If you're here, chances are you're fascinated by the potential health benefits of medicinal mushrooms and might have even dabbled in crafting your own mushroom tinctures at home.
We often receive inquiries about our tincture-making process, so we wanted to provide a glimpse behind the scenes at Fat Fox HQ through this blog post.
Our tinctures start with mushrooms grown by us at our urban mushroom farm in London. We grow our mushrooms on substrate mixes made from organic and sustainably sourced materials, with careful consideration to ensure optimal growth of the mushrooms and safety in the end product.
Once the fruit bodies are mature, we harvest them and they are prepped for dehydration. This preserves the beneficial compounds by inhibiting microbial growth, but it is also useful in that it allows us to process the fruit bodies into a fine powder, maximising the surface area and therefore the amount of medicinal compounds that will be extracted later on.
Alcohol Extraction
Next comes the first step in the dual-extraction process – alcohol extraction. We use 98% food-grade pure ethanol to extract the alcohol soluble constituents such as triterpenes. In our DIY home tincture recipe, we recommend a 40% ABV spirit due to its availability and the ease of making a finished product that doesn’t risk burning your throat! However, a higher concentration ethanol enables us to extract the beneficial compounds more efficiently.
Ultrasonic Extraction
The powdered fruit body material is submerged in ethanol and processed using our ultrasonic extractor. This method uses powerful ultrasonification to break down the tough fungal cell walls, which are made of indigestible chitin, allowing the release of valuable chemical compounds like polysaccharides and triterpenes into the solvent. Compared to traditional extraction techniques, this process is highly efficient and quickly releases the full spectrum of bioactive compounds.
The big benefit of including this step is that we don’t have to wait for a month for the first stage of the double extraction process to be complete (something we used to do in the early days!) - it now takes only one day. Ultrasonic extraction is a widely used technique in the food, nutritional supplement, and pharmaceutical industries for extracting bioactive compounds like vitamins, polyphenols, polysaccharides, cannabinoids, and other phytochemicals from botanicals.
Hot Water Decoction
For the final step, the fruit body material is strained out and added to water that is heated to 80 degrees celsius to extract any water-soluble compounds that remain. After several hours, the solids are again strained out and the alcohol and water liquid extractions are combined. The resulting dual-extract tincture has an alcohol volume of 35%, which ensures that it is shelf stable.
Why fruit bodies rather than mycelium?
You may be wondering why we don’t use the mycelium to make tinctures as well. Whilst you can certainly extract beneficial compounds from the mycelium, we choose not to do this due to the presence of extraneous material that is extremely difficult to fully remove (wood fibre and grain that the mycelium is grown on). By using only the fruit bodies of the fungi, we ensure a consistent product.
How do we decide what mushroom species to use?
Our decision is guided by extensive research into the medicinal properties and health benefits of various mushroom species. We prioritise mushrooms that have been extensively studied for their bioactive compounds, such as beta-glucans, polysaccharides, and triterpenoids, which are known for their immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects.
Additionally, we consider the traditional use of mushrooms in different cultures for centuries as part of herbal medicine. Species like reishi, lion's mane, turkey tail, and cordyceps have been particularly well-documented for their therapeutic potential. By selecting species with a strong foundation in both modern science and traditional use, we ensure that our formulations provide effective and safe health benefits to those seeking natural wellness solutions.
Where can I find your mushroom tinctures?
Visit fatfoxthrive.com to explore our full range of mushroom tinctures, meticulously crafted from organically and sustainably grown mushrooms at the Fat Fox Mushrooms urban farm in London.
Comments