Generally speaking, a tincture is a concentrated liquid herbal extract. It is typically made by soaking herbs and other plant parts in alcohol for weeks to extract the active constituents. Alcohol is considered an excellent solvent because it is food grade and can extract herbal constituents (such as resins and alkaloids) that are poorly soluble in water. After a period of weeks, the herbal mixture is strained and the herb parts are removed, leaving behind concentrated liquid. Tinctures can be made from a single plant or a combination of plants. Fresh or dried leaves, roots, bark, flowers, and berries may be used to make tinctures.

When using mushrooms to make tincture there is another step involved to make the best tincture possible. In Traditional Chinese Medicine there are many mushrooms such as Reishi, Shiitake, Maitake, and Lion's Mane that are recognized for their bioactivity. In Asian cultures, these mushrooms are prepared as long simmered teas or soups. This step is vital in drawing out the many beneficial compounds that exist in mushrooms that are water soluble, like long chain polysaccharides which are notable for their bioactivity in immunomodulation. Additionally, mushrooms have an indigestible cell wall composed of chitinous material that is broken down in these simmers. This process is known as a decoction, and results in a viscous, highly saturated liquid full of medicinal compounds. When the water based decoction is added to the alcohol tincture, it is called a "double extraction", which more completely contains the full range of medicinal compounds that exist in mushrooms.

Although there are general guidelines for making double extraction mushroom tinctures, the process can vary depending on the individual maker. As growers of woodland mushrooms, we aim to grow as many of our mushrooms outdoors on natural logs, to simulate their natural environment. Under such conditions, mushrooms have to undergo some degree of struggle as they compete for substrate, experience weather changes, etc. This struggle results in mushrooms with a much fuller array of bioactive compounds when compared to indoor grown mushrooms. Some of our native species that we do not grow, we sustainably source from the wild, like our native Reishi (Ganoderma tsugae), in order to ensure the same level of medicinal quality. Strong mushrooms are a vital start to potent tincture making!

We use 100% fruiting bodies in our tinctures, as well as organic alcohol. There will be some solid material, especially the polysaccharides, that will start to come out into solution during the process. This is not only a natural occurrence, but is a sign of quality in tinctures. The polysaccharides also to tend to flocculate (coalesce). Vigorous shaking will encourage these aggregate solids to disperse. These solids can be removed by fine filtration, but our philosophy has been to leave them in the tincture since they are representing many bioactive constituents. In comparison, herbal tinctures are generally clearer as their bioactive compounds go into solution more easily.

What does it mean for your mushroom products to be made with fruiting bodies? You may have seen that term on our website, or tossed around in an article about medicinal mushrooms.

The term "fruiting bodies" refers to the reproductive structure of the fungi that houses spores, that is, the part we know and love and see growing from the soil or from logs- the mushroom itself. The actual organism that produces the mushroom is a fibrous, net-like organism known as mycelium, which is often hidden from our view. The common comparison is of an apple tree- the whole tree is the mycelium, while the apples are the mushrooms (or fruiting bodies).

The incredible, bioactive compounds within fungi are often made by the mycelium to act as an immune system within the mushrooms, so that they can last long enough to drop spores. It just so happens that we share similar chemical pathways with our fungal cousins, so those compounds are able to be used by our own systems as well.

So here's the catch. Most major mushroom companies grow indoors in bags of sawdust or grain. It's very quick and easy to grow out that mycelium, but it takes a little more coaxing to get the mycelium to make a mushroom. So many companies will just skip the fruiting body step and powder the mycelium *and* substrate together for their products. Yes, so that means that the fungal component of these products is not only very minimally bioactive, but it's often mostly filler that does nothing for your health.

Always check the ingredients of your mushroom products. Does it say fruiting bodies or myceliated grain? You might be surprised what companies choose to use mycelium.

We recommend taking 1 teaspoon-or two squeezes of the dropper (about 20-40 drops ) a day for maintenance, or up to 3x daily when needed.

You can take the tincture directly, or add to any hot or cold beverage.

The medicinal compounds in mushrooms are known as adaptogens, meaning that they work by regulating your body’s systems and maintain homeostasis. This means that they work best when taken everyday. You can safely take more than the recommended dose if necessary. The alcohol content has greatly stabilized the solution, allowing for an extended shelf life that does not need to be refrigerated. The dark bottle keeps UV from further breaking down the compounds, which also allows for a long shelf life.