How to Make a Mushroom Extract

Before we talk about how to make a mushroom extract, we need to address the elephant in the room.

Mushrooms are already a nutritional “superfood,” containing:

• B-complex vitamins, B6, B12, pantothenic acid, thiamine, riboflavin
• Minerals and trace minerals (iron, copper, zinc)
• High quality protein containing all essential amino acids
• Dietary fiber (soluble & insoluble), up to 95% in some species. The most of any food by dry weight.
• Vitamin D (when exposed to sunlight)

So, why not just cook and eat them? 

In order to become bioavailable, the beneficial compounds found in mushrooms must be extracted from the dried fruiting bodies or mycelium of fungi using a combination of heat, water and ethanol.

What are the reported health benefits of consuming functional mushrooms?

There are numerous scientific studies published that demonstrate the benefits of so-called medicinal mushrooms and some are linked at the bottom of this post. Host Defense Mushrooms has posted a convenient table showing the purported health benefits of the various mushrooms supplements they produce.

Widely researched mushrooms that are considered to be beneficial to humans include:

• chaga (Inonotus obliquus)
• cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris)
• lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus)
• reishi (Ganoderma sp.)
• shiitake (Lentinus edodes)
• turkey tail (Trametes versicolor)

Compounds found in mushrooms that are reportedly beneficial to our health include:

• beta glucans and chitin – Polysaccharides and polymers that are not digested in our upper-GI and pass through to the lower intestines. There they are absorbed by ancient receptors called macrophages, which break them down into activated particles that attach themselves to tumor cells, viruses and bacteria. Those in turn are marked for destruction by NK cells, T cells, antibodies, etc. 
• terpenes – Hydrocarbons located in fungal cell organelles that have shown anticancer, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, etc. effects. These include monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenes, 
• phenolic compounds – Various low molecular weight compounds that have shown anti-aging and  antioxidant effects. These include tocopherols, flavonoids, phenolic acids, polyphenols, etc.

 

 

How to Make a Mushroom Extract

Extract and Tincture Making Terminology

• tincture: an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol. [sic] Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%. In chemistry, a tincture is a solution that has ethanol as its solvent. (via Wikipedia)
• extraction: a separation process consisting of the separation of a substance from a matrix. (via Wikipedia)
• extract: a substance made by extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol, oil or water. (via Wikipedia)
• solvent: a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. (via Wikipedia)
• marc: an insoluble residue remaining after extraction of a solution (as a drug) with a solvent. (via Merriam-Webster)
• decoction: a method of extraction by boiling herbal or plant material (which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes) to dissolve the chemicals of the material. (via Wikipedia)

Equipment and Supplies Used to Make a Mushroom Extract

In addition to common utensils, the following is a list of equipment and supplies you will need to make mushroom extracts in your home kitchen:

• 95% ethanol – Commercial brand names include: Everclear, Mohawk, Diesel. All are most likely GMO
• Distilled water
• Mason jars, rings and lids – regular and wide-mouth (half pint, pint, quart and half-gallon sizes)
• Cheesecloth, cold brew coffee sack, cotton or nylon grain bags, etc
• Countertop blender or immersion blender (messy)
• Stainless steel strainer/colander
• Tall stock pot
• Stainless steel funnels
• Brown, green or blue glass bottles with air-tight caps.
• Glass measuring cups (2-cup & 1-cup) with metric markings
• Kitchen scissors
• Food dehydrator – if sourcing fresh mushrooms

Single, Double and Triple Extraction methods to Make a Mushroom Extract

Single Extraction – Tincture

This simple process uses any amount of dried mushrooms and 80% (160 proof) alcohol. Best for extracting low molecular weight compounds like diterpenes and triterpenes as well as some beta-glucans. The resulting extract is shelf-stable for 2-3 years when stored in brown, green or blue glass and kept in a cool, dark place. 

