Turkey Tail Concentrate

I’ve been increasingly interested in medicinal mushrooms and their broadly beneficial effects, especially for the immune system. 

I had never used Turkey Tails before so this winter I started ordering them by the pound so that I could get to know them a bit more. 

For more information about Turkey Tails I highly recommend Renee Davis as a great source of scientific information, folklore herbalism and beautiful prose. See her article on Turkey Tails here. 

Turkey Tails are a bit tricky to use in that you need to make a special double extraction (both a decoction and an alcohol extraction) or cook them for 8+ hours. They aren’t something you can just throw in a tea on a whim! 

I’ve been searching for ways to use mushrooms in my daily life beyond alcohol extracts so I’ve been experimenting with making a Turkey Tail concentrate. I freeze that concentrate in ice cubes trays. This makes it easy to regularly enjoy Turkey Tails. Those single servings can then be added to meals, teas or nourishing infusions. 

Turkey Tail Concentrate Recipe

Here’s how I’ve been making them using my Instant Pot. If you don’t have an instant pot, then I would cook them in a slow cooker for 8+ hours. 

Turkey Tail Concentrate Ingredients

• 5 oz of dried Turkey Tail mushrooms (Trametes versicolor)
• 2 quarts of water

Turkey Tail Concentrate Directions

Place all ingredients in an Instant Pot that is at least 6 quarts. 

Cook for 4 hours on the soup setting with low pressure. When done, remove lid and let cool. 

Strain really well, squeezing it through a cheesecloth or putting it in a tincture press. 

Place the remaining liquid a large soup pot and put on low heat so that steam is rising but it is not boiling. Do this for 1-2 hours to concentrate the mixture. 

Turn off heat and let cool. Place into a container with a pouring spout. Pour into ice cube trays. Freeze until frozen through. Pop them out of the ice cubes trays and store in a double ziplock bag to help avoid freezer burn. Use within 6 months or so. 

Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Healand co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and has taught thousands of students through her online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.