Fresh Reishi Or Turkey Tail Tea Directions

First, shred or cut your mushroom pieces into roughly 1/4 inch (5mm) strips. They'll be corky and tough, in places, so a heavy-bladed knife, cleaver or rocking herb cutter will be beneficial. Using a mason jar or coffee press, steep your Reishi or Turkey Tail pieces in boiled, hot water for at least an hour, and store your mushroom pieces in their extract in the refrigerator for up to a week. When you pour out a cup, re-boil your mushrooms in their extract (microwaved mason jar is quick and easy) and top up with boiled water another three times, to make sure you extract as much of the compounds you're after as possible. Around 1 1/2 ounces/forty grams of fresh Reishi or Turkey Tail will make around one litre (four cups) of extract. With three top-ups, you'll get a seven day supply!

If you are using Reishi or Turkey Tail that has been dehydrated (an excellent way to preserve your mushroom for up to a year!), divide the fresh weight by roughly two, i.e. use only 20g dried per litre of boiling water.

Whole, Red Reishi/Lingzhi, ready for chopping.

Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) growing on Birch log, ready to harvest.

Reishi comes in many varieties, with some distinction being made in Traditional Chinese Medicine ("TCM") and Japanese historical usage. The most widely-known and scientifically-studied form is technically the Red Reishi ("Lingzhi"), pictured above, but it's likely Turkey Tail was included as a form of 'Reishi' in folk-medicinal mushroom classification. In addition, we're cultivating other Ganoderma species, such as Zizhi/Purple Reishi, Black Reishi and Shu She Lingzhi, which contain different suites of compounds with different health treatment applications.