Welcome to Mycognosis

Fungi are essential to life on Earth, but strangely, until quite recently they have largely been ignored by western science, medicine and agriculture.

Now, as a result of recent research, a resurgence of traditional knowledge, and the efforts of citizen scientists and home cultivators, the value of these species is being recognized as a source of nutrition, medicine, ecological remediation, soil building, recycling and more.

This site is dedicated to learning and sharing information about Fungi, what part they play in nature, and how we can benefit from integrating them into our lives, our communities and our environment.


Trying a New Tincture Method with Birch Polypore ( Fomitopsis betulina formerly Piptoporus betulinus)

The Birch Polypore mushroom ( Fomitopsis betulina) is one of my favourite medicinals for a number of reasons. Firstly, it's common in this area as we have many damaged and dead birch trees, which are the poypore's only habitat.The Birch Polypore mushroom ( Fomitopsis betulina) is one of my favourite medicinals for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s common in this area as we have many damaged and dead birch trees, which are the poypore’s only habitat. As such, it is easy to find, hard to confuse with others, and one can return to the same spot in any season and get more. The polypore is known to have many medicinal and practical uses.

It is also known as the Razor Strop fungus, as strips of the dried fungus can be used to hone the edge of a razor, and can be fashioned into a guard for the blade during transportation. I imagine medieval barbers (who were also surgeons) must have carried the fungus, not just to sharpen the tools of the trade, but because  the fungus has styptic (stops bleeding) and anti bacterial properties. Strips of the mushroom can be used as porous, antiseptic bandages.

Strips of the mushroom can be used as porous, antiseptic bandages.We know use of F. betulina was known in Europe well before that because (as I have written elsewhere) it was found in the possession of Ötzi the Iceman, the famous mummified man found in 1991 frozen in an Alpine glacier 5300 years after he perished. He might have used it to sharpen his copper axe. He might have used it to treat the arrow wound in his shoulder. Researchers have found that when he died he was living with the earliest case of Lyme disease known to science. It was an advanced case and the bacteria were found in his bones. Today Birch Polypore is known as an anti-bacterial, immune booster, anti-viral, anti-tumor, and anti-parasitic tonic. I have no doubt Ötzi was treating his Lyme with it.

I wanted to add Birch Polypore to my collection daily mushroom tonicSo I wanted to add Birch Polypore to my daily mushroom tonic mix. Since the last time I made a tincture a friend suggested that freezing in water, like heating, promoted the release of certain chemicals. The healing properties are attributed to an array of polysaccarides (long chain sugar molecules) and terpenes. Some dissolve in alcohol and some in water. Heat helps dissolve some, so why not freezing. It could at least help to break some of the tough chitinous cell walls.

Strips of the mushroom can be used as porous, antiseptic bandages.Tinctures need to have at least 25% alcohol as a preservative, so adjust this recipe to make sure of that, depending on what booze you use. I used 63% alcohol (Wray and Nephew Rum) I extracted from dried mushrooms, so as not to increase the water content. When mixed with equal parts of the water decoction should make a solution with just over 30% alcohol.

– 50g dried Polypore chopped into small pieces
– Soak in 380g of 63% alcohol (Wray and Nephew Rum) Maybe I should have put this in the freezer
– 250g fresh Polypore in medium pieces
– Freeze in in 430g water
– After 3 months put thawed fresh mushrooms and water in a double boiler and slowly reduce the liquid by half
I drain it with a steel cone coffee filter, then squeeze out what I can with the Aerobee coffee press– filter/squeeze out the liquid, I drain it with a steel cone coffee filter, then squeeze out what I can with the Aerobee coffee press. if necessary, further reduce in the double boiler to 150mL (or half the volume of the 63% alcohol solution see next step)
-remove the alcohol solution reserve for later (I got 300mL).
– put the remaining solids from the alcohol soak in the jar with 175mL water and freeze overnight
– next day filter/squeeze out 150mL of the liquid
– combine all the liquids for 600mLs of 30% alcohol tincture.

When combined with the clear brown alcohol tincture, the cloudy water decoctions congealed and separated.When combined with the clear brown alcohol tincture, the cloudy water decoctions congealed and separated. Although unsightly I just assume those are the water soluble sugars which are not alcohol soluble suspended in a preserving solution. I will not filter them out and I’ll shake well before using.

