August & September Mushroom Events

Find all our events here.

Grow Gourmet Mushrooms Indoors: Oyster Mushroom Kit Creation
New York Botanical Garden - Online
August 20, 2026, 6:00-8:00pm $55-61
Are you curious about growing your own mushrooms? Here’s your chance to learn how without leaving home. John Michelotti of Catskill Fungi is offering a special online workshop and will demonstrate how to cultivate gourmet mushrooms indoors with safe and simple techniques. Using cardboard and coffee grounds, learn to create your own oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) starter mushroom growing kit. You’ll also learn about the life cycles, characteristics, and medicinal and culinary properties of fungi.

Sign up here

Telluride Mushroom Festival
Theme: Rewilding - 46th Annual, Telluride, CO
August 12-16, 2026. Starting at $480
Since 1981, the Telluride Mushroom Festival has been celebrating all things mycological, from the latest advancements in mushroom science to our famous wild-foods dinner demo. Held annually in Telluride, Colorado, TMF is a can’t-miss event with a colorful history in one of the most beautiful locations on earth.

Eagle Mushroom & Wild Food Festival
Woods Wisdom, Wild Flavors, and Fungal Fascination - Eagle, CO
August 21-23, 2026 Starting at $60
The Eagle Mushroom & Wild Food Festival is a premier, three-day immersive event held in Eagle, Colorado, celebrating the intersection of mycological science, foraging culture, and gourmet culinary arts. Started in 2008, the festival brings together renowned national experts, foragers, and chefs to explore Colorado’s diverse fungal kingdom. Attendees can participate in expert-led forays in the Rocky Mountains, educational presentations, and cooking classes, culminating in a forest-to-table culinary dinner. Featuring the Funga Film Fest, live music, and interactive identification workshops, this festival offers both a deep dive for experts and a fun introduction for mushroom-curious individuals.

John Michelotti, Founder of Catskill Fungi, will open the festival with a keynote presentation on Friday night.

Medicinal & Culinary Mushrooms: A Presentation by Yael Bernhard
Holistic Health Community of Stone Ridge at the Kiva
September 4, 2026, 6:00-7:30pm $20-$50
From the forest to the kitchen and medicine cabinet, mushrooms are powerful allies for building and sustaining health. But with the market increasingly flooded with mushroom products, how do we know what to choose? How do mushrooms work in our bodies, and how can we get the most out of them?
Join Yael Bernhard, Catskill Fungi production manager, mushroom walk leader, nutrition writer and integrative health coach, for a 90-minute class on this fascinating subject. We’ll begin with a brief overview of the life cycle of mushrooms, their role in the ecosystem, and how this relates to their role in human health. Other subjects include:

• Different types of mushrooms and their basic identifying characteristics
• How medicinal and culinary mushrooms work in the body
• Different types of herbal and fungal extracts and how they’re made
• How to choose and get the most out of medicinal mushroom extracts
• The medicinal attributes of the six mushrooms that are the basis of Catskill Fungi extracts

Catskill Fungi extracts will be for sale at the workshop. Advance registration is required. Sign up here. This event will be followed by a mushroom walk on September 11. Find out more here.

Mushroom Walk, Cooking & Tasting: Forage and Feast on Fungi in the Forest
Catskill Fungi Shroom Space, Pine Hill
September 5, 10am-1:30pm. $65
Join John Michelotti, Certified Mushroom Forager and Outdoor Guide, for an immersive journey into the fascinating world of mycology. This experience is designed to connect you directly with nature through the art of foraging, preparing, and enjoying the forest’s hidden treasures. Price includes foraging, instruction, cooking demonstration, and tasting.


Foraging & Salve Workshop: Forage Plants & Fungi to Make Your Own Salve
Catskill Fungi Shroom Space, Pine Hill
September 6, 10am-12:30pm. $65
Join the brother-sister duo John & Kate Michelotti for a fascinating and educational foraging walk and hands-on salve-making workshop. Take home your own-made balm. Price includes foraging, instruction, a foraging hand lens, and a self-made mushroom balm.

