Tips for Grinding Magic Mushrooms
Help your body out by doing some of the work for it. You’ll be the one to reap the benefits.
Grinding up magic mushrooms allows you to get more out of them. By increasing the surface area, the psilocybin becomes more accessible and easier to absorb. However, there are other reasons it’s beneficial.
Whether you’re cooking with shrooms, making tea, or eating them raw, it’s a good idea to take this extra step.
In this article, we’ll explore:
- Why you may want to grind magic mushrooms
- How to grind shrooms with scissors
- How to grind shrooms with a blender
- How to grind shrooms with a coffee grinder
- How to grind shrooms using a mortar and pestle
- How to grind shrooms using a herb grinder
How To Grind Up Magic Mushrooms: 5 Effective Methods
When you grind up magic mushrooms, make sure that the shrooms in question are completely dehydrated or freeze-dried. Fresh shrooms will turn into a pasty mess if you attempt to grind them up using the techniques below.
1. Using a Pair of Scissors
If you want to roughly chop up your shrooms before adding them to tea or a meal or swallowing them raw with a glass of water, scissors will do the trick.
You won’t be able to get a fine or even coarse powder by chopping your shrooms with scissors, but you’ll be able to cut them into smaller pieces and increase the surface area to some extent.
To chop your shrooms this way, I recommend placing them in a paper bag or tall container before going at them with sharp scissors. Doing this will prevent small pieces of dried shrooms from pinging off and getting lost.
2. Using a Food Processor/Blender
A food processor or blender is a great way to grind magic mushrooms. It’s quick, easy, effective, and provides control over how fine a powder you create.
Simply place the dried mushrooms inside the container and turn the appliance on. The longer the appliance runs, the finer the powder will be. Wait for five minutes before opening the lid to ensure all the mushroom powder has settled to the bottom; otherwise, you’ll run the risk of inhaling fine particulates and losing some of your product.
A small brush or piece of card can extract any powder that has settled inside the container.
3. Using a Coffee Grinder
Grinding magic mushrooms using a coffee grinder is a brilliant way to create fine, dried mushroom powders for cooking. Both manual and electric grinders work well, and the small containers make it easier to extract the powder than large blenders and food processors.
To grind shrooms this way, roughly chop the dried shrooms with scissors and place them in the grinder. Crank or switch on the grinder and blitz until powdered. Use a small brush or piece of card to extract the powder.
4. Using a Mortar & Pestle
It’s possible to use a mortar and pestle to pulverize magic mushrooms. This manual grinding tool has been used for centuries to crush and grind various herbs, spices, and dried mushrooms. It provides the ultimate level of control, and you can create anything from a coarse to a fine powder with the proper technique.
To grind shrooms using a mortar and pestle, break up your chosen amount of dried mushrooms into smaller pieces. Place a small amount in the mortar (bowl), making sure not to overload it — you want to have enough space to grind them effectively.
Using the pestle in a circular motion while applying downward pressure, grind the mushrooms until you achieve the desired fineness. Depending on the type of mortar and pestle you have and your desired consistency, this may take some time and effort. Repeat the process in small batches until you have ground them all.
5. Using an Herb Grinder
If you want to roughly grind up mushrooms for making tea or lemon tek, an “herb” grinder such as those used to grind up cannabis will work. You won’t be able to produce a fine powder as you would using a coffee grinder or food processor, but you’ll be able to break down the mushrooms sufficiently enough for brews, raw consumption, and lemon tek.
To grind mushrooms using a herb grinder, place a small amount of dried mushrooms in the grinder and grind by twisting. Empty the grinder periodically, and don’t overload it — this will clog the teeth. When you’ve finished grinding, use a small artist’s paintbrush — or warm water if you’re making tea — to extract any remaining powder.
Why Would You Want to Grind Magic Mushrooms?
There are five reasons why you may want to grind up magic mushrooms before using them:
1. Faster Absorption
As mentioned, grinding them before cooking or brewing them in tea increases the surface area. An increased surface area improves absorption, leading to faster metabolization of psilocybin and a quicker onset of effects.
2. Controlling Dosage
The psilocybin levels in psychedelic mushrooms can vary dramatically. One shroom can be vastly different from the next, so using whole mushrooms makes it difficult to work out dosages accurately.
By grinding up several magic mushrooms into a coarse or fine powder, the potency is spread across the quantity of the organic matter, making it easier to measure and control the dosage more accurately. Doing this can help reduce the risk of consuming too much or too little, leading to a more predictable, controlled, and (hopefully) pleasant experience.
Double-check the potency of the DXM you’re using, and look for the addition of other compounds such as acetaminophen which can cause severe liver-toxic side-effects at this dose.
3. Making Magic Mushroom Capsules
Grinding shrooms into a fine powder allows you to fill up pill capsules with accurate doses. Capsules provide a quick and easy way to consume psilocybin that’s discrete and completely tasteless.
An average capsule can accommodate a microdose when using powder made from a typical strain of Psilocybe cubensis. You’ll need to use larger capsules or take multiple average-sized capsules to induce a psychedelic trip.
Learn more about psilocybin capsules: Shroom Capsules: How Long Until You Reach the Next Dimension?
4. Making Magic Mushroom Tea
Magic mushroom tea is one of the best ways to consume shrooms, in my opinion. Tea provides a super-fast onset of effects and an intense come-up when made correctly.
Ground mushrooms are best for tea because the increased surface area allows the psilocybin to be transferred to the water more quickly.
When brewing tea, the organic matter is removed, leaving behind a psilocybin-infused liquid. This is beneficial for several reasons.
First, with no physical mushrooms to break down, the psilocybin is metabolized much faster, meaning you can feel the effects in as little as 20 minutes. Second, without any organic matter for the body to break down, tea is easier on the stomach, meaning less nausea and a reduced chance of vomiting for those with weaker stomachs.
As mentioned, due to the speed at which the body metabolizes the psilocybin in tea, the effects set on fast. For this same reason, the body also processes and expels the psychedelic compounds more quickly — this usually means a shorter but more intense trip.
Learn how to make shroom tea: How to Make Shroom Tea: Step-By-Step Guide
5. Making Magic Mushroom Edibles
Magic mushroom edibles are becoming increasingly popular. Psilocybin chocolate bars and gummies are available online from a variety of vendors across Canada and the United States, but they’re easy to make at home. It’s a relatively simple process, and the possibilities are only restricted to your imagination.
Finely ground or powdered shrooms are best used in edibles because they get evenly distributed throughout the snack, meal, or drink. Edibles provide a tasty, noninvasive way to consume psilocybin. They’re great for those struggling with the mushrooms’ taste and texture.
Learn about making edibles: Trippy Cuisine: Learn How to Cook With Magic Mushrooms
