Welcome to December, to winter, and to the passing of the year. Being out in the forest in the winter months is a special time for me, it means one thing, Chaga hunting! The cold air, the bare trees and the off trail adventures make for ideal Chaga conditions. Besides Chaga, there is an abundance of Turkey Tail still growing. This months feature is the many shades of Turkey Tail.
In honor and celebration of these two powerful, medicinal mushrooms, I’m running two specials this month. Specials are for the whole month of December.
A wellness pack: One Turkey tail 2oz tincture, One half pound of Chaga and One set of Reishi teabags for $50 (value of $85).
Buy one get one free on dried Chaga by the pound. When you order one pound of dried Chaga you get one free!
Turkey Tail, Trametes Versicolor, or the Cloud Mushroom, is a common, polypore mushroom that grows on fallen branches or dying tree trunks throughout our region. The identifying aspects are the colored rings on the top and a white bottom of pores not gills. You want to make sure the pores are solid white, they turn yellowish or off colored when too old to harvest. Turkey Tail has a rich history around the globe in traditional medicinal use. It is one of the only mushrooms FDA approved for cancer treatment, which is a shame considering Chaga, Reishi, Lions Mane and Maitake all show amazing results in helping to fight and treat cancer. I believe in the near future these other wonderful mushrooms will show up in mainstream treatments.
Turkey Tail has an array of benefits that include: Aiding in digestion, they help to improve gut bacteria balance. They contain powerful antioxidants that help boost your immune system, which is a key part of recovering from chemo treatments. Powerful Polysaccharides that help to inhabit the growth of cancer cells. Beta Glucans that help prevent obesity. They help to fight off the common cold and flu. Turkey Tail is good for fighting canine cancers as well. It helps treat HPV.
Turkey Tail can be used as a tea or soup base by using it in dried or fresh form, can also be taken as a tincture.
Another mushroom you may run across out there during December is the Resinous Polypore, or Skirt Steak of the woods as some call it. You may see a red liquid exuding from the cap. These mushrooms are extra fleshy and grow quite thick. I’ve tried these for the first time this year and highly enjoyed the flavor. Simply cut the mushroom in thin strips and sauté. As with most shelf mushrooms the outer edges are the best, as you get into the center they become tough and hard to eat.
Lastly let me say one of the things I’m grateful for is the fall bringing beautiful Lions Mane.
Happy holiday season everyone! Thanks for your support and may you all stay healthy, stay safe and be merry as we say goodbye to 2020.