Friends of Fungi Foraging Retreat at Menla Mountain Resort

September 18-20 - Phoenicia, NY

Join the Catskill Fungi team for a weekend of fun, wonderment, and enlightenment as we delve into the forests of Menla and engage the fungal residents there. Take a hands-on approach to learn how to identify common fungi in the forest. Through using your senses, you will be acquainted with multiple species and confirm your IDs. Learn to sustainably harvest mushrooms in the forest, how to clean them, cook them, and eat them. We will also dehydrate mushrooms to make teas and medicinal tinctures. This ID-focused course is designed for beginners or Friends of Fungi alumni to take a deeper dive into befriending and foraging fungi.

Participants will learn to:

-Identify common edible and medicinal mushrooms
-Cook and eat wild and cultivated mushrooms
-Preserve and store mushrooms
-Make mushroom tinctures and extracts with medicinal mushrooms

Finish the weekend with:
-Confidence in identifying some edible, wild mushrooms
-Foraging hand lens and Mushroom journal
-Medicinal mushroom tinctures
-Dehydrated mushrooms
-Deeper connection with fungi, nature, self, and friends

Prices range from $793.00 to $1,085.00 depending on accommodation. Includes 6 meals, instruction and classes, mushroom magnifier, pocket guide, and much more. Learn more and register here.

New Retail Partner!

Catskill Fungi is proud to announce a new retail partner in Acre, NY.
Stirred Water Herbs is based on the belief that “the human body has the ability to heal itself, if it is given the appropriate internal and external environment.” Stirred Water Herbs offers products and services that help you create that environment and take control of your health. Find Catskill Fungi extracts there every day but Sunday. More on their website.

Catskill Fungi at the Farmers’ Markets

We’ve got some New Products to share, including our “Kindom” T-shirt, a Catskill Fungi Coloring Book, a NYBG Flashcard Deck, and Wooden Mushrooms.

Kingston Farmers Market – every Saturday, 9 am-1 pm

Pakatakan / The Round Barn, Margaretville, NY – beginning May 16, every Saturday from 9 am-1 pm

Phoenicia Farmers Market, Parish Field, Phoenicia - every Sunday, 10 am-2 pm – find our extracts at the main information booth

Catskill Fungi mushroom extracts are always available on our website.

Subscribe to ensure steady deliveries and consistent benefits from our high-quality mushroom extracts.

Catskill Fungi in the Media

The Stories Are in the Mushrooms: A Spark Shroom Conversation with John Michelotti
Do you remember a time when the world first felt more than human to you? The Spark Shroom Project is an oral-history and storytelling project that honors the moment, fungus, or single mushroom that sparked wonder, a shift in perception, and a deep, lasting, often obsessive interest in fungi and mycology. These stories from prominent mycologists and mushroom people are not about expertise or identification, but about encounter, relationship, and transformation. Find out what made their heart flutter and drew them closer to this mysterious world.

Mycologist Career: The Business of Mushrooms
Tune in for this illuminating podcast interview with John Michelotti of Catskill Fungi, in which he talks about turning a mushroom obsession into a real career through education, value-added products, and deep respect for the forest. Get an inside view of what mycologists actually do, what’s safe for beginners, and where the money is in mushrooms versus where it simply isn’t.

Hire a Private Guide for a Foraging Walk

Do you have a private group, a special occasion, or would you like to explore the mushrooms growing on your own land? Invite your family and friends for a two-hour private mushroom walk. Find out more here, or email info@catskillfungi.com to make arrangements.

“We wanted to tell you how much we loved the mushroom walk. It’s one of the nicest things we’ve done in the Catskills in all of the 10 years we’ve been coming up here. We learned so much and enjoyed every minute.” – Mary G., Brooklyn, NY

Trip Cost: $2950 Double Occupancy. Included: 9 nights of hotels, transportation on the Island, 18 meals, a gift bag, and workshop equipment and instruction for 10 days.

Click here for details and to sign up!

Mushrooms & Skin Health

by Yael Bernhard

Your skin is the largest and outermost organ of your body, serving several vital functions as a protective sheath, a shield against microorganisms, a detoxifying outlet, and an insulating layer. As your main interface with the outside world, your skin is vulnerable. Not surprisingly, skin diseases and disorders are extremely common, and perhaps the most difficult to diagnose. It seems everyone knows someone with a mystery rash. Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal medications too often fail to address the underlying cause, and may do little more than suppress symptoms. What can be done to resolve these intractable conditions?

