Herbal Preparations For Chaga

While teas from Chaga have been used for centuries, they only provide part of the medicinal benefits of this amazing medicinal powerhouse. In order to achieve the full benefits, you will need to make the double extraction detained below. For those who just want to dip their toe in the medicinal pond, I have also included recipes for a tea and a decoction.

Tea

Part Used: Visible Mushroom
Plant State: Fresh or Dried
Place 2 tsp of fresh chopped mushroom, or 1 tsp of dried mushroom in a large mug. Pour boiling water over the mushroom, cover the mug, and steep for 20 minutes. Strain to remove sediment. Sweeten with a tsp of honey if desired, and enjoy your tea.
Dosage: 1 mug up to 3 times daily.

Strong Decoction

Part Used: Visible Mushroom
Plant State: Fresh or Dried
Place 2 ounces of fresh mushroom, or 1 ounce of dried mushroom into a pan. Add 1 quart of water, and bring to a boil. Continue to boil over medium heat, stirring periodically, until reduced by half. Allow the mixture to cool completely, and then add enough water to bring the level up to the original starting point. Now bring the water back to a boil, once again reduce the heat to medium, and continue to boil until the liquid has reduced by half. Allow the decoction to cool completely, and then strain it through cheesecloth, a coffee filter or papertowels. This decoction will last for a couple of days in your refrigerator.
Dosage: 4-6 oz up to 3 times daily.

Double Extracted Tincture

Like many plants, mushrooms contain some phytochemicals which are soluble in water, and some which are soluble only in alcohol. Unlike plants, mushroom cell walls are made from Chitin. This extremely strong, substance is only broken down by heat. The problem is that some of the medicinal aspects of the mushroom are destroyed by heat. In order to extract all that a mushroom has to offer, we must use a double extraction method. This is done by first using the fruiting body to create a tincture, and then using that same material to make a strong decoction. Following are the steps necessary to achieve this complete extraction. Rest assured, they sound much more difficult than they actually are.

Part Used: Sporocarp (Fruiting Body)
Plant State: Dried
Alcohol Percentage: 75%
Mushroom to Alcohol Ratio: 1:5
To start your healthful double extracted tincture, add 150grams of chopped mushroom to a quart mason jar. Now fill the jar with 750 ml of 75% ethanol (I use 150 proof Everclear). Next pour the contents of the jar into a blender and blend until all of the plant material is thoroughly chopped into fine pieces and incorporated into the menstrum. This will increase the surface area and provide better leaching of the plant constituents. As a matter of fact, this method works so well that, if necessary, the tincture can be used in as little as 7 days. Now pour the contents of the blender back into the jar, being careful to scrape every last bit of goodness from the blender. Place a lid on the mason jar, shake it well, and place the jar in a dark cupboard. Once a day for the first 7 days, take the jar out of the cupboard and shake it well. Place the jar back into the cupboard, and leave it soak for a total of 4 weeks.

After the tincture has soaked for 30 days, remove it from the cupboard and strain out and retain the mushroom material. Transfer the tincture back to the mason jar. Now place a piece of tape on the outside of the jar, and at the liquid level, draw a line on the tape. Momentarily, pour the tincture into a glass bowl or some other non-reactive container, and set aside. Now add water to the jar to the level marked on the tape. Pour this water into a large pot. Now re-fill the jar a second time with water, and then again, pour it into the pot. When done, you will have twice the volume of water than the volume of tincture. Pour the tincture back into the jar, cover it tightly, and place it in the cupboard while you finish making your decoction.

Pour the mushroom material into the pot with the water, and heat to a boil. Be very careful, as alcohol vapors coming from the mushroom may catch fire. If this happens, simply put a lid on the pot to suppress flames. This may happen a few times at the beginning of your heating. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and simmer until the water level has decreased by half. Turn off the heat, keep the pot covered, and allow the pot to cool completely. Once completely cooled, add enough water to the pot to bring the water level back to the original level. Bring the water back to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the water level once again reduces by 50%. Now turn off the heat, and allow the decoction to cool completely. When thoroughly cooled, strain out the now fully spent mushroom material, and pour the retained decoction into a large glass bowl, or other non-reactive container. Pour the tincture into the same container, and stir to mix. You should have roughly equal amounts of tincture and decoction. This will result in a doubly extracted tincture that is approximately 35% alcohol. Place this extraction into a jar, or jars, large enough to hold its volume. This extraction should remain viable for a year or more.
Dosage: 1-2 tbsp up to 3 times daily