Let’s make a mushroom tincture:

1. Cut or break apart dried mushrooms into bite-size or smaller pieces
2. Rehydrate mushrooms in room temperature distilled water for 1-2 hours
3. Pour off the water and squeeze mushrooms gently – only enough to remove excess water
4. Transfer mushrooms to a blender, cover with 80% ethanol and blend until smooth
5. Pour the mixture into a Mason jar, seal and shake it regularly for 2 weeks
6. Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth and squeeze the marc until all liquid that can be removed is collected
7. Store your tincture in a brown or blue glass bottle
8. Record the date, specie(s) and alcohol content on the bottle

Single Extraction – Decoction

Like making a boiled tea or mushroom stock. Accesses some triterpenes and much of the beta-glucan content. As-is, this will last as long as any prepared food would if refrigerated. The decoction can be made shelf-stable by adding ethanol to achieve at least a 25% ABV.

Let’s make a mushroom extract:

The water to dried mushroom ratio is: 20 ml of water for every 1g of dried mushrooms

1. Cut or break apart dried mushrooms into bite-size or smaller pieces
2. Add the mushrooms to a blender, cover with fresh water and blend until smooth
3. Pour the mixture into a stock pot or tall saucepan and bring to a boil
4. Reduce heat to a low boil –  just above simmering – and cook until liquid is reduced by half

At this point, you may ladle your decoction into a mug to sip and enjoy or:

5. Cover the pot and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature
6. Strain the cooled mixture through a cheesecloth and squeeze the marc until all liquid that can be removed is collected
7. Note the amount of liquid, then add enough ethanol to bring the alcohol level up to 25% (50 proof)
8. Store your decoction in a brown or blue glass bottle
9. Record the date, specie(s) and alcohol content on the bottle

The Double Extraction – Tincture + Decoction

The best of both worlds, this slightly more complex method allows you to access both some of the lighter molecules and an abundance of beta-glucans. The resulting combined extract is shelf-stable for 2-3 years when stored in brown, green or blue glass and kept in a cool, dark place.

To determine the quantity of the ingredients, it’s best to decide how much extract you wish to have in the end. The formula for combining the two processes is as follows: 

1. For the tincture, measure 5 ml of 95% ethanol for every 1g of dried mushrooms
2. For the decoction, measure 10 ml of fresh water for every 1g of dried mushrooms. Note: this amount will be reduced by half after boiling.

So, for example, a recipe starting with 20g of dried lion’s mane mushrooms would end up containing 100 ml of 95% ethanol plus 100 ml of boiled decoction, yielding 200 ml of mushroom extract at 47.5% ABV. That is about the size of an average-to-large bottle of mushroom extract or herbal tincture found at your local food co-op. 

Let’s make a mushroom extract:

1. Cut or break apart dried mushrooms into bite-size or smaller pieces
2. Rehydrate mushrooms in room temperature distilled water for 1-2 hours
3. Pour off the water and squeeze mushrooms gently – only enough to remove excess water
4. Transfer mushrooms to a blender, cover with 95% ethanol and blend until smooth
5. Pour the mixture into a Mason jar, seal and shake it regularly for 2 weeks
6. Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth and squeeze the marc until all liquid that can be removed is collected
7. Transfer the tincture to a jar, seal and set aside
8. Add the marc and fresh water to a stock pot or tall saucepan and bring to a boil
9. Reduce heat to a low boil –  just above simmering – and cook until the liquid is reduced by half
10. Cover the pot and allow the decoction to cool to room temperature
11. Strain the cooled mixture through a cheesecloth and squeeze the marc until all liquid that can be removed is collected
12. Note the amount of liquid, then combine the tincture with the decoction. 
13.  At a 50:50 ratio, the alcohol by volume should be around 47% (94 proof)
14. Store your extraction in a brown or blue glass bottle
15. Record the date, specie(s) and alcohol content on the bottle

The Triple Extraction: Cold Water Soak + Tincture + Decoction

Peter McCoy’s triple extraction method originally described in his 2016 groundbreaking tome, Radical Mycology, stands the test of time and research and serves as the inspiration for the process outlined below. A 24-hour cold water soak pulls out some of the lower-weight molecules that could be damaged by pure ethanol and/or boiling and also rehydrates and softens the cell structures, thereby releasing more of the beneficial compounds during each subsequent process. The resulting combined extract is shelf-stable for 2-3 years when stored in brown, green or blue glass and kept in a cool, dark place.