Chronic skin disorders tend to originate in the gut, where the microbiome mediates immunity and plays a major role in what shows up on your skin. From a functional (holistic) perspective, chronic skin conditions are an inside job that shows up on the outside. As much as 80% of your immune cells are produced in your gut by colonocytes (intestinal cells) and beneficial bacteria. Edible mushrooms and medicinal mushroom extracts may provide crucial substrate for these hard-working helpers, and support the biochemical pathways that train immune cells.

The therapeutic potential of certain mushrooms in managing skin ailments is attributed to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Numerous studies attest to these healing components.1 Beta-glucans activate macrophages. Triterpenoids inhibit inflammatory cytokines. Phenolic compounds such as flavonoids, tannins, and polyphenols upregulate the body’s own endogenous antioxidants, protecting cells from oxidative stress. All are helpful in stopping the inflammatory cascade that underlies all chronic conditions, both internal and external. In addition, lectins in mushrooms induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in unhealthy cells, and curb angiogenesis, the process by which abnormal growths form a vascular blood supply. Natural selenium in mushrooms protect against UV damage in skin cells. Ergothioneine, a unique sulfur-containing amino acid found in fungi, accumulates in human skin cell mitochondria, guarding against DNA damage and protecting cellular integrity; it has been nicknamed a “longevity vitamin” for its potential to support healthy aging. Chitin and chitosan found in mushroom cell walls help stimulate collagen synthesis and the formation of fibroblasts (found in skin cells, tendons, ligaments, and surrounding most organs), strengthening the skin barrier and speeding up the healing of wounds.

“Mushrooms undeniably harbor an array of compounds that can be instrumental in treating various skin conditions, thereby underscoring their potential in dermatological applications.” 2

For these reasons and more, mushrooms are the subject of ongoing research on skin disorders, and have been incorporated into cosmetic products. Studies show Wood Ear mushrooms (Auricularia auricula-judae) and Snow mushrooms (Tremella fusiformis) have hydrophilic (water-loving) properties that support skin hydration and tissue loft, strengthen collagen, and scavenge damaging free radicals. Turkey tail mushrooms (Trametes versicolor) has been studied for its potential in modulating psoriasis and eczema, auto-immune conditions in which the immune system attacks skin cells. Reishi mushrooms (Ganoderma tsugae and Ganoderma lucidum) contain triterpenoids that studies have shown to have an antihistamine effect, attenuating allergic reactions and inflammation. Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.) contain polysaccharides that have demonstrated potential to fight bacterial and fungal infections. Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) has been used for centuries in Russia, where it’s applied topically for skin conditions and is brewed as a tea containing powerful antioxidants. Various species of Agaricus mushrooms have been used in India for healing burns and wounds. Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus edodes) have been used throughout Asia for its skin-healing properties. Mushrooms even show potential for neutralizing peroxides and chelating heavy metals.

“Mushrooms comprise a vast yet largely untapped source of powerful new potential pharmaceutical substances.”3

Mushrooms also show promise for fighting fungal and bacterial infections, as they must protect themselves against these pathogens in the wild. One in vitro study evaluated the extract from five edible mushrooms against gram-positive bacteria such as Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus; and gram-negative bacteria such as Salmonella enteritidis and Escherichia coli.4 The active ingredient in these mushrooms is gallic acid, a bioactive compound with strong antimicrobial properties.5

“Mushrooms have phytochemicals with antimicrobial action, positioning them as potential pharmacological resources to control resistant pathogens effectively.” 6

Like many medicinal herbs, mushrooms can be dual in nature. Some mushrooms have a curative effect on skin conditions, while others may actually trigger contact dermatitis. Some people may show sensitivities to common culinary mushrooms such as Shiitakes and Portobello. Not to be confused with digestive upset from mycotoxins or eating raw or undercooked mushrooms, true mushroom allergies are rare (estimated at 1% of the population7). Allergies to yeast and mold, which are also fungi, may be mistakenly attributed to mushrooms. Yet medicinal mushrooms may also help to mitigate these reactions. It really depends on the individual. It’s important to proceed with caution when consuming any wild mushroom. Be sure to cook it thoroughly, eat a small side portion at first, and save a sample in a paper bag in your fridge just in case. Similarly, always consult with your doctor before using a medicinal mushroom for a serious skin condition.

