TV Guide: Storing Your Fungi in Honey

[TVCasualty]

This recipe has been approved worldwide by stoners, hippies, trippin' rednecks, city slicker hipsters, and airport security personnel!

Finally! Here is my new and improved honey recipe I've been talking about! Let me say right away that making this stuff is a lot easier than it looks in this thread; I just added every relevant detail I could think of to explain it as clearly as possible. I also give directions for those of you with precise scales OR regular kitchen measuring cups/spoons, and metric measurements. It's much more efficient if you make a bunch of 'em at once, by the way. Read it all before starting, of course!

So What the Hell is This?

Mushrooms preserved and potentiated in a precise amount of honey so as to standardize the dosage, prolong shelf life, trip harder, and not arouse suspicion if traveling with them (more on these points later).

Ingredients and Materials (for a single batch):

• 1 ounce (28 grams) cracker-dry fungi
• 3.0 grams of Gingko biloba leaf powder [1.5 teaspoons or approx. 7.5 mL]
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon [2.5 mL]
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger [2.5 mL]
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg [1.23 mL]
• 1/2 cup honey [~120 mL]
• coffee grinder
• stiff spatula
• knife (for stirring, doesn't need to be sharp)
• Glass measuring cups, both at least 1-cup size (get a larger one if doing more than one ounce at a time)
• 2 small pots to boil water in
• "Gladware" mini-tupperware tubs (or any suitable container; wash before using!)
• Optional- thermometer, scale w/ capacity of at least 600 grams, dust mask!

[Note: Below, when I write "cup" I mean a glass measuring cup, and "tub" means the mini tupperware/Gladware/jar or whatever you put the finished product into}


This is all the stuff gathered up and ready to go:



Pictured below are just the ingredients. I prefer the lightest-color honey I can find (also the cheapest) because stronger flavored honeys, while great by themselves, taste unpleasant mixed with the fungi IMO. The Gingko powder is available in health food/herb stores (good ones). It usually costs about a dollar an ounce:



How To Make It:

First, put the measuring cups in the pots and add water (to the pot) until almost to the top. Remove measuring cups, cover pots and bring water to a full boil.



While the water comes to a boil, gather everything else together, measure out the Gingko and spices, and pre-crush the ounce of fungi w/ your hands so you can fit it all in the grinder at once. Sometimes you need two grinding sessions, no big deal.



When the pots of water are at a full boil, turn off the heat and set the measuring cups in the water. Put the honey (120 mL if making just one batch) into one of the cups, leave the other empty (just warm it up). The honey will warm up, and I like to keep the temp under 120 degrees F (~50 degrees C), so I use a thermometer, but with the heat off it won't get too hot. Warming is only to facilitate mixing and pouring.



Now put the crushed fungi into the grinder as shown so it all fits, then dump the spices on top, like so:



Note: This is where you should either wear a dust mask or turn on a filter. Fungi and spice dust are hell on your sinuses; if you can smell spices after grinding, you need better ventilation! If it does get to you, the sneezing and snot production should stop in a few hours.

Grind for about 15 seconds. I also swirl or shake it while grinding to distribute the pieces quickly. You can hear when the big chunks are gone and it's all powdered. I open it upside-down so the powder is all in the grinder's cup.

Safety Warning: Unplug the grinder after grinding!! You'll often need to use your finger to scoop some of the powder that sticks to the walls of the grinder out from around the blades . Please don't cut your fingers off! Unplug it!

You're now just about ready to mix. Pour some of the warm honey into the other cup, no more than about 50 mL.



Now carefully pour the powder from the grinder into the cup with the 50 mL of honey. The powder tends to blast out all at once as you tilt it, beware!

Before mixing:



Use the knife to mix it, carefully, so that you don't scatter powder everywhere. Watch out for the dust. About 55 strokes will transform it into a homogenous blob.

Next, add the remaining honey.

