How to dry and store psilocybe mushrooms

STEP 13. Day 32-33. How to dry and store magic mushrooms: complete guide

How to store fresh psilocybin mushrooms?

Right after harvesting fresh psilocybin mushrooms can be stored for a few days (5-7 days) in the refrigerator at +3°...+5°C (37-41°F). The same way as for edible mushrooms from supermarket.

How to store mushrooms for a long time?

Dried mushrooms is the the best way for long-term storage. This method has been tested for centuries on edible mushrooms, and psilocybin mushrooms aren't exception.

Dried mushrooms can be used for making capsules for microdosing or consuming for tripping in different ways like mushroom chocolate, mushroom tea, lemon-tek, blue honey, mushroom shake etc.

Check out: Mushroom Consumption Guides and Recipes

Fresh magic mushrooms can be frozen, however you need to follow some recommendations to do it properly, because freezing is way to ruin your harvest and lose mushroom potency.

Check out: How to freeze fresh magic mushrooms

Basic rules for drying mushrooms

• The less time mushrooms are exposed to oxygen the less potency is lost. Put mushrooms in sealed bags, ziplock bags or airtight jars/bags/boxes right after drying them out.
• Don't dry mushrooms on direct sunlight! UV light has negative effect on psilocybin and mushrooms lose their potency faster.
• Recommended optimal drying temperature around 122°F or +50°C.
• Don't chop mushrooms into small pieces, dry them full. When you chop them the area of oxidation increase, hence potency loss increases. However no problem if you cut shrooms into 2-3 pieces to fit your dehydrator (sometimes we have really huge shrooms!)
• Don't put mushrooms on newspapers / magazines / prints. The ink contains heavy metals. Save yourself from an additional portion of toxic substances. Use baking paper or thick paper towels instead.

Actually, about 10-50% of mushrooms activity is lost even dried them properly. This is considered normal!

Temperature for drying magic mushrooms

The recommended temperature range for drying mushrooms is 95-122°F or +35°..+50°C.

The optimal temperature is 122°F or +50°C

At a lower temperature, they will dry too slowly and interact with oxygen for too long. This increasing the potency loss. The higher temperature over 140°F or 60°C is not critical for potency loss, but mushrooms are easy to burn and spoil (this happens very often with newbie growers).

Here you can see some experiments. Temperature and time accordingly for drying magic mushrooms. At 135°F or 57°C mushrooms turned almost black.

Drying mushrooms at optimal temperature takes a bit longer, but shrooms save not only their qualities, but also perfect color and good shape.

When heated above 280°F or +137°C or prolonged boiling, the psychoactive components of psilocybin mushrooms are completely destroyed. Mushrooms are still edible after that, but meaningless.

Anyway, even properly dried mushrooms lose from 10% to 50% of their psychoactivity. This can't be avoided, but proper drying can minimize these losses.

How do I make sure my mushrooms are dry

Mushrooms are 90% water. This means they dry out at least 10 times. Remains on average 7-10% of dry matter.

For long-term storage, we need to leave dry mass only. The mushrooms should be dried like cracker or fruit chips.

When you bent they should crack and break easily.

How to dry magic mushrooms

Let's check the most popular and easy methods on how to dry magic mushrooms at home.

How to dry mushrooms in dehydrator

The most common convenient and fast way to dry mushrooms. Shrooms in the dehydrator dry out evenly.

Put harvested mushrooms in a single layer in the dehydrator. You can lay them out on a thin cloth, so that small mushrooms do not fall through the dehydrator mesh during drying process.

Check out the list of dehydrators on Amazon prepared by Shroomok here: Proper Dehydrator for Mushroom Drying: from Budget to Premium

Set the temperature in the range of 95-115°F (+35°..+45°C), but no more than 122°F (+50°C).

I prefer to dry at low temperature 95-105°F (+35..+40°C).

Drying time can be from 3 to 24 hours, depending on the weight of mushrooms and temperature.

The readiness «crisp, like chips» is determined empirically.

But what to do if you don't have such device? All methods are listed below for your help!

How to dry mushrooms without dehydrator at room temperature

Mushrooms can be dried at room temperature without dehydrator.

Put fresh mushrooms on a paper towel, parchment paper or a baking tray in a one layer, without piling them on top of each other. Leave them to dry out on any flat surface.