“Mushrooms have gained substantial recognition for their therapeutic applications, primarily owing it to their diverse repository of bioactive compounds that exhibit a wide range of biological properties, encompassing anti-diabetic, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative activities.” 8

As with all functional foods that serve to improve human health, mushrooms and mushroom extracts that heal skin conditions are also beneficial to your entire body. Mushrooms are not drugs and should not be used as replacements for drugs; rather, they are adaptogenic, working slowly and cumulatively to support resiliency, nourish and normalize systems in the body, and restore functionality. Just as chronic skin diseases mostly arise from the inside, so too does the healing power of mushrooms. To get the most benefit, make them a regular part of your diet.

Catskill Fungi extracts are made in small batches and crafted with care. Find them in local stores or order them online.

To sign up for a Foraging & Salve Workshop: Forage Plants & Fungi to Make Your Own Salve, Click Here.

Yael Bernhard is production manager and mushroom walk leader for Catskill Fungi. She is also an integrative health & nutrition coach, with a special emphasis on herbal and fungal medicine; and a professional painter and illustrator – all of which she weaves together in her two Substacks: The Art of Health and Image of the Week.

Come on a mushroom walk and learn more!

It’s high summer, and the mushrooms are fruiting! A colorful panoply of fungi graces the forests and fields of our beautiful Catskill Mountains. Here are a few of our favorite finds, ranging from common to rare.

These young Artist’s Conks (Ganoderma applanatum) have a pure white undersurface that is excellent for painting or carving. A relative of Reishi (Ganoderma tsugae), this perennial polypore may have similar medicinal properties, but has been less studied.

These baby Black Trumpets (Craterellus fallax) were found fruiting near the Catskill Fungi Spore Space (our education center and commercial kitchen).

The Dyers Polypore (Phaeolus schweinitzii) is sought after by natural dyers for its ability to produce rich golden, green, and brownish colors on wool and other fabrics.

This elegant Amanita sp. sports a lovely skirt – remnants of a protective veil that covers the spore-bearing gills while they’re forming. This mushroom is likely toxic for people and pets, but highly beneficial for its coniferous mycorrhizal tree partner and an important food source for insects and rodents.

The Cinnamon Bracket (Hapalopilus rutilans) may be identified by staining it with household ammonia, which instantly turns the mushroom bright violet, thus earning its other name, the Purple Dye Polypore. While most polypores are not poisonous, this mushroom is highly neurotoxic.

These Ghost Pipes (Monotropa uniflora) are actually not mushrooms, but a type of mycoheterotrophic plant that does not contain chlorophyll and cannot photosynthesize. The parasitic plant therefore steals nutrients from the mycelium of Russula fungi, which have mutualistic (beneficial) relationships with surrounding trees. While this plant is listed by NatureServe as critically imperiled to vulnerable in Alaska, parts of Canada, California, and some midwestern states, we are fortunate that in NY, PA, and into Canada it is considered “secure”. Could this disparity be due to the success or decline of populations of Russula mycelia and the trees with which they associate?

This red-pored Bolete is a difficult ID. Its strikingly beautiful colors instantly stain dark blue when bruised or even lightly touched. These gorgeous specimens were found growing along the edge of a stone walkway. Without collecting a sample, understanding the surrounding tree species, cutting it in half, and noting very small characteristics, its species will remain a mystery. Though, like most red-pored Boletes, it is probably not edible.

This impressive King Bolete (Boletus edulis grp) or Porcini is a choice edible mushroom – but is equally coveted by worms! Alas, the inside of this one had already been feasted on. Never eat bug-eaten, waterlogged, or decaying mushrooms, even if they are edible.