If you are using a scale, bring the total weight of the mix to 185.0 grams (I hope you recorded the Tare weight of the measuring cup first!) Gross weight of my cup + honey is 586.3 grams, which is why I suggest a high-capacity scale).

Or, if not using a scale, just add the remaining 70 mL of honey. Mix it vigorously until the entire mix has the same sheen, or patina, so you are sure there are no super-potent globs alongside super-weak globs. You'll see what I mean.



At this point you have a choice, either put the entire mix into a single container (a 1-cup size "Gladware" plastic container or a 1/2 pint mason jar are the right size) OR split it into two containers. I prefer using two, since I don't have to carry my whole stash around at once. The 4-ounce size Gladware mini tubs work great for splitting the batch.

It's much easier to just use the spatula and put it all into one container, or you can eyeball it as you split it into two, but I like to precisely split them, using a scale, so I know each one holds exactly a half-ounce of dried fungi. The pictures below show splitting w/ a scale. A small scale is OK for this part; no big glass cup involved...



Pouring this stuff is like herding cats, it has a viscosity similar to molten glass, and is very sticky! I put the empty tub on the scale, tare it, then use the knife to gently persuade the mix to pour slowly into it while watching the scale, stopping when I've poured half of it. Practice make perfect.



The other half requires that stiff spatula to scrape the sides of the measuring cup, and is where you are most likely to start making a mess. Use the spatula to scrape the cup, the knife to scrape the spatula, and the spatula to scrape the knife. Eventually most all of it gets into the tub, but don't drive yourself crazy going after every molecule! And lick the knife and spatula when you're done! Wheeee....



Almost done! Now you set the lids on the tubs (don't seal, just set them loosely!) and put them in the freezer. After an hour you can seal the tubs. I've cracked a lot of lids by sealing them before freezing, don't know why that happens...

They are now ready to eat! Be sure to take 'em out of the freezer about 30 minutes before dosing or it'll be a rock-hard solid chunk.



Disposable spoons, like the one pictured above, are my favorite way to distribute doses. I buy a box of 'em, scoop level spoonfuls, and hand them out at friendly gatherings. I've even been chomping on one while talking to a cop, which was interesting, but the scene got friendlier right after that so no worries.

But wait there's more! I added some more relevant information and dosage recommendations in the next post...

[TVCasualty]

My honey mix might look like crap, but smells very pleasant due to the spices. The ginger even adds a spicy kick, and most people think it actually tastes pretty good.

My rationale for each ingredient is thus:

• Gingko- boosts oxygen levels in brain, increases mental focus (great to add to a trip); and is a mild MAOI so potentiates the strength somewhat.
• Cinnamon- flavor masking; blood sugar moderator
• Ginger- flavor masking; helps with tummy trouble, which is rare with this recipe
• Nutmeg- flavor masking; has psychoactive properties of it's own that may vector the effects.
• Honey (the amount)- I calculated how much of this mix a teaspoon holds, then I extrapolated to find the weight necessary to achieve the 1 spoon= 1 gram ratio. You will get 28 spoons from an ounce of dry fungi, unless you use heaping spoons!

Travel:

I have had airport security people take this stuff out of my carry-on bag and ask me about it several times, and only recently with the ban on liquids and gooey stuff has it been a little dicey. To take it by air, I highly recommend buying a jar of something weird at the health food store, something obscure and icky sounding (like Royal Jelly, for example) and putting this mix into that container instead of using the Gladware tubs. Make it something you really know about and understand so you can answer specific questions correctly.

Then, you can talk some looney herbalist/ alternative medicine schtick if you are questioned about it (I try to convince them, or more accurately I proselytize, that herbs are better than conventional medicine and they think I'm a harmless gullible kook and wave me on, like they've done to me every time... hmmm, maybe I am a harmless gullible kook?). I've even been allowed to carry it on board recently after a screener held it in his hand while asking me about it , but now I check it so as to not have to throw it out just in case they're taking a hardline on liquids or gooey stuff that day.

