When we launched our wild mushroom range, it became one of the most talked-about things we've ever done, on the stall and online. Mushrooms have been prized for centuries, and I wanted to offer them the same way I make our CBD: organic, wild where possible, extracted properly and with nothing added. Here's where ours come from, how they're made, and how to read the words on the label like an expert.
Wild harvested, not farmed
Most mushroom products on the market are cultivated indoors on trays of grain or sawdust. Several of ours are wild harvested: gathered by hand from where they grow naturally, on their own timescale.
Our Chaga is the perfect example. It's wild harvested in the birch forests of Estonia. Chaga isn't the cap-and-stem mushroom you might picture. It grows as a dark, cracked, charcoal-like mass on the trunks of birch trees in cold northern forests, and it takes years to form. It's one of the most remarkable things in the whole range.
Alongside Chaga, our range includes Lion's Mane, Reishi, Maitake, Shiitake, Meshima, Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Agaricus Blazei and Tiger Milk [TBC with Andy: which are wild harvested and the country of origin for each].
Fruiting body vs mycelium
If you take one thing away from this post, make it this.
The fruiting body
The fruiting body is the part you'd recognise as "the mushroom": the bit that grows above ground or on the tree. It's the part that has been gathered and used for generations, and it's what we use [TBC with Andy: confirm for each mushroom].
The mycelium
The mycelium is the network of fine threads underneath, a bit like the roots of a plant. Many cheaper products are made from mycelium grown on grain, which means a good part of what you're buying can be grain. A quality label tells you exactly which part you're getting. Ours does.
Dual extracted for a full spectrum
You'll see "dual extract" on several of our labels, including Chaga and Lion's Mane. Here's why it matters.
Mushrooms have tough cell walls, so simply grinding them up doesn't unlock much. To make a proper extract, the mushroom goes through two separate extractions:
- A hot water extraction, using purified water
- An alcohol extraction
Some compounds dissolve in water and others in alcohol, so combining the two gives a full spectrum extract: everything the mushroom has to offer, not just half of it. The alcohol is removed in the process [TBC with Andy: confirm]. It takes longer and costs more, and it's the only way we'll do it.
What "10:1" means
Some of our labels show a ratio such as 10:1. That's the extract ratio: roughly 10kg of dried mushroom goes into every 1kg of extract. It tells you how concentrated the extract is compared with the raw mushroom, so a higher ratio means more mushroom in every capsule [TBC with Andy: confirm the ratio for each product].
Nothing added
Our rule for mushrooms is the same as for our oils: the extract and nothing else. No fillers, no bulking agents and no artificial additives, in vegan capsules [TBC with Andy: confirm capsule material]. Our 10 Mushroom Blend brings ten of our extracts together in equal parts, so you can enjoy the whole range in one.
Prefer a drink? Grateful Meds concentrates
For something different, we stock the Grateful Meds range of organic, sugar-free mushroom concentrates, made in the US. Each 60ml bottle makes about 12 servings. Use it like a cordial or sweetener: a splash in hot water, sparkling water or a smoothie. Flavours include Peach Peace (the team favourite), Blueberry Matcha and a 6 Mushroom Blend. They're one of the most popular things on our stall, and they make a lovely gift.
Meet the mushrooms on camera
In Oil Talk #5 I talk through where our Chaga comes from and what dual extraction looks like in practice. And this week's Ask Andy post answers the questions I hear most at the market stall. Then explore the range:
- Explore our organic full spectrum mushroom extracts
- Discover our Organic Wild Chaga Mushroom Dual Extract
- Try the Peach Peace sugar-free concentrate
> Ask Andy > Want to know where a particular mushroom comes from? Ask on our Oil Talk #5 post (@[REDACTED] on Instagram, [REDACTED] on Facebook), or come and see me at the next market [dates TBC with Andy].
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Andy, Green Gold Holistics. Organic, wild harvested and dual extracted, with nothing added.