Golden Oysters (Pleurotus citrinopileatus) are beautiful to look at and yummy to eat, but highly invasive and prolific, outcompeting valuable fungal species in our region. It is therefore recommended not to harvest them, or at the very least to seal them in plastic bags so as not to spread spores. Do not throw uneaten stems outside.

Brittlegills, or Russula species, are quite common at this time of year and come in various colors: red, pink, brown, beige, and green. These mushrooms have crowded, white to off-white attached, brittle gills and a chalk-like stipe (stem) which crumble when you rub them due to their circular cell structure, hence the name: Brittlegills.

Last but not least, these tiny Pinwheel Marasmius (Marasmius rotula) or Collared Parachutes are perhaps the daintiest mushrooms in the forest. They are saprophytic, feeding on dead and decaying organic matter, primarily breaking down woody debris, fallen branches, twigs, and occasionally leaf litter.

Come on a mushroom walk to learn more!

See you in the woods!

It’s A Reishi Year – Or, No That’s Not Pizza Dough Growing Out of a Tree

by Yael Bernhard

The first sign of a Reishi year is a doughy lump emerging from an old tree stump. Sometime in June when the conditions are right, Ganoderma tsugae silently starts fruiting, beginning with a cream-colored nascent edge, followed by yellow, orange, and eventually dark maroon. Over a period of weeks, the colors intensify and radiate outward as the mushroom matures – rather resembling the sauce on a frozen pizza (without toppings, maybe Sicilian style, with a thick, rounded crust). Reishi’s tender edge is indeed edible, and may be sliced off while young and sautéed in butter or tallow to achieve a bacon-like flavor. Once it hardens, Reishi is no longer palatable, but is highly medicinal.

Throughout its maturation phases, Reishi’s biochemical profile changes. Also known as the Varnish Conk, it has a shiny, “lacquered” surface caused by a thin, protective layer of natural resin secreted by the fungus onto its outer crust (the cuticle). As it is exposed to oxygen, the mushroom builds up dense concentrations of aromatic amino acids and polyphenolic pigments, causing the transitions of color that make the fully-formed fungus look rather like a sea creature growing in the forest. Among these chemical compounds are ganoderic acid, an aromatic triterpenoid that is responsible for many of the mushroom’s cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, neutoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and immune-stabilizing properties (see our article Reishi: The Mushroom of Many Wonders for more on this subject).

Here in the Catskill Mountains, Reishi grows exclusively from dead or dying hemlock. It generally fruits every other year, providing the conditions are right. Several other polypores begin with white leading edges, including Reishi’s cousin Ganoderma applanatum (the “Artist’s Conk”), Ischnoderma resinosum (Resinous polypore), Laetiporus sulphureus (Chicken of the Woods), and some species of Phellinus mushrooms. Both for true identification and maximum potency, it’s best to wait until Reishi is mature before harvesting. Always leave some mushrooms behind to allow them to sporulate.

Fully-formed Reishi has few lookalikes, but these are worth knowing as a measure of safe foraging practice. Chicken of the Woods also sports bright yellow and orange, but grows from a variety of trees, lacks a stipe (stem), and tends to grow in frilly layers. The Beefsteak Polypore (Fistulina hepatica) has a smooth, tapered edge, and tube-like pores. It’s also much less common (I’ve never found one), as is the highly poisonous, neurotoxic Cinnamon Bracket (Hapalopilus nidulans), which I just found two days ago – another reddish but smaller bracket fungus. Like most polypores, all are saprophytic decomposers that obtain nutrients by breaking down dead and decaying organic matter, primarily wood. These fungi play a crucial role in forest ecosystems by recycling nutrients.

It’s been several years since we’ve seen a flush of Reishi like this year. What a thrill, to come upon such a magnificent mushroom in the forest! As the season winds down, its shiny surface is muted by a thick coating of cinnamon-like powder – billions of spores released by the mushroom’s fertile undersurface, and carried by air currents onto its top. A mushroom’s raison d’être, after all, is to reproduce, seeking out new substrates where it creates a new iteration of itself. It’s happening now, as new mycelium is silently, invisibly beginning to grow, drawing nourishment from the woody compounds of a dead hemlock, and continuing the cycle of life and death in the forest.