This company is using mushrooms to reduce plastic waste

Mushroom Podcast

Face cast in Blue Oyster MyceliaCheck out this podcast about fungi I did with the Teach Me Tiger team:

This week, we are talking about MUSHROOMS. A friend joins us to teach us all about fungi. We learn about fruiting bodies, bespoke antibiotics, the mycelial network, micro-dosing, and the Santa Connection. And as always, much much (mush mush?) more! Grab your hardhat, because your mind is about to be BLOWN!

Making Mushroom Bouillon Cubes

A bit of work to make but great to have on hand for quick hearty mushroom broth. Improvising on a recipe concept in Joe Beef’s cool cookbook Surviving the Apocalypse:

Powder up some dried shiitake, maitake, puffball, cocoa beans, garlic seeds(?) from mature scapes, salt and pepper. Use what you have on hand or what herbs and spices would be appropriate for the type of broth you will want to make. Pulverize with a mortar and pestle, then a coffee grinder.

Cook down some red wine, maple sugar, marmite until thick. Mix in the powder. Add coconut oil and xanthan powder and press into 3g pucks with your handy hash press.

Study finds fungi, not plant matter, responsible for most carbon sequestration in northern forests

The study system consists of 30 islands of different sizes in the two large lakes, Lake Uddjaure and Lake Hornavan, near Arjeplog in northern Sweden. Credit: Karina Clemmensen

The study system consists of 30 islands of different sizes in the two large lakes, Lake Uddjaure and Lake Hornavan, near Arjeplog in northern Sweden. Credit: Karina Clemmensen

(by Bob Yirka , Phys.org ) —A new study undertaken by a diverse group of scientists in Sweden has found that contrary to popular belief, most of the carbon that is sequestered in northern boreal forests comes about due to fungi that live on and in tree roots, rather than via dead needles, moss and leaf matter. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team describes their findings after taking soil samples from 30 islands in two lakes in northern Sweden….

…In their study they found that 47 percent of soil carbon found on large island samples came about due to fungi, as did a whopping 70 percent of carbon in small island soil samples. Read More …

September Brings Bounty

After a hot dry summer, a couple of cool nights and some rain is all the mushrooms need to encourage them to burst forth. These beauties come from “regular” spots, that is, my friend Laurie finds giant puffballs in the same place every year in a spot she can see from the road while driving by. I find Maitake in the same public park every year. The trick it to get there before the lawnmower does, so I thought the morning after Labour Day would be a good bet, and it paid off.


Giant Puffball - thanks Laurie! Maitake or Hen of the Woods

Check out some Puffball recipes here and here. Maitake is great sautéed in butter or bacon fat eaten any way you eat regular mushrooms. Both can be dried and reconstituted for soups. Maitake has medicinal properties and can be made into tinctures or infusions.

Fruiting Chamber from a recycled Shower Stall

When it is time to fruit a fungal culture, it is necessary that you control the amount of light, oxygen and humidity it receives. Changes in light, moisture and fresh air are what stimulate the mycelial mass to produce what we know as mushrooms. Each species has different requirements. Variation in these factors can control the shape of the fruit bodies. For example the CO2 levels will influence whether Reishi and Artists’ Conk mushrooms take their shelf-like, or “antler”, forms.

A Fruiting Chamber should allow you to do this, hopefully without damaging the surrounding building. In the past I have used a plastic germination tent on a plastic tarp. It was hard to clean, leaked condensation and was vulnerable to pests, like fungus gnats. After a bathroom renovation, I salvaged this shower stall to make a chamber that I hope will solve some of those problems. I will post an update when I have some fungi to fruit.

Magic Mushrooms could heal damaged brain cells in people suffering from depression, study shows

Psychedelics could be ‘next generation’ of safer treatments for mental health

Alex Matthews-King | Health Correspondent | The Independant

This figure shows the effects of three psychedelics, DMT, LSD, amphetamines (DOI) and one control (VEH) on neurons in the prefrontal cortex (Ly et al)

This figure shows the effects of three psychedelics, DMT, LSD, amphetamines (DOI) and one control (VEH) on neurons in the prefrontal cortex (Ly et al)

“One of the hallmarks of depression is that the neurites in the prefrontal cortex – a key brain region that regulates emotion, mood, and anxiety – those neurites tend to shrivel up,” says Dr David Olson, who lead the research team.

These brain changes also appear in cases of anxiety, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder and stimulating them to reconnect could help to address this.

The research, published in the journal Cell Reports today, looked at drugs in several classes including tryptamines, DMT and magic mushrooms; amphetamines, including MDMA; and ergolines, like LSD.

In tests on human brain cells in the lab, flies and rats, it found these substances consistently boosted brain connections.

Read More…