By car, I leave it in my cooler. No problem, even in Gladware. It's just another food item. I claim it's "instant herb tea, a mix of honey, echinacea, cayenne, cinnamon and chamomile that I just add to hot water, no brewing necessary so it's perfect for the road, because I've been so sick lately." Alluding to sickness really speeds up your interrogator's departure, I've found. Act sick, BTW.

And it is easy to send, put it in a Ziplock baggie in case of unforeseen high-temps in transit or something to avoid leakage. It's nearly solid at room temperature, and must get hot before it will spill out.


Dosage (this is important!):

One LEVEL TEASPOON equals one dry gram of fungi. NOT a tablespoon! NOT a 'heaping' teaspoon!

Overlooking this has caused some incidents that were only funny later. You see, one tsp. of this is plenty for most people, especially in a context of a social gathering (party, concert). Three teaspoons will send most people out hiding in the bushes. Four put a 275 pound ex-Marine on the floor, crying his eyes out (and he was not a Marine who'd been to war, so it wasn't trauma surfacing). I think it's the Gingko, and my supplemented growing substrate. A single gram of my South American strain has rocked everyone who ate it in this honey so far, and don't even get me started about the tub I made entirely of PF Classic aborts! (I put a red X on that one! Holy shit...)

When people eat a half a tsp, then another half 30 minutes later, they get off harder than eating a whole one at once. I think this is due to the MAOI effect of the Gingko kicking in. The beauty of this recipe, to me, is how you know exactly what you're getting- if 2 spoons took you to the moon, and you want to return, you know that all you need is 2 more spoons. And, everyone eating it together will all get the same dose; no sober guy left out watching everyone else losing it!

Honey Disasters You Should Avoid:

I used a mason jar to warm the honey once. It was in the pot while the burner was on, and when I lifted the jar out, the bottom cracked off and 12 ounces of honey fell between my stove and my counter. That was fun. Don't set glass in a pot with the burner lit unless you separate it from the bottom! Ugh.

A friend left one in her car's glovebox in summer, and it killed the mix. It turned an ugly dark color, expanded in the heat, burst the top off, and made a localized mess.

Don't eat this stuff and think you can make it to the beer store before it kicks in! Sometimes you're "on" in 10 minutes (with empty stomach).

And put the lid back on after you fill your spoon! Ants like tripping too!


Under-dosing:

This is cool!

One of my favorite things about this honey is how I can take very small, and very precise, doses. I love to eat a quarter-teaspoon and go river running or mountain biking, to the movies or to visit my girlfriend... One-eighth of a teaspoon can be barely felt, but senses and reflexes are heightened and my martial arts sparring partner is guaranteed to lose. And every eighth of a spoon is exactly the same dose as every other, which allow for interesting experiments.

Hope y'all enjoy this as much as I do, and to the 'Topia community for teaching me so many new things. This is the beginning of a bunch of threads I am currently in the process of working on in the spirit of returning the favor.

[golly]

That's a hella sweet post TV....I'll have to try your recipe...Thanx..

[Freaky]

TV, thanks for the Guide Friend!!!!

I'm gonna have to try this out! Very interesting about the spices you use to mix in!

How long has this kept at room temp.?

[TVCasualty]

Originally Posted by Freaky

TV, thanks for the Guide Friend!!!!

I'm gonna have to try this out! Very interesting about the spices you use to mix in!

How long has this kept at room temp.?

Not long, since they get eaten so fast! But I have eaten a mushroom that was in honey for 8 years in a cool dark place that rocked me juuuust fine...

So, my answer now is "possibly indefinitely if kept from excessive heat."



Glad y'all like it, I'd love to hear about anyone making it and how it went...

[crazy1]

Will be trying this when I get the quantity to try it.
Looking forward to this one.

[ride-like-hell]

nice recipe, ever try blue lotus?

[wayback]

Thanks for the recipe. To date I've only tried to store some of my well ground goodies in honey and kept in the refrigator, however, your new recipe has peeked my interest.