At Catskill Fungi, harvesting Reishi is just the beginning of our extract-making process, which takes several months. It begins with a sunbath for the mushrooms, as their ergosterol-rich undersurface quickly accumulates vitamin D from the sun. Our finished Reishi extract may be ordered online or found at farmers markets and local stores that carry our products. Find the location nearest to you here.

Yael Bernhard is production manager and mushroom walk leader for Catskill Fungi. She is also an integrative health & nutrition coach, with a special emphasis on herbal and fungal medicine; and a professional painter and illustrator – all of which she weaves together in her own two Substacks: The Art of Health and Image of the Week.

By Yael Bernhard

Caterpillar fungus. Kidnapper of insects. Creature of high altitudes. Oxygen enabler. Fascinating and strange, ruthless and energizing, creepy and powerful – all these things are Cordyceps, a genus of almost 700 species of entomopathogenic fungi that feed on and fruit from insects. Roughly a third of these species are native to alpine environments, but today Cordyceps may be found all over the world. Perhaps the two most well-known types are Ophiocordyceps sinensis, native to the Himalayas and the subject of numerous Asian studies; and C. militaris, with a similar biochemical profile, more commonly cultivated on grain for making extracts.

As alpine dwellers, Cordyceps are superbly adapted to extremes. Extracts of these extraordinary fungi are used in traditional Chinese medicine as a lung and kidney tonic, as it is said to strengthen core energy or qi, perhaps due to its ability to increase the production of red blood cells1 or to boost testosterone.

Cordyceps is widely used by athletes, mountain-climbers, or anyone who wants to boost their oxygen capacity, strengthen their immunity, or increase their endurance. In 1993, runners at the Chinese National Games shattered nine world records, raising suspicion that they were taking steroids. They were taking Cordyceps.2 Today, Cordyceps has gained popularity as an energy booster.

The Substrate Makes the Species

One of the first questions we ask when identifying a wild mushroom is “what is it growing from?” Like animals, mushrooms produce digestive enzymes in order to break down their food – but unlike animals, they grow into their food source, or substrate. Cordyceps’ choice of substrate is insects – caterpillar larvae, ants, beetles, and moths. Like all mushrooms, it grows inside its substrate, producing powerful enzymes from the growing tips of its mycelium, known as hyphae. Like vampires, these forceful fungi not only feed upon their victims but also control their muscles, harnessing the bug as a vehicle for both transportation and reproduction. The enslaved insect is somehow compelled to climb to the very top of a tree, then clamps its jaws onto a leaf and dies, whereupon the mushroom springs from its head, cobra-like, to cast its spores to the wind. These microscopic spores then fall upon new victims, and the cycle begins again.

This gruesome scenario seems more like the stuff of a horror movie (and indeed, formed the basis for the video game and film The Last of Us) than any medicinal boon – yet like many things in nature, what is harmful to some is healing to others. The fatally poisonous Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) is, after all, a beneficial mushroom for the forest, forming symbiotic relationships with trees; whereas Chaga, prized for its antioxidant properties for humans, is a parasitic fungus that attacks birch trees. In the case of Cordyceps, we humans are the lucky beneficiaries of these clever fungi. The mushroom thrives in harsh environments by maximizing cellular energy efficiency, and therein lies its healing potential. The “caterpillar mushroom” has been used for over 350 years for everything from regulating menstruation to alleviating coughs, colds, anemia, and joint pain. Like other mediators of core energy, Cordyceps has also been used as an aphrodisiac, and studies do affirm its estrogenic activity3 and its effects on fertility and libido.

A Plethora of Benefits

Used properly, Cordyceps may be neuroprotective, upregulating neurotransmitters such as dopamine, and helping to relax the nervous system and restore the adrenals.4 Studies have shown the mushroom’s ability to attack rapidly-growing cells in vitro, but curiously, it does not interfere with normal cell replication. The active compound is cordycepin, which resembles the nucleotide adenosine so closely that it may interrupt biochemical reactions such as DNA replication in cancer cells or viral infections. Cordyceps also contains special polysaccharides that exhibit immune modulation and anti-tumor activity.

“Cordyceