How to Make Nutritious and Delicious Mushroom Tea at Home

A Complete Guide to Preparing and Brewing Mushroom Tea

Mushroom tea, made by steeping dried or powdered fungal fruiting bodies in hot water, has become a popular wellness beverage thanks to purported benefits like immune support, reduced inflammation, and increased energy. But how exactly do you make a tasty, nutritious cup of mushroom tea at home?

This guide will walk through selecting the best mushrooms for tea, expected flavors, blending with other herbs, brewing methods, required equipment, and how to get the maximum medicinal value from your homemade mushroom tea.

Best Mushrooms for Tea

Not all mushrooms make tasty tea. Woody, tough mushrooms are difficult to extract into water. These 5 mushrooms produce the best flavor and nutritional results:

• Chaga - Strong, earthy flavor with lots of antioxidants
• Reishi - Rich, smooth taste and high polysaccharides
• Cordyceps - Nutty flavor with adaptogenic properties
• Lion's mane - Delicate, seafood-like taste and brain benefits
• Maitake - Aromatic and packed with immune-helpers

Other Tea-Worthy Mushrooms

Other less common, but still palatable options include:

• Turkey tail
• Shiitake
• Tremella
• Agarikon
• Mesima
• Enokitake

Mix and match to create blends catered to your taste preferences and desired functional benefits.

Expected Flavors

The natural flavor of mushroom tea can range from woody and aromatic to bitter or savory like seafood. Common descriptive terms include:

• Earthy
• Woodsy
• Nutty
• Umami
• Rich
• Smooth
• Bitter

Many find the taste pleasantly complex. But those new to mushroom tea may want to temper the stronger flavors at first with sweeter herbs and spices.

Blending with Other Herbs

Some great possibilities to consider blending with mushrooms for tea include:

• Ginger - Masks bitterness and adds warmth
• Cinnamon - Provides sweetness and antioxidants
• Lemongrass - Uplifts citrus flavor
• Peppermint - Cools the palate with fresh mintiness
• Green tea - Adds familiar flavor with L-theanine benefits
• Rosehip - Provides vitamin C and floral notes

Start with small amounts of add-ins and adjust to taste preferences. Around 1 teaspoon of dried herbs per cup of tea is a reasonable starting point.

Brewing Methods

You can brew mushroom tea using a few simple methods:

Stovetop

Bring water to a boil, remove from heat, add mushrooms, cover and steep 15+ minutes. Strain before drinking. Easy and traditional.

Hot Water Steeping

Place mushrooms in a heat-safe vessel, pour in hot (not boiling) water, cover and steep overnight or at least 2 hours. Strain before consuming.

Double Boiling

Simmer mushrooms in water using a double boiler to gently extract beneficial compounds. Keep below boiling temperature. Steep covered for 30-60 minutes before straining.

Instant Mix

For pressed tablets or powdered instant mixes, simply add to hot water, stir and drink. Useful for work, travel or when time is short.

Necessary Equipment

Making mushroom tea at home only requires a few essential tools:

• Kettle for boiling water
• Steeping vessel - Teapot, french press, mason jar
• Fine mesh strainer
• Containers for storing tea
• Tea infuser basket, muslin bags or nut milk bag (optional)

Glass and stainless steel rather than plastic components are ideal to avoid absorption of any chemical components from the mushrooms.

Maximizing Medicinal Value

To retain the most nutrients and bioactive compounds when brewing mushroom tea:

• Use dried mushrooms rather than fresh
• Break mushrooms into small pieces before steeping
• Simmer with lid on but avoid actively boiling
• Steep for at least 15 minutes, longer is better
• Consider a secondary steeping of the mushrooms
• Sweeten with zero-calorie stevia instead of sugar

Mushroom tea can then be enjoyed hot, chilled over ice, or stored in the fridge for up to a week for convenient on-the-go use. Some also freeze leftover tea into ice cubes for future smoothies.