I was going to take this year's stash and make candies out of them, but I think I will keep a portion aside to try out this latest recipe.

Again, thanks much, and I look foreward to trying the finished product.

[Hippie3]

very nice recipe, need to give it a try.

> bluehoney <

[TVCasualty]

Thanks everyone for the kind comments!

It actually took me six times as long to process the pictures than it did to make those two tubs of honey, because I really wanted to avoid pictures that opened up 5 times bigger than the monitor and used +300K each! But I'm getting the hang of it... y'all just wait...

awesome honey tek!
thanks TV! gonna make lots of these soon!

does it taste crunchy?
do you taste the shrooms?

do you flatten it out on the teaspoon?

[GoVols]

When you say teaspoon, are you refering to the actual measuring size, or the smaller of the two spoons in a set of flatware.

Maybe east TN is strange be we call the smaller of two spoons a tea spoon, and we also have the measuring kind.


Nice mix by the way. Im anxious to try and send some shrooms to my brother this winter.

[Quine]

What an awesome recipe! Your posts are so clear and precise. BookMarked!!
I am definately doing my next grows like this! Thanks for taking the time to make this *classic* post so clear, illustrated and easy for all of us.

[Hippie3]

Originally Posted by GoVols

When you say teaspoon, are you refering to the actual measuring size, or the smaller of the two spoons in a set of flatware.

Maybe east TN is strange be we call the smaller of two spoons a tea spoon, and we also have the measuring kind.


Nice mix by the way. Im anxious to try and send some shrooms to my brother this winter.

a teaspoon is 1/3 of a tablespoon.
about ~5 ml,
a tablespoon being ~15 ml.
http://www.convert-me.com/en/

[Quine]

Originally Posted by GoVols

When you say teaspoon, are you refering to the actual measuring size, or the smaller of the two spoons in a set of flatware.

Maybe east TN is strange be we call the smaller of two spoons a tea spoon, and we also have the measuring kind.


Nice mix by the way. Im anxious to try and send some shrooms to my brother this winter.

GoVols, look at the pic he included, he shows that he uses the "tableware" disposable. Just another reason why the post is so cool, he took great pics and worked hard to make it fit in right.

While, I wouldn't use it for rocket science, uaually, the common teaspoon of a tableware set is close in measure to the exact measure sets. Your mileage may vary tho' Travel safe!

[camMyco]

I will have to try this one. I am a honey freak, but add boomers and look-out!
Thanks for the tek.

[GoVols]

Originally Posted by Quine

GoVols, look at the pic he included, he shows that he uses the "tableware" disposable. Just another reason why the post is so cool, he took great pics and worked hard to make it fit in right.

While, I wouldn't use it for rocket science, uaually, the common teaspoon of a tableware set is close in measure to the exact measure sets. Your mileage may vary tho' Travel safe!

I dont know, here in TN we use mighty big spoons

[Sunstar]

Excellent post TV. great details and good pictures also
well done. Looks tasty too

[pshroom]

Very nice post.....
That just made my "Next To Do List"

[reverend trips]

Looks like a delectable way of preserving the magic

I'll have to give it a try myself, thanks!

[TVCasualty]

Originally Posted by GoVols

When you say teaspoon, are you refering to the actual measuring size, or the smaller of the two spoons in a set of flatware.

Maybe east TN is strange be we call the smaller of two spoons a tea spoon, and we also have the measuring kind.

Nice mix by the way. Im anxious to try and send some shrooms to my brother this winter.

I dont know, here in TN we use mighty big spoons

The plastic spoon on the honey tub in my last picture literally ended up in southeast TN a few hours later, coincidentally, and I have noticed how y'all tend to prefer the 'heaping' spoons of this honey... East TN is one of my favorite places to go for recreation and I kind of regret moving away. I might move back some day; it really is cool there and I have many many great memories. I was born and raised in Southern California, actually, and my family (4th generation in California) always called the little flatware spoon "teaspoons" and the bigguns "tablespoons," so I assumed that's what people called 'em everywhere. We never drank tea, though.


