What’s the Best Way to Store Magic Mushrooms? All the Methods. Had a successful shrooms harvest from your magic mushroom grow kit? You probably won’t use them all right away, so what’s the best way to store them? We’ve gathered the smartest storage methods for you. From fresh to dried, in honey or chocolate, to magic mushroom tinctures and capsules. Whether you want to store them for a few days or a few years, there are plenty of options!
How to Store Fresh Magic Mushrooms?
If you want to keep them fresh, the refrigerator is your best friend. Store your fresh mushrooms in an airtight container to maintain their quality. They typically remain fresh for about 7 to 10 days, depending on the temperature and humidity in your fridge. But be careful: if it’s too humid, they can spoil quickly. For longer storage, consider other methods like drying or preserving them in honey.
Dried Magic Mushrooms: For Long-Term Storage
Looking to store them long-term? Then drying is the solution. Spread the mushrooms out on paper towels in a dry place that’s not too cool but also not too warm. Make sure to turn them regularly and check for mold. After a few weeks, they’ll be properly dried, and you can store them for up to a year in an airtight container. Some people put the dried mushrooms in vacuum-sealed bags and store them in the fridge to extend their preservation even further.
If you have a food dehydrator, this is also an excellent option for drying magic mushrooms. Dry them at a low temperature to prevent loss of active compounds. Whatever drying method you choose, ensure they become completely dry – this prevents spoilage and ensures long-term preservation.
Dried mushrooms retain virtually all their potency and are particularly useful for later use. This is the most reliable method for long-term storage.
Storing Magic Mushrooms in Honey
Looking for something different? Store your mushrooms in honey! It might sound unusual, but it’s remarkably effective. The active compounds in the mushrooms are preserved even longer thanks to honey’s natural preservation properties. Just ensure the mushrooms are completely dry before adding them to the honey, or you risk mold growth. An added benefit is that it significantly improves their taste.
Storing Magic Mushrooms in Chocolate
Another delicious way to consume mushrooms and an effective method for longer storage is making your own magic mushroom chocolate. To make mushroom chocolate, melt chocolate and add finely ground dried mushrooms. Pour the mixture into molds and let it cool. Click here for complete instructions!
The chocolate protects the mushrooms’ active compounds from light and air, helping preserve them better. In the fridge, mushroom chocolates can maintain their potency for a year or even longer. One benefit of making mushroom chocolate is that you barely taste the mushrooms while the effects remain fully intact.
How Long Can I Store Dried Magic Mushrooms?
Dried mushrooms can last quite a while, depending on your storage method. In an airtight container, they typically maintain their potency for six to twelve months. If you opt for sealed vacuum bags, you can extend the shelf life of dried mushrooms to over eighteen months. In chocolate, they’ll retain their strength for a year or longer, while in honey they can stay potent for more than 18 months.
Magic Mushroom Drops: A Practical Storage Method?
Magic mushroom drops are somewhat controversial, but if you want to store mushrooms long-term while having a convenient way to dose them, homemade psilocybin drops can be an excellent choice. This method extracts the active compounds from the mushrooms into a liquid, such as alcohol. This not only simplifies dosing but also extends the preservation of the active compounds.
Alcohol-based magic mushroom tinctures can maintain their potency for up to 1 year or longer when stored properly in a dark, cool place. It’s recommended to make tinctures yourself, as some vendors sometimes add substances you’d rather avoid (like synthetic 4-HO-MET or 4-ACO-DMT). Additionally, it’s essential to dose magic mushroom drops carefully.
How to Make Your Own Magic Mushroom Tincture
To make your own magic mushroom drops, start by grinding dried mushrooms into a powder. Place the powder in a dark glass bottle and add strong alcohol, such as 96% ethanol, to extract the active compounds. Let this mixture sit for 1 to 2 weeks in a cool, dark place, shaking the bottle daily. Then strain the mixture through a coffee filter to remove the solid material. You now have your own psilocybin drops, ready for use!
Processing Dried Mushrooms into Powder and Storing in Capsules
Dried mushrooms can be easily ground into powder using a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. This powder can then be used to fill capsules, providing a convenient (and discreet) way to store & dose mushrooms. Store the filled capsules in an airtight bag in a cool, dark place. They’ll retain their potency for months this way, and you’ll always have an accurate dose on hand without having to taste the mushrooms. Tip: use a scale to fill each capsule with the same amount of powder. This ensures precise dosing.
Why Freezing Often Disappoints
You may be thinking of freezing your freshly harvested shrooms for storage, but this is is usually not recommended. The main drawback of freezing is that it damages the mushrooms’ structure and reduces the potency of the active compounds. When thawed, they’ve already lost some of their potency, and their compromised texture makes them unappealing to consume. For fresh mushrooms, refrigeration is optimal, and for long-term storage, drying or preserving them dried in honey, chocolate, tinctures, or capsules are the most reliable options.
Some people make mushroom tea or truffle tea and freeze it, but the exact shelf life is difficult to predict. Additionally, there’s uncertainty about the effect of freezing on the potency of the active compounds. While you’ll find success stories on forums from people using this method, consider it an experimental option.
Experimenting with Fermentation
For those feeling experimental, there’s another option: fermentation. Similar to making kimchi or sauerkraut, you can ferment mushrooms too. Some enthusiasts claim it even enhances the mushrooms’ potency. However, this method requires caution. If the fermentation process goes wrong, you’ll need to discard your harvest, and consumption could lead to illness. If you’re interested in experimenting with this method, thorough research is essential.
Drying Magic Truffles
You can also dry magic truffles for extended storage. Follow the same instructions as for drying mushrooms. The process can take several days to weeks, depending on humidity. Once dried, magic truffles can maintain their potency for months in an airtight container.
Fresh vs Dried: Which is Better?
A key difference between fresh and dried mushrooms lies in their potency. Fresh mushrooms contain more psilocin, resulting in a faster-onset and potentially more intense experience. During the drying process, some psilocin is lost, making dried mushrooms feel slightly less ‘direct’. However, dried mushrooms contain more psilocybin, which your body converts back into psilocin, ultimately providing a comparable experience. The primary distinction is in how quickly and intensely the effects begin. Both forms can be equally potent, though the experience may differ. Want to know more? Read our blog Magic Mushrooms: Dried vs. Fresh – Which is Best?
Additionally, factors like set and setting, how much you’ve eaten, and the quality of the mushrooms all play crucial roles in your experience.
Conclusion
Whether you choose fresh, dried, capsules, magic mushroom tinctures, or chocolate, what matters most is finding the method that suits your needs and preferences. Fresh mushrooms might provide a slightly faster and more intense experience, but dried mushrooms offer convenient long-term storage options. The choice is yours. Whatever method you select, treat the mushrooms with respect and always prepare thoroughly for your experience.
Have fun and enjoy the journey! 🙂