*The photo was taken right after reishi was immersed under alcohol.
Reishi (Garnoderma lucidum) is a medicinal mushroom found on hardwood stumps and logs.
Luckily, I got a fresh reishi from one of our school teachers in Upstate NY this summer. Gotta make tincture!
Reishi is a known adaptogen, beneficial in immune system, hepatoprotective (protecting liver) and used in anti-cancer protocols.
My reishi had been sitting in my dark shelf to be extracted fully. Usually after 4~6 weeks, tincture is ready to be taken. However, reishi is ideally extracted twice. The reason is in its compounds. Some can be extracted in alcohol and other can be in hot water. This process is called 'double-extraction'. To make reishi extract with full benefits, I follow the double-extraction process. After the alcohol extraction, I decoct this reishi and mix both extracts.
Alcohol % should be 25~35% for longer shelf-life at the end.
**My teacher RIchard Mandelbaum, very knowledgeable herbalist in NY, takes an opposite position on 'double-extraction'. So, you need to intuitively choose which process is right, if anyone wants to make mushroom tincture.
I use 190 proof organic grain alcohol to make tinctures.
