How to Prepare Psychedelic Mushrooms

An important part of any psychedelic experience is actually taking the medicine – you have to take it to make it. In today’s burgeoning psychedelic renaissance, psilocybin comes in many different forms, from whole dried mushrooms or fruiting bodies, to gourmet gummies, you can find psilocybin delivered in a variety of formats and flavors. So what are the most common ways to prepare and consume these powerful psychedelic mushrooms? 

Gratitude

Before I begin preparing or consuming psychedelic mushrooms I always like to say a few words of gratitude to our fungi friends and reflect on gratitude for the present moment. Having access to these medicines and the time and resources to experience their benefits are gifts, as is the medicine itself, and it’s beneficial to feel gratitude and open your heart before the medicine ever touches your lips.

Grinding Psychedelic Mushrooms

In general, if you’re looking to prepare dried, whole mushrooms it’s best to grind them into a powder first to get more consistency across doses. From there, you can format the fungi into any number of different delivery methods. For this process, I use a little coffee grinder. After weighing up my dose I express my gratitude, place the mushrooms into the grinder, then grind them to a fine powder. TIP: After grinding, wait 15-20 seconds before opening the grinder, so all the magical mushroom dust settles into the grinder. I’ve inhaled a cloud of it before and in the words of Martha Stewart, “it wasn’t altogether unpleasant.” 

Lemon Tek Tea

This is my preferred way to prepare the sacred mushroom. After grinding up your weighed up dose, put it into a teacup. Squeeze the juice of ½ to one lemon and remove the seeds. Pour the lemon juice over the powdered psychedelic mushrooms and stir, making sure all the powder is wet. Let this mixture sit for 15-20 minutes. I like to make a mint herbal tea while the lemon tek is working away, then add the mint tea and some honey and stir well. Then a few more words of gratitude and you’re ready to drink the medicine, which should be done in a few gulps versus sipping. 

The benefit of lemon tekking is that the citric acid breaks down the cell walls of the mushroom, making the psilocybin more readily bioavailable, resulting in quicker and stronger come up. This delivery method also reduces stomach upset that is fairly common among those who seek the wisdom of the mushroom. With a faster and stronger come up, the duration of the experience is reportedly shorter with this tea approach. Some recommend this approach not be used by people new to the medicines as the experience may come on too strong, however there isn’t clear evidence to support this idea.

The Sweet Shroom Treat

Makers of fine chocolates, candy bars, and confections are offering a variety of prepackaged products with psilocybin packed into every nibble. Mostly operating in the gray market, these brave entrepreneurs are offering their wares online and in select shops popping up around the country. Although still illegal throughout the United States, these psychedelic sweets are becoming more prolific. If considering buying online, buyers beware as there are probably more scams than legitimate retailers online and you really don’t know if what you’re buying is reflective of what’s on the label. 

For those with light to moderate culinary skills, it’s easy to make your own entheogenic delicacies at home. Chocolates are my go-to for preparing psychedelic mushrooms. I have a 12-count chocolate mold, so I start by weighing out 12 grams of dried whole psilocybin mushrooms. 

For chocolate, I use either semi sweet chips or Hershey Milk Chocolate squares, so it’s easier to measure. Using measuring spoons I gauge the volume to fill each mold to about 50%, the remaining space being reserved for the powered fungi. In the case of Hershey squares, I determined that 3 squares per chocolate was the right volume. 

I melt the chocolate in a double boiler which isn’t necessary if you watch the chocolate and melt on a lower heat. Once melted, I remove it from the heat, let cool for a couple minutes,  then carefully stir in the powdered psychedelic mushrooms, mixing really well. Then I just spoon the mixture into the molds, packing each down with a finger or spoon. Once filled, place the tray in the refrigerator or freezer to cool, then remove and wrap each chocolate in foil and store in an airtight container in a cool dark place at room temperature. At the end of it you should have 12, one gram mushroom chocolates.

WARNING: Be aware of the temptation to lick the spoon or bowl, unless you’re not busy for the next four to six hours. 

The Capsule of Mushrooms

Like the sweet treats, there are retailers selling dried psychedelic mushrooms in capsules too.. It’s also easy to make your own caps. The gelatin caps can be bought online and require a bit of manual dexterity to stuff with powdered mushroom, but I found a scoop and pack approach worked pretty well since I only make a few at a time. Similarly with the chocolates, you’re going to weigh and grind the whole dried mushrooms to prepare for their gelatin casings. I try to get a gram into each capsule, remembering dose is important, so it’s good harm reduction practice to weigh the medicine and at least have a close approximate dose per unit of delivery method. 

NOTE: Capsules are convenient and it’s important to remember that there’s strong medicine in the gel cap and each should always be consumed with intention. 

Shroom Smoothies

If you do smoothies, then just add dried, weighed, powdered psychedelic mushrooms for an icey smooth delivery of your favorite fungi. And yes, remember to weigh your dose and check the set and setting boxes before you down your dose. Follow this link for some healthy smoothie recipes, then just add your favorite ground and powdered psychedelic mushroom!

Mushroom Honey,  Honey!

Yes, this is a thing and it’s bomb. Sometimes called blue honey, psychonauts make blue honey as a way to improve or obfuscate the earthy, umami taste of the mushroom, which many people don’t particularly care for. Once made, this honey concoction can be consumed by the spoonful, mixed into drinks or spread on baked goods. It’s important to note that although one might be tempted to use this honey in a variety of dishes and baking experiments, heat degrades and destroys psilocybin so be mindful of any heat required in creating your psychedelic culinary masterpiece. 

Storage and Shelf-life of Psilocybin Mushrooms 

Speaking of storage, you may be wondering how long your mushrooms will last for. After harvest, mushrooms are typically dried in either a dehydrator or on a plate in a dry area. Drying mushrooms prevents bacteria and mold from decaying your supply. Dried mushrooms can be stored in glass jars or air-tight containers with food-grade desiccants (little bags of silica gel you find in food packages for freshness). Store dried mushrooms in a dark place with consistent room temperature (~65℉) and low humidity. Remember, light and moisture will degrade your shrooms. 

The shelf-life of psychedelic mushrooms depends on how you store them. Wet mushrooms will only be good for about 7 days when kept refrigerated. If stored properly, dried mushrooms can usually keep their full potency for several months or up to a year. After that the strength of the psilocybin dose will start to diminish. While this won’t be harmful, you may need to take more to achieve the same effects. If prepared in honey or chocolates, the shelf-life will likely be longer. 

No matter how you prepare and store your shrooms, always visually inspect the mushrooms or edibles for molds, discolorization, and odors before ingesting. If anything appears off, don’t risk it!  

Conclusion

There are many ways to prepare psychedelic mushrooms. As you explore your own practice with these fantastic fungi, you’ll find the delivery methods that work best for you. The entire psychedelic experience should be intentional should be intentional and how we consume these medicines plays a big part. Always remember to weigh your dose, be safe, and be grateful.