Reishi mushrooms, (Ganoderma Tsugae), are often referred to as the "Divine Mushroom" or the "Mushroom of Immortality", due to their numerous impressive health benefits. Reishi are adaptogenic mushrooms, meaning they will adapt to the body as needed to promote homeostasis, and can be used for many physical & emotional health needs . Wild mushrooms hold the highest medicinal qualities, as Mother Nature knows exactly what we need. Foraging for Reishi can be an extremely rewarding experience, connecting you with nature, while also providing access to one of the most revered mushrooms. In this guide, I''ll cover the essentials of foraging for Reishi, the tools and techniques you'll need, and how to prepare your harvest into tinctures and other useful products.
Foraging for Reishi: What You Need to Know
Identifying Reishi Mushrooms
Reishi mushrooms are typically found on decaying hardwood trees, especially hemlock, maple, and oak. They are most often found in temperate forests.
Appearance: Reishi has a distinctive, shiny, reddish-brown cap, with beautiful shades of yellow & white, when freshest. The underside is white to yellowish with tiny pores rather than gills. The spore prints are reddish brown.
Season: Reishi typically fruits in early Summer in Northeast Pennsylvania, but the season can potentially range from late spring to early autumn, depending on temperatures, rainfall, etc.
Habitat: Look for Reishi on Hemlock stumps, fallen logs, and sometimes live trees, particularly in moist, shaded areas.
Tools for Foraging
Field Guide: A good mushroom identification book! Reishi is covered in my guide for beginners, Fungirl's Funguide - available on my website or Amazon. I also encourage you to get more comprehensive field guides as well.
Knife: A sharp knife for cutting the mushrooms off the wood can be helpful, but isn't absolutely necessary.
Basket or Mesh Bag: To carry your harvested mushrooms - The holes provide air to keep the mushrooms fresh, and also allow spores to spread as you walk through the forest.
Foraging Techniques
Locate a Suitable Habitat: Search in hardwood forests, paying close attention to Hemlock stumps & fallen logs. In my area of NEPA, early June is peak Reishi season. The harvests seem to be massive every other year.
Identify Carefully: Ensure the mushroom matches the description of Reishi in terms of shape, color, and habitat. A spore print is always recommended as you are learning. Place the mushroom face down on a sheet of aluminum foil. After a few hours, there will be a color visible from the spores.
Harvest Responsibly: Use a knife to cut the mushroom close to the base. Leave a portion in tact to encourage regrowth. Harvesting responsibly encourages new growth for the future.
Inspect for Quality: Choose fresh, firm mushrooms without signs of rot or extensive insect damage. Dry them right away to ensure they stay free of rot.
Preparing Reishi for Tincture
Once you've successfully foraged Reishi mushrooms, it's time to prepare them for use in a variety of applications including tinctures, salves and other products.
Drying Reishi
Clean: Gently brush off any dirt or debris. Avoid washing with water, as this can affect drying.
Slice: Cut the mushrooms into thin slices to facilitate drying.
Dry: Use a dehydrator set to a low temperature (95-115°F). Dry until completely brittle - if they bend at all, rather than snap, they need to be dried longer. Any moisture whatsoever could spoil & create bacteria.
Making Reishi Tincture
Ingredients and Supplies
Dried Reishi slices
High-proof alcohol (e.g., vodka or Everclear grain alcohol - the higher the alcohol content, the better)
Glass jar with a tight-fitting lid
Cheesecloth or fine strainer
Amber colored dropper bottles for storage
Instructions
Fill the Jar: Place dried Reishi slices in the jar, filling it about half to three quarters of the way full.
Add Alcohol: Pour alcohol over the Reishi until the jar is nearly full - leave a small space to allow for shaking the contents easily.
Seal and Store: Seal the jar tightly and store in a cool, dark place. Shake the jar daily or more.
Extract: After at least 8 -12 weeks, strain the liquid through cheesecloth into a clean container. This is your alcohol extract.
Combine Extracts (Optional): Reishi has both alcohol soluble & water soluble benefits. For a dual extraction, simmer the used Reishi slices in water for a day (strain out the alcohol completely), reducing the liquid to the desired amount twice. Strain the mushroom slices & discard. Combine the alcohol extract and water extract in a ratio with a final alcohol content of atleast 25% for stable shelf life. For example, if you made a gallon with 100 proof alcohol (50% content), and added a gallon of water extract, the final alcohol content would be 25%.
Bottle: Pour the finished tincture into dropper bottles for easy use. Amber colored bottles help to protect the contents.
(Reishi can also be used to make tea, but it is a bitter taste, so tinctures may be preferable for many!)
The skin is the largest organ.....Reishi can be a powerful skincare ingredient for many reasons, including the manner in which the mushroom improves skin elasticity & overall homeostasis. I infuse various oils with Reishi for months, and then add other ingredients such as butters & Beeswax, to create all natural healing skincare products such as salves, creams & lip balms.
Conclusion
Foraging for Reishi mushrooms not only brings you closer to nature, but also provides you with powerful natural remedies for a multitude of physical & emotional wellness needs. With the right tools and techniques, you can harvest Reishi responsibly and prepare it into beneficial tinctures, salves & a multitude of other products. Incorporating these into your wellness routine can help harness the many health benefits of this incredible "Divine" mushroom. Getting CONNECTED with nature is the most incredible aspect of mushroom hunting - the mushrooms are just the added bonus.
Happy foraging!
For more information, check out my page at connectedfungirl.com, or contact me at wellness@connectedfungirl.com.
Comments