To determine the quantity of the ingredients, it’s best to decide how much extract you wish to have in the end. The formula for combining the three processes is as follows: 

1. For the cold water soak, measure 5 ml of distilled water for every 1g of dried mushrooms
2. For the tincture, measure 5 ml of 95% ethanol for every 1g of dried mushrooms
3. For the decoction, measure 10 ml of fresh water for every 1g of dried mushrooms. Note: this amount will be reduced by half after boiling.

So, for example, a recipe starting with 20g of dried lion’s mane mushrooms would end up containing 100 ml of distilled water, 100 ml of 95% ethanol plus 100 ml of boiled decoction, yielding 300 ml of mushroom extract at 31.6% ABV. That is about the size of a large bottle of mushroom extract or herbal tincture found at your local food co-op. 

Let’s make a mushroom extract:

1. Cut or break apart dried mushrooms into bite-size or smaller pieces
2. Put dried mushrooms and distilled water into a sealed jar and refrigerate for 24 hours, shaking often
3. Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth and squeeze the marc until all liquid that can be removed is collected
4. Note the amount of liquid and freeze it until needed
5. Transfer the marc and 95% ethanol to a blender and blend until smooth
6. Pour the mixture into a Mason jar, seal and shake it regularly for 2 weeks
7. Move the previously frozen liquid to the refrigerator and thaw completely
8. Strain the alcohol mixture through a cheesecloth and squeeze the marc until all liquid that can be removed is collected
9. Transfer the tincture to a jar, seal and set aside
10. Add the marc and fresh water to a stock pot or tall saucepan and bring to a boil
11. Reduce heat to a low boil –  just above simmering – and cook until the liquid is reduced by half
12. Cover the pot and allow the decoction to cool to room temperature
13. Strain the cooled mixture through a cheesecloth and squeeze the marc until all liquid that can be removed is collected
14. Note the amount of liquid, then combine equal quantities of the tincture, the decoction and the cold soak liquid
15.  The alcohol by volume should be around 25% (50 proof)
16. Store your extraction in a brown or blue glass bottle
17. Record the date, specie(s) and alcohol content on the bottle

Resources

Recommended Reading

Christopher Hobbs’s Medicinal Mushrooms: The Essential Guide by Christopher Hobbs

The Fungal Pharmacy By Robert Rogers

Radical Mycology: A Treatise on Seeing & Working with Fungi by Peter McCoy

Alcohol Dilution Calculator – Invaluable tool for determining dilution ratios to achieve desired ABV

PubMed Central (NIH / National Library of Medicine) – Free access to tons of published, peer reviewed research

Christopher Hobbs, PhD on ResearchGate – Medicinal mushroom know-it-all shares some personal research

Host Defense Mushrooms – Going on and on about why their mycelium is better, but links out to some good resources

China rises to first place in most cited papers – Interesting article about how quality is catching up to quantity in Chinese research

Articles and Papers About Beta-Glucans:

What Is Beta Glucan? (Healthline)

Beta-Glucans from Fungi: Biological and Health-Promoting Potential in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era (Nutrients)

From Cancer Therapy to Winemaking: The Molecular Structure and Applications of β-Glucans and β-1, 3-Glucanases (International Journal of Molecular Sciences)

β-Glucan Metabolic and Immunomodulatory Properties and Potential for Clinical Application  (Journal of Fungi)