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–+ servings
A jar of Maple Medicinal Mushroom Concoction.

Maple Medicinal Mushroom Concoction

This ebony brew helps to modulate and support the immune system. It is a true bittersweet elixir, enriched by the deep earthiness of the mushrooms and the hearty sweetness of cinnamon and maple syrup. The long boiling process effectively extracts one of the primary components of these mushrooms' medicine—their immunomodulating long-chain polysaccharides. This recipe will yield 48 fluid ounces (1.42 liters) if using 95% alcohol and 63 fluid ounces (1.86 liters) if using 50% vodka.
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Course Medicinal
Yield 48 ounces

Equipment

  • Medium pot with lid
  • Strainer
  • Half gallon mason jar

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup dried shiitake slices (Lentinula edodes) - 1 ounce, or 28g per cup.
  • 1 cup dried maitake slices (Grifola frondosa) - ¾ ounce, or 21g per cup.
  • 2 cups dried reishi slices (Ganoderma tsugae, G. lucidum, or G. applanatum) - 2 ounces, or 56g per 2 cups.
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon chips (Cinnamomum verum, C. burmannii, or C. zeylanicum)
  • 2½ teaspoons cardamom seeds (Elettaria cardamomum)
  • ¾ cup maple syrup
  • 10 ounces 190 proof (95%) organic corn, grape or cane alcohol - Or 2.5 times more ounces if using 100 proof (50%) vodka.

Directions
 

  • IMPORTANT: Directions below are for a 48 ounce yield.
  • Add the mushrooms, cinnamon, and cardamom to a medium pot and add 40 ounces (1.2 liters) of water. Stir the mixture well to coat the mushrooms and herbs.
  • Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for six to eight hours. Stir and check the water level frequently. When the water dips below the mushroom-herb mixture, add enough water so the mixture is completely submerged.
  • Turn off the heat and leave the lid off to let cool for half an hour.
  • Strain the mixture through a funnel or ceramic coffee filter lined with a straining cloth into a half-gallon (1.9 liters) jar. Wring out the mushrooms in a cloth with your hands or press with a stainless steel potato ricer.
  • Measure the mushroom/herb tea into a half-gallon mason jar, or another vessel you can cap and shake. You’ll want exactly 32 ounces (1 liter) of the tea. If you have less, add just enough water to bring the volume up to 32 ounces (1 liter). If you have more, store the excess by freezing in ice cube trays, and take one tablespoon daily.
  • Add the maple syrup first, and then the alcohol.
  • Shake well until all ingredients are combined, and pour into storage bottles using a funnel.
  • Label with the ingredients and date. Store in the refrigerator if you have space. If you don’t have space, store in a dark cabinet. Will keep for one year refrigerated and six months unrefrigerated.
  • Adult dosage (150 pounds) is 2 teaspoons (10 ml) to 1 Tablespoon (15 ml), two times a day. Note that 2 teaspoons (10 ml) will have 2 dropperful of alcohol. One Tablespoon (15 ml) will have 3 dropperfuls of alcohol. Calculate children’s dosage by weight.

Notes

As an alcohol-free alternative: Follow the steps outlined above, but omit the alcohol. Instead, freeze the mushroom tea concentrate in individual dosages in ice cube trays to thaw and ingest, as needed.
This recipe has less wiggle room than other medicinal preparations. There’s a narrow window we’re aiming for with the alcohol percentage—it has to be high enough to preserve the concoction but not too high, or it will break up the long-chain polysaccharides, which are some of the primary active compounds in the medicinals. The final alcohol volume of the concoction, if the recipe is followed exactly, is approximately 20%. Therefore, carefully measure liquid ingredients.