Anyhow, I took a precise measuring teaspoon and used water to verify that my flatware and the plastic disposable spoons held the same volume, which they in fact did exactly.

[TVCasualty]

Originally Posted by vinz

awesome honey tek!
thanks TV! gonna make lots of these soon!
does it taste crunchy?
do you taste the shrooms?
do you flatten it out on the teaspoon?

At room temperature it's more of a gummy consistency. Even at around 80 degrees F (~27C), if you hold the tub upside-down it will not spill. Over a long period of time, it would eventually ooze out, but it pours really slowly.

Some people cannot taste any hint of the mushrooms, but others say they can definitely tell but that it's not a typically unpleasant shroomy taste, just an awareness that they're in there. Only one person doesn't like it, and I think it's because of the nutmeg, which for her combines w/ the fungi taste and makes it worse. If that happens, leave out the nutmeg next time! (But only one person has ever had that problem, but loves it w/out nutmeg, and calls it "giggle goo").


And yes, flatten the spoon! It is supposed to be one LEVEL tsp., and that means minimal gunk stuck to the bottom, too! A dab'll do ya.

A Few More Tips:

1) Use a knife to get the honey out of the tub, then spread it into the spoon. This way you take out no more than desired, which is much less messy, and none gets stuck to the bottom of the spoon as from scooping it out.


2) Another way to use it is to make herb tea (any compatible Celestial Seasonings flavor works well, like Mandarin Orange Spice) and add the spoon to that. There will be powdered bits floating in it as the honey will dissolve; be sure to swallow 'em! It comes on right quick that way.

3) When your tub is almost empty, make more of that herb tea and pour the hot brewed tea into the tub to get every last little molecule of magic!

Really, it makes my day to see people interested in trying this, and the comments have been inspiring. Thanks!

BTW: This was a test of the format I'd like to use to post how-to's with in the future; looks like I'll stick to it.

[extra_fungus]

great recipe! could you elaborate on your supplemented substrate that you mentioned?

[quillo]

Splendid, inspiring receipe, and very effectively explained, thank you! (How did you get your coffee grinder so clean?)

[TVCasualty]

Originally Posted by extra_fungus

great recipe! could you elaborate on your supplemented substrate that you mentioned?

My substrate recipes and prep methods will be posted in the near future, and get their own threads. Briefly, one thing I've started really liking is Quinoa grain, which I put into WBS along with a bunch of other stuff, none of which are revolutionary ingredients or that other people haven't used before. I don't think I've used the exact same recipe twice, actually, so I'm trying to refine the details enough to make something worth publishing, and when I get there I will post it.

This honey thread is the first chapter of of what I hope will ultimately be a comprehensive record of everything I've learned along the way related to fungi so far, and basically be the complete guide to how I do things, hence the "TV Guide" heading that will be part of the title of all such threads for easier reference. Then, my teks can be part of the vast body of knowledge already gathered here and be among the options available to others, like some big cognitive barter system. It's a Project, in other words. And it's one that I'm undertaking while still living in a somewhat chaotic situation, so please be patient. Meanwhile, everything anybody needs to know is already here or in the vaults or archives. There are countless ways to rot grain, after all.


quillo: That grinder is 16 years old and going strong. I just wash it in the sink with soap and water like anything else, being careful about not drenching or soaking it (I only hold the end w/ the blades near the water, I don't get the whole thing wet), and then letting it air dry for plenty of time before using it again.

[Hippie3]

i thought 'TV Guide' was rather clever title.

[waylitjim]

Great post TV.
Honey has been my #1 dosing method for a few yrs now. I use a similar recipe, but I like the additional ingredients you've added to cover up the smell. For stealthy storage, clean out a few mustard jars and use them for your honey storage. After a year in the freezer, I noticed a 5-10% loss in potency, not bad at all.

[Hippie3]

one would think opaque jars might be best choice
seeing as light destroys the magic ?