't fare well when carried in plastic bags. I'd also advise bringing water, as giving dusty reishi a quick rinse tin can reveal their characteristic glossy tops. This makes them easier to identify.

How to Remove the Fungi

When yous find a luscious reishi that calls out to be harvested, try to pull downwardly on it. You might be pleasantly surprised and find that information technology but pops off without a great deal of endeavour.

This has non been my experience.

Apparently, others accept had an easier time, but my reishi adventures have required a bit more hacking and sawing. And swearing.

If it doesn't just let go of its grip on the tree, accept your knife and make a vertical cut about ane/2″ out from the tree, bract pointed out towards yourself. Now stand to the side where the bract is facing, and draw it gently towards you. I've establish that moving it up and down in a sawing motion makes this procedure a lot easier.

This volition free the fungi by half, and you might be able to pull information technology costless. My guess is that it'll still be in "nah-non-gonna-let-go land," so repeat the process in the contrary direction. If you have a friend with you, get them to hold the cloth purse open and then the fungi tin can drib into it.

If there are other ideal reishi around, feel gratuitous to grab a couple more. Just delight call up to harvest ethically and responsibly. Don't over-harvest from one detail area, and try to get together fungi that accept already released their spores. You'll be able to identify these because they'll exist coated in a light brownish-rust pulverization. Brush these off into the wind so the spores can fly off and multiply on other trees.

Processing and Storage

Reishi starts to lose its integrity quite quickly after harvesting, so try to process it as presently as you get it home. Employ a clammy material to wipe information technology down thoroughly. This should remove whatsoever dust, soil, stray conifer needles, and dead insects.

If you program to make a tincture out of it, chop upward enough to fill a quart jar two/3 of the way. Then, pour enough vodka, brandy, or other lxxx- to 100-proof booze over to cover it completely. Fill the jar to about 1/4″ of the peak. Then put the lid on and store it in a dark closet, shaking occasionally, for six to eight weeks.

Alternatively, if you're not going to use the fresh fungi immediately, y'all'll need to dry information technology.

I one time made the mistake of trying to dry Ganoderma slices in hanging mesh baskets instead of in the dehydrator. Oh, they stale fairly well merely developed a rather spectacular fuzz in the process. Needless to say, I lost that entire batch. Don't make that mistake.

Grab a bit, sharp pocketknife or cleaver, and cut the fungi into 1/2″ slices. Adapt these on your dehydrator shelves, and dry them at 120°F to 130°F for 10-12 hours. Yous tin do the same affair in an oven on baking sheets, but you'll need to turn the slices a few times during the process.

You'll know that the slices are ready when they're "cracker dry." This ways that they'll snap similar a cracker when you lot try to bend them.

Best Medicinal Preparations

Most herbalists hold that the best way to use reishi medicinally is in a decoction or tincture.

The onetime is a irksome-simmered tea type of thing prepared by simmering the fungi for about an hour. This technique draws out the medicinal backdrop with heat and time and has to exist consumed immediately. It can be stored in the fridge for a few days, but it's all-time taken fresh. Simply note that this drink will exist quite bitter, so yous might want to belt down a shot or 2 in a single become.

Tinctures also describe out all the skillful stuff; only it's the alcohol content that sucks out the benign constituents while they're infusing for a calendar month or so. These tinctures remain shelf-stable for years, so you can accept a few drops whenever you similar. They're likewise concentrated, so yous only need a few drops to get all the beneficial effects.

Another Choice…

At that place's another option if yous prefer an instant reishi fix. Decoct the fungi in a crockpot overnight, strain out the chunks, and boil it down until information technology'due south a super-concentrated, gravy-similar texture at the bottom of the pot. Then add in flour of your pick (corn starch is a great option), and let that saturate well. Adjacent, form patties from that mixture and dry them in a dehydrator or oven until they crumble to the touch.

Process these into pulverisation in a coffee grinder, and shop in an airtight jar. So, add a spoonful to soups or stews whenever you make them. This volition add a dose of beneficial compounds to the entire batch.

Every bit usual, a caveat: be sure to do proper research earlier taking any medicinal preparation. Reishi has many benefits, but it can as well contraindicate with medications for hepatic (liver) weather condition. Consult with a herbalist, naturopath, or traditional Chinese practitioner if you have any doubts, and please discontinue taking anything if information technology makes you ill.

References:

Basnet, B. B., Liu, L., Bao, 50., and Liu, H. (2017). Current and future perspective on antimicrobial and anti-parasitic activities ofGanoderma sp.: an update.Mycology viii, 111–124. doi: 10.1080/21501203.2017.1324529
Paterson, R. R. M. (2006).Ganoderma–a therapeutic fungal biofactory.Phytochemistry 67, 1985–2001. doi: x.1016/j.phytochem.2006.07.004