Mmmm…….shrooms! A delicious way to enjoy their benefits

Hello dear reader! There’s been a lot of press about mushrooms lately. You know the stuff……they say it’s a coffee substitute (psst….it’s got instant coffee in it). Now, I do love the idea of using mushrooms in this way but Spider and I can not start our day without our Bulletproof Coffee! Instead, I like to add this 10 mushroom super blend powder and this collagen powder in my actual coffee every morning. I also like to take this mushroom tonic. It’s a nice change of pace and a great little refreshing pick me up.

If you’ve read our About Us section, then you know that Spider and I took an herbal medicine making course. Today we are going to show you one of our favorite things we make, Maple Mushroom Concoction.

How to make:

This is a great daily tonic to take for your immune system! In addition to other great benefits that are specific to each mushroom, we add a couple of aromatic spices for more impact. We learned this from our lessons with Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine and are using ingredients from Starwest Botanicals, Mountain Rose Herbs and Oregon Mushrooms.  Our version is a little bit different than Chestnuts, because you can add whatever mushrooms you need into this recipe. Also, Spider and I don’t do alcohol, so we omit that ingredient. As usual, we’ve got Rising Appalachia playing in the background. You can see the how to video that we made during lockdown in 2020 here:

To break it all down for you, here’s a list of the mushrooms we used and their benefits:

• Shitake – Is anti inflammatory and boosts immune system.
• Maitake – Reduces cholesterol and improves cardiovascular health.
• Reishi – Is high in antioxidants, helps memory and detoxifies the blood.
• Chaga – Protects against liver damage, slows the growth of cancer cells and boosts and strengthens the immune system.
• Turkey Tail – Slows cancer growth and is high in antioxidants.
• Lions Mane – Is an anti inflammatory and high in antioxidants. It has been shown to increase cognitive function and helps overcome dementia.

Make it rich and spicy….

Now, with all of these amazing mushrooms, what else could we possibly add? Well, to make it far more delicious and get a few more added benefits, we used maple syrup, cinnamon chips and cardamom seeds. For the maple syrup, you want to use Grade A Dark, as it has more mineral content and antioxidants than the Grade A Light. So, what are the health benefits of those last two ingredients? I’m so glad you asked!

The benefits of these warming spices

Cardamom lowers triglycerides and blood pressure. Rich in antioxidants, Cardamom may protect cells from free radicals and may contain cancer fighting compounds. This aromatic seed is an anti inflammatory and an antibacterial. Research suggests its ability to damage bacterial cell membranes. Like its cousin Ginger, Cardamom can help with digestive issues, and studies have shown it can help prevent gastric ulcers.  It may also improve breathing and helps with anxiety.

Cinnamon is also an anti inflammatory and is high in antioxidants. Studies have shown that these antioxidants can prevent damage from free radicals in the cells of the central nervous system. Further, it can also help protect against heart disease by helping to prevent the oxidation of fat cells, lowering “bad” cholesterol levels (LDL). The compounds in cinnamon have been shown to prevent bacterial and fungal infections and has antiviral properties.

To store this delicious tonic, keep it refrigerated in an airtight jar, or pour into an ice cube mold and freeze. If you choose the frozen method, you can thaw out as needed. Let it thaw at room temperature, or in the fridge. If you heat it up you could kill some of the beneficial properties. (Remember, this was slowly simmered over low heat for six hours!) Since there are no preservatives in this, freezing some and refrigerating some will help it last longer. Once thawed, simply sip and enjoy!

Drop us a comment to let us know what you think, how it works for you or if you have any questions!

Here’s the recipe

• 1 cup dried Shiitake mushrooms
• 1 cup dried Maitake mushrooms
• 1 cup dried Reishi mushrooms
• 1 cup dried Turkey Tail mushrooms
• 1 cup dried Lion’s Mane mushrooms
• 1 cup dried Chaga mushrooms
• 2 Tablespoons cinnamon chips
• 2½ teaspoons cardamom seeds, hulled
• ¾ cup maple syrup

Pour all of the dry ingredients (everything but the maple syrup) into a pot with 40 ounces of water. Make sure your dry ingredients are covered, so if you have to go a bit over 40 ounces, that’s fine.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 6-8 hours. Check the water level throughout the process, if it drops to where the mushrooms are no longer covered, add more water to submerge, cover and continue simmering.

After 6-8 hours, turn off the heat, uncover and let sit for 30 minutes to cool a bit

Strain into a half-gallon Mason jar

Add the Maple syrup

Put the top on and shake it up!

Refrigerate, or pour into ice trays to make single doses that will keep longer

You can all of your ingredients at Starwest Botanicals, Mountain Rose Herbs and Oregon Mushrooms. We trust all three of these suppliers based on their ethics, commitment to sustainability and organic products.

Learn more!

If you’d like to learn about how to make this and many other awesome herbal remedies, drop us an email at [email protected] and put CHESTNUT in the subject line. We’ll give you a special code (exclusively for our readers!) for 10% off the price of a course at Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine. It’s where we got our certification in Herbal Medicine Making, and our go to source for help in formulating remedies we create for our families and ourselves.

Disclaimer:

We aren’t medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbal remedies, particularly if you have a known medical condition or are pregnant or nursing. Please read our full disclaimer here.

Disclosure:

We only recommend products that we have used or would use ourselves. This post may contain affiliate links that, at absolutely ZERO cost to you, may earn us a small commission. Please read our full disclosure here.