Mushroom Power
Reishi
Chaga
Lion's Mane
Wild Foraged
VT
Grown
Why Choose
Mushrooms
We choose mushrooms as an essential component of our day to day life for several reasons. First, we love spending quality family time foraging in the woods of Vermont. It is always a running bet on any of our woods walk that the first person to spot Chaga gets $10! Second, mushrooms are one of nature's best super power and we inlcude them as part of our daily nutrition. We encourage you to learn about mushrooms and how they can make your body and mind stronger. Our tinctures are always done in small batches and hand bottled.
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After we have foraged for the mushrooms that we will use in our tinctures, we dry them and store in glass till we are ready to use them. From these dried mushrooms we will turn them into alcohol based tinctures. Chaga, reishi and lion's mane contain bioactive nutrients like polysaccharides and triterpenes that are "locked away" behind a tough exterior made of chitins. So to "unlock" them, we soak them in alcohol. By doing this the nutrients can be released and extracted - helping to make a tincture where all the powers of the mushroom are bioavailable. After a two month soak in alcohol we strain out the mushrooms, reserve the alcohol and then do a hot water slow soak with the remaing mushrooms. This process extracts beta glucans from the mushroom. We then combine the alcohol and water extracts and bottle the tincture.
Reishi
"Mushroom of Immortality"
The Reishi mushroom, also known as Ganoderma lucidum, is a fungus that is pretty easy to identify. We find it on fallen hemlock logs after its been wet and then the temperatures warm up. It has a deep red body and colors that lighten to orange, yellow and white toward the edges of the cap . Unlike Chaga, you can eat these mushrooms cooked but they kind of taste like cork. Like all the other mushrooms we forage, we dry it first and then turn it into a powder to extract all the magic.
Perhaps the most well known property of reishi is its ability to support the immune system. It does this in a two ways. First, as an immune modulator, it both boosts the system when it's struggling and reins it in when it's overactive. For this reason, it's a popular supplement to cancer therapy. Secondly, studies have shown that reishi may help lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar, support liver and lung function, and provide antioxidative protection from free radicals. Because Reishi is an adaptogen, it helps to manage stress and hormone levels, and soothe the nervous system.
Lion's Mane
Lion’s mane mushrooms, also known as hou tou gu or yamabushitake, have both culinary and medicinal uses all over the world. If you are foraging and find large, white, shaggy mushrooms that resemble a lion’s mane you will have found Lion's Mane! They contain bioactive substances that have many beneficial effects on our body, especially the brain, heart, and gut. We like to use the tincture to help with memory and focus.
Did you know that studies have shown that the consumption of lions mane has been shown to reduce the memory loss in mice! This mushroom has been a game changer in the hopes to find a cure or therapy for Alzheimer's and dementia. Another power that Lion's Mane has is that it helps the nervous system recover from trauma.(study) Think of veterans and people that suffer from PTSD, nerve and spinal injuries (study) and how this could begin to help on their road to recovery!
Unlike Chaga and Reishi, you can cook with Lion's Mane! The flavor of this mushroom is best described as mild and earthy, similar to Oyster Mushrooms and can be used in many dishes! If you have never enjoyed this cooked mushroom you would be surprised to learn that Lion’s Mane is reminiscent of fresh crab meat! When the soft pom-poms are shred apart by hand, and it’s spongy nature easily soaks up flavorful marinades. Pressed in a tortilla press they release their moisture and are prepped for the frying pan where, with plentiful butter and heat, they crisp into pancake sized discs, like mushroom latkes. The culinary possibilities are endless and delicious!
Chaga
"King of the Mushrooms"
Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) is a functional mushroom that grows on the bark of birch trees in cold climates. Chaga produces a woody growth, or conk, which looks similar to a clump of burnt charcoal and can vary in size. A key indentifier is that it has a golden/orange color on the inside of the mushroom. It is very hard to get off the tree, because of this this we always walk with an axe just for removing chaga from the bark. We always leave a little chunk left behind so the mushroom can continue to grow.
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For centuries, chaga has been used as a traditional medicine in Russia and other Northern European countries, mainly to boost immunity and overall health.
It has also been used to treat diabetes, certain cancers and heart disease. Do your own research and you will be amazed by the power of Chaga! It can fight cancer, lower inflammation in our body due to its high antioxidants , lower blood sugar and cholesterol!
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Since Chaga and all the other mushrooms that we have available are dietary supplements, contact your doctor or do your own research before consuming!
Green Mountain Garden Tinctures
Double Extraction Tinctures from Functional Mushrooms. All of our tinctures are made in small batches and the mushroom is either wild foraged or grown by Vermonters.
Dosage:
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Take 1 -2 full droppers of Green Mountain Gardens mushroom tincture per day. You can take all of the tinctures directly in the mouth (sublingual) or add it to a beverage of your choice. A good reccomendation is to start with a little and see how that affects you and then you can increase your dosage. While mushroom extracts are natural, it’s important that you consult a physician before taking any supplement if you have a health condition or are taking prescription medications.