Don't expose mushrooms to direct sunlight! Put them in the shade in a draught or in ventilated room. Turn them over once a day to dry evenly.

Such natural drying process takes about 1-3 days, depending on the air temperature and relative humidity in the room.

If mushrooms remain soft after such drying, then try to dry them out with food grade silica gel, under fan, heat fan, heater or in the oven.

How to dry mushrooms with fan or heat fan

One more method for drying mushrooms without dehydrator is using fan or heat fan.

Put the harvested mushrooms in a sieve or on a flat surface in one layer. Place them under the air flow of regular fan or heat fan. This way you can significantly speed up the drying process or dry slightly soft mushrooms after natural drying

If mushrooms remain soft during this drying process, try to dry out mushrooms with food grade silica gel.

Drying mushrooms on radiator or heater

During the heating season you can take advantage of warmth of household heating radiators and heaters.

Put mushrooms on a paper towel or parchment. Leave mushroom on a warm radiator or heater for 1-2 days. If the heater is too hot you can put a towel under the mushroom scrolls.

To check the temperature of the radiator/heater just put a thermometer on its surface.

From time to time turn mushrooms, so that they dry evenly.

How to dry mushrooms in the oven

Modern ovens allow you to turn on convection (built-in fan in the oven) and set a minimum temperature 105-122°F (+40°C..+50°C) . This is a great way to dry mushrooms without dehydrator.

Better to place mushrooms on a mesh tray rather than a solid tray - this allows air to circulate evenly on all sides of the mushrooms.

If your oven doesn't allow you to set such temperature +40°..+50°C or 105-122°F I'd suggest to use more safe drying methods described above.

With slightly heated oven you can finish drying soft mushrooms in a warm (not hot!) oven, preferably with open door. You can even check the temperature with a household thermometer because you don't want the temperature to go above 122°F (+50°C).

Be careful with high temperature! Don't burn your harvest in hot oven!

Moisture absorbers for drying mushrooms

Food-grade silica gel is a water-absorbing agent in granules. It is often used in packs with spices, nuts, and various snacks. Silica gel desiccant packs are great to use for slightly soft mushrooms after drying them in open air without any devices and if your room humidity is relatively high for drying shrooms It will help to absorb residual moisture from dehydrated mushrooms.

Silica gel is also used for further storage. Put 1-2 packs in each jar/package with dried mushrooms.

How to store magic mushrooms

• It is important to avoid contact with oxygen. That is the main key to save mushroom potency!
• Psilocybin dried mushrooms can be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature 68-77°F (+20°..+25°C) in a dark corner of any cabinet.
• Avoid direct sunlight or UV light to save mushroom potency.

All you need to store shrooms for years (vacuum sealers, moisture and oxygen absorbers, airtight jars and bags) on Amazon: Useful stuff for storing mushrooms long-term

Vacuum sealer machine is my favourite option for mushroom storage. It will avoid mushrooms contact with oxygen for sure. It is convenient to make portions of 5-10 grams and open each pack, when you need it

Store dried mushrooms in airtight glass jars for food with tightly closed lids.

Mushrooms are stored good in tightly closed ziplock bags.

Food-grade silica gel (desiccant, moisture absorbers) helps to keep mushrooms dry and absorb the slight moisture in shrooms. Always add 1-2 sachets to each jar/bag with dried psilocybin mushrooms.

Also add 1-2 sachets of oxygen absorbers for preventing chemical reaction and extending mushroom shelf life.

Label each pack, indicate strain, flush of fruiting, date, weight and any additional info on pack or sticker

How long mushrooms can be stored? Do mushrooms go bad over time?

If stored properly dried psilocybin mushrooms retain their quality and alkaloids up to 2 years and even longer.

After 2+ years, they don't spoil, don't get worse or go bad, they won't dangerous for consumption. As time passes, mushrooms slowly lose their magic. It means the concentration of alkaloids is decreasing over time.

Check out FAQ section for more: Mushrooms Q&A

If you find this guide helpful, please support me with cup of coffee on ☕️ buymeacoffee and say something nice!

Now it's time to move on the next step of our mushroom growing journey and initiate the new flush of fruiting.

STEP 14. Rehydration aka soaking/dunking mushroom cake in water