Yes, the words "mushroom" and "fungi" can be a little off putting, but Reishi mushrooms are one of the most beneficial fungi on the planet and can do wonders for your body, inside and out. 

They have been used for their benefits for thousands of years across many different cultures and are still just as powerful today.

While there are several different ways you can include reishi mushrooms in your diet, making them into a nutritious tincture can be one of the simplest and most efficient ways to reap all these little mushrooms have to offer.  

Benefits Of A Reishi Mushroom Tincture

Reishi Mushrooms... 

• Provide powerful anti-aging benefits
• Help detox the body 
• Improve cognitive activity 
• Have inflammation-reducing properties
• Boost respiratory health
• Lower blood pressure
• Can help prevent/combat cancer
• Provide an energy boost
• Increase immunity 

How To Make A Reishi Mushroom Tincture

Recipe credit: Practical Self Reliance

Ingredients:

• Thinly sliced reishi mushroom (you can buy it or forage yourself, don't forage unless you know what you're doing)
• 80 proof alcohol (such as vodka)
• Chlorine-free water 

Equipment:

• Mason jar (whatever size you want)
• Cooking pot
• Filtering equipment (funnel and mesh strainer or cheese cloth)
• Tincture bottles (for storage)

Directions:

1. Fill mason jar about halfway full with sliced reishi mushrooms.
2. Pour in alcohol until there's about an inch of space from the top, close mason jar.
3. Set mason jar in cool, dark location and let the mixture sit and extract for about 4-6 weeks, carefully shaking it as often as you remember (daily is best). 
4. Once ready, strain extraction through straining equipment (funnel and mesh strainer or cheese cloth) and set alcohol extract aside (DO NOT get rid of alcohol extract). Take note of how much alcohol extract you have.
5. Place strained mushrooms into a pot and add about half a gallon of water for every 2 cups of mushrooms. Simmer mushrooms on low for about 2 hours (keep an eye on it, don't let it boil dry).
6. Once done simmering, strain the water extract. The water extract should be reduced to about half the quantity of alcohol extract (for example, if you have 2 cups of alcohol extract, you'll want 1 cup of water extract, making this recipe a 2 to 1 ratio that will make your tincture 30% alcohol and shelf stable for storage).
7. Let the water extract cool and then mix it with the alcohol extract and bottle your finished tincture in tincture bottles.
8. Store your tincture in a cool, dark place and take a dropper full daily for best results.

Have you ever made a Reishi Tincture before? What tips do you have? What has your experience using Reishi Tincture been like? Share with us in the comments below, we would love to hear from you!

And remember, we're in this together.