Drying fresh magic mushrooms (or shrooms) is actually pretty straightforward.
That said, as soon as you harvest fresh magic mushrooms, you need to dry them as quickly as possible. Doing so will help preserve the aesthetics and potency of your freshly grown magic mushrooms.
Here are some proper steps that you must follow to ensure that you keep your mushroom’s potency while also reducing any risks of growing mold or bacteria.
It may seem time-consuming and daunting, but it’ll be totally worth it in the long-run.
But first, why do you need to dry magic mushrooms?
By far, the most important reason why you should dry magic mushrooms is so that if immediately takes moisture out of the equation.
The presence of moisture in your magic mushrooms will greatly reduce their shelf-life or worse, make them more prone to bacteria and mold growth.
Since mushrooms are made up of over 90% water, it doesn’t take long before them to spoil and lose its potency.
And finally, from an aesthetic standpoint, having water in your shrooms can ultimately make them look dark and unappealing. The drier they are, the more prominent the golden caps are and the whiter the stems.
How to Pre-Dry Your Magic Mushrooms
Pre-drying your shrooms is a method that will remove excess water from your harvest before you start the true drying process.
Essentials, all you need to do is placed them on a piece of cardboard or dry paper towels and lets them air dry.
You can place them in a cool dark place that’s well ventilated and out of direct sunlight. And to speed up the process, you can place them in front of a fan to help air them out.
You can expect your mushrooms to be air dried in a few hours. Then you can start your drying method of choice to remove every bit of moisture still in the shrooms.
How to Dry Magic Mushrooms with a Dehydrator
In order to properly dry your magic mushrooms, using a food dehydrator is by far the best, most effective method.
Sure there are alternate methods to dry your shrooms without a dehydrator, but using either a vertical or horizon dehydrator will give you the best results.
And if you don’t have a dehydrator, here are some great ones to purchase from Amazon. (The Nesco is only $86 and is one of the best, more affordable options out there).
Spread out the pre-dried mushrooms evenly across the drying racks, making sure that they aren’t touching each other.
When using your dehydrator, be sure to set it to a low temperature around 104 degrees Fahrenheit or 40 degrees Celsius.
This temperature will help keep the psilocybin intact in the mushrooms.
The whole process will take between 4 to 7 hours depends on how long you pre-dried your magic mushrooms.
How to Air Dry Magic Mushrooms
This is the cheapest and probably easiest way to dry your mushrooms but it is nowhere as effect as using a food dehydrator, especially if you’re in a humid environment.
For the best results, be sure that the humidity is below 55% RH. You can check how humid your room is by using this cheap, $10 hygrometer.
Regardless, if you don’t want to use the dehydrator method, here’s how you can air dry your mushrooms.
First, you need to spread your mushrooms evenly on a pile of cardboard, ensuring that none are touching each other.
Then just place a use a fan to blow constant air over the mushrooms.
Lastly, be sure to check on your mushrooms during the whole process until they become rigid and dry. Just like using a dehydrator, you want to make sure that they are bone-dry and can easily snap when bent – like a cracker.
How Long Does It Take for Magic Mushrooms to Dry?
There are two factors that will determine how long it will take to dry out your magic mushrooms – dehydration method and the size of your batch.
The end goal is to have your mushrooms be cracker dry meaning that you can easily snap the stems.
There should be absolutely zero moisture left in your mushroom.
The ideal end product should be extremely dry caps and stems that are gold in color with white stems.
Don’t Forget
Drying magic mushrooms is a fairly easy process if you decide to go the more effective method of using a food dehydrator.
But regardless of the method you choose, you absolutely need to make sure that you store your magic mushrooms properly. This will ultimately allow you to store and enjoy your dried magic mushrooms for a year or longer without them losing any of their potency.
Hint: use a silica desiccant to place in the containers that you use to store your shrooms, which will help draw out any additional moisture.
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