6 Mushroom Tea Recipes to Get You Started

Once you understand the basics of preparation, you can start experimenting with unique mushroom tea blends to suit your preferences. Here are 6 tasty recipes to give you some ideas:

1. Chaga and Cinnamon Tea

Rich, earthy chaga gets balanced out with sweet, spicy cinnamon in this nutrient-packed tea. Contains chaga for antioxidants, cinnamon for blood sugar control, and black pepper for absorption.

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1 tbsp ground chaga mushroom
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp black peppercorns

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil, then remove from heat
2. Add chaga, cinnamon stick, and black peppercorns
3. Cover and steep for 20 minutes
4. Strain liquid into cups before drinking

2. Reishi and Mint Tea

Give your immune system a lift with anti-inflammatory reishi balanced by stomach-soothing mint in this soothing tea.

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 2 tbsp chopped reishi mushroom
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
• Raw honey to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil, remove from heat
2. Add reishi and mint, cover and steep 20 minutes
3. Strain into cups, sweeten with honey if desired

3. Cordyceps and Lemon Tea

Stimulating cordyceps and bright lemon pair beautifully in this citrusy brew full of antioxidants. Add a teaspoon of honey if desired.

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1 tbsp chopped cordyceps
• 1 lemon, juiced

Instructions

1. Boil water, remove from heat
2. Add cordyceps, steep 15 minutes
3. Strain tea into cups with fresh lemon juice

4. Lion's Mane and Turmeric Latte

This savory, gut-healing tea combines earthy lions mane, anti-inflammatory turmeric, and a dash of coconut milk for a creamy latte-like texture.

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp lion's mane mushroom powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• Pinch of black pepper

Instructions

1. Add water, coconut milk, mushrooms, and spices to a small pot
2. Whisk together and heat over medium until steaming
3. Remove from heat and add coconut oil before pouring into mugs

5. Chaga Vanilla Chai Tea

Chai tea flavors like vanilla, ginger, cloves and black pepper make the earthiness of chaga tasty and soothing. Adapt amounts of spices to your taste.

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 2 tbsp chaga powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 tsp ground ginger
• 3-4 whole cloves
• 1 black peppercorn

Instructions

1. Simmer water and spices for 15 minutes in a covered pot
2. Remove cloves and add chaga powder
3. Steep covered another 10 minutes
4. Strain tea into mugs

6. Mushroom Hot Cocoa

For a delicious functional nightcap tea, try cacao blended with reishi, cordyceps and your favorite sweetener for a cozy hot cocoa.

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk or non-dairy milk
• 2 tbsp cacao or cocoa powder
• 1 tsp reishi powder
• 1 tsp cordyceps powder
• 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

Instructions

1. Heat milk gently until steaming
2. Whisk in cacao and mushrooms
3. Sweeten with honey or syrup

Get creative with your own signature mushroom tea blends for daily health and wellness!

Storing and Reheating Leftover Mushroom Tea

To retain maximum nutrition and flavor, follow these storage tips for leftover brewed mushroom tea:

• Store tea in a tightly sealed glass jar or bottle in the fridge
• Consume within 3-5 days for best quality
• Avoid plastic storage containers which can absorb chemical components
• Some oils or active compounds may float to the top over time, gently swirl before drinking
• Reheat only the portion needed rather than the full batch
• Discard if you notice any changes in color or odor

Freezing is another option for longer term storage. Ice cube trays or silicone molds make perfect pre-portioned servings to toss into smoothies too.

Potential Side Effects and Safety Tips

When consumed occasionally in normal food amounts, mushroom tea is generally very safe and well-tolerated with minimal risks. But a few precautions apply:

• Drink in moderation since effects at high doses are unknown
• Discontinue if any digestive upset or allergic reactions occur
• Avoid combining with other stimulants like caffeine
• Dont use if pregnant or breastfeeding without your doctor's consent
• Be wary of potential medication interactions
• Source high-quality organic mushrooms from reputable suppliers

Mushroom tea offers a tonic of phytonutrients and bioactive benefits that is best enjoyed as an occasional adjunct to a healthy balanced diet and active lifestyle rather than a miracle cure-all.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.