Some of the beneficial compounds in mushrooms are water soluble and can be extracted in a decoction, others can only be dissolved in alcohol and require a tincture. To get the best of both a double extraction method is used and I have noted a simple process below which can be used for a wide variety of different fungi.

I have used the double extraction to make a tincture of a mix of two different polypores: turkey tail (trametes versicolor) and birch polypore (fomitopsis betulina). These are both easily found in the British woodland, Autumn is a good time to collect them when they are pliable, they become quite dry and stiff as the winter progresses. The healthy properties of these fungi are well known and widely recorded; I’d advise careful research of their uses. Turkey Tail is believed to have exceptional anti-cancer properties. Birch Polypore is well regarded for its anti-microbial effects, two pieces, each threaded on a leather thong, were found on the frozen body of Otzi the iceman: we can conclude that the value of this fungus has been known for many thousands of years.

They are both distinctive and not difficult to recognise but there are lookalikes and as with all fungi it is essential to identify accurately. I’ll add a suggested identification guide below.

1- I used equal amounts of the two poypore, ground them and dried them out in a very cool oven. Its important to chop or grind first as when dried they will become hard and woody and impossible to grind!

2- I put them in a large jar with a good seal and covered them with the strongest alcohol I could find. It needs to be at least 40% ABV. I used an overproof rum, as I had a lot of fungus, I need two bottles of rum. The spirit has two functions: to dissolve the alcohol soluble compounds (triterpenes) and to preserve the completed tincture. By the time it is made, the tincture will be nearly half water-based dectoction so it’s vital that strong alcohol is used to begin to ensure there’s no chance for the titration to ‘go off’. The ground mushroom and alcohol mix is stood on a window sill for a lunar month and shaken each day.

3- The mixture is then strained and squeazed through clean muslin and the liquid put aside.

4- The fungal matter is then boiled and simmered in a quantity of water. This needs to be done for half an hour. When finished you will need a quantity of decoction approximately equal to the amount of set-aside alcohol.

5- Again the mixture is strained through clean muslin. The fungal matter can now be returned to the ground and the decoction added to the tincture and mixed together. It should then be decanted into tincture bottles ready for use.