How do I take mushroom powder?

Many People Wonder How to take mushroom powder. The answer is probably simpler than you think.

So you’ve done your research. You’ve waded through the sea of information about mushrooms, mushroom extracts and you’ve determined what type of mushroom powder you want or need. You receive the nicely packaged product, set it on your kitchen counter and you…

We are asked, all the time, how do I take this stuff? And most of the time, the answer contains the phrase: “You’re probably overthinking this.”

Mushroom powder and almost any other botanical extract is really just food. Yes, it is usually super concentrated and contains high levels of nutrients, but it’s still food. So eat it!

Mushroom powder is very versatile. It can be added to coffee, tea, shakes, smoothies, sauces, gravies and many other foods. The challenge, if you can call it a challenge, is to find the ‘best’ way to eat it. We have been doing this for many years, and we’d like to share some of our favorite ways with you.

Important mixing instructions

If you’ve ever tried to mix a powder with water, you’ve probably come across a situation where the powder globs up and doesn’t mix up properly. Fantastic Fungi® brand mushroom extract powders contain high levels of beta-glucans because of their excellent health benefits. These beta glucans tend to cause the mushroom powder to clump up if not properly mixed.There are a number of reasons for this, but here are some helpful hints on how to mix your mushroom extract powder so that it doesn’t clump up. Here is how to take mushroom powder:

  1. Pre-mix your mushroom powder before adding it to the final stage. When you dump any powder into hot or cold water, mushroom powder included, the powder acts in a hydrophobic manner.  Sometimes it clumps up and other times it cooks into little balls. To avoid this, try mixing the powder into a small glass of lukewarm water.  Stir it in with a whisk or a fork until it is nicely blended. From here, you can add it to something cold or hot and it will mix well.
  2. Make a mixture that you can have at the ready to save time and effort. 
    This is a great tip that was submitted by one of our amazing customers and that we now use regularly.
    Fill a small container that has a waterproof lid with a quarter cup of lukewarm water. This is the equivalent of 12 teaspoons of water. Now, very gradually and carefully, add 12-15 grams of mushroom extract powder. Try to sift the powder if possible to keep it from clumping. If it does clump up a bit, don’t worry, we’ll take care of that in the next step.
    Once you’ve mixed the powder as best you can, place the watertight lid on your container and she it vigorously until the powder is mixed with the water. 
    Now, you can simply shake the container and use a teaspoon of your mushroom powder mixture instead of dry powder.  If you store it in the fridge, it will last for months (but you’ll use it up before that).
  3. Make mushroom extract powder ice cubes.
    This is probably my favorite because it is neat and easy and extremely convenient.
    Using the method above to make your mushroom nutrient extract liquid mixture but instead of storing it in the fridge, pour it into an ice cube tray, or better yet, into a candy mold and freeze it.
    When you’re making a coffee or tea in the morning, just pop one of the cubes into your mug and either wait a few minutes for it to melt, microwave it for a few seconds or just pour the hot beverage on top of it.It will melt so quickly that you probably won’t even notice the difference.
    When you’re making shakes or smoothies, just add one of the cubes with your ice and into the blender it goes.
    For gravies and sauces, a cube per serving adds the nutrition boost of your favorite mushroom extract powder, with almost no effort.

Add your mushroom extract powder to your Coffee or Tea

Chaga tea - a strong antioxidant, boosts immune system, has detoxification qualities, improves digestive health.

Adding mushroom powder to your coffee and tea may sound like an obvious choice, but we are still amazed and excited to hear someone joyfully exclaim: “That’s a great idea!”.  And we agree. It is a great idea. But there are a few things to keep in mind. 

  • Not all mushroom powders taste the same, and some can be bitter. For example, reishi or chaga, will compliment a bold coffee better than a light tasting tea. Chaga can be bitter, but for many, it has a great (acquired nonetheless) taste brewed by itself as a tea.
  • If you’re using a high quality mushroom extract powder like ours, you only need a small amount every day – one gram or so.  This amount is unlikely to change the taste of a drink, but not impossible.
  • If you’re using a ground up mushroom powder, there is no extraction process, so the concentration of nutrients and beneficial compounds is much less, and you’ll need a lot more. You’ll find that the powder may taste “fishy” as it contains many by-products that are removed by proper extraction methods.
  • This, however is only 1 way to take mushroom powder.

Add it to your shakes or smoothies

If you’re not a big fan of the taste of mushrooms, this is probably your best bet. The main reason is that once mixed into a shake or smoothie, the mushroom powder is virtually undetectable. 
Also, a good quality powder will mix nicely and won’t affect the texture.

  • Simply mix about a gram (roughly one teaspoon) into your daily shake or smoothie. You probably won’t even notice it’s there. It’s a great way to combine two great habits – having a healthy shake or smoothie and getting your daily mushroom nutrient boost.
  • This is another great way to take mushroom powder.

Give your mushroom gravy a boost of flavor and nutrition

How to take mushroom powder

If you’re like us, you love your mushroom gravy. We put it on everything! Well, not everything, but you get the point. A simple and effective way to take your mushroom extract powder is to add it to your favorite mushroom gravy. Makes sense huh? And we can honestly say that many mushroom powder extracts will make the gravy taste even more delicious. 

  • Because gravy is usually shared by several people, it’s best to work out how many servings you’re making first. That way you can add the correct amount so that each serving of gravy is equal to one daily serving of mushroom extract powder. So if you’re making dinner for four people, you’d need between 4 and 5 grams of mushroom extract powder. 
  • Our favorite mushroom extracts for gravy and sauces are Lion’s Mane mushroom extract powder followed by Maitake and shiitake. Cordyceps is great too.
  • For dark gravies, where you might expect a little bitterness, a mixture of Lion’s Mane and Reishi works very nicely and delivers an extra special boost.
  • This, however is not the only way to take mushroom powder.

Scientific Studies About How to Take Mushroom Powder

Interestingly enough, there are scientific studies that describe how to take mushroom powder:

The good, the bad and the tasty: The many roles of mushrooms and how to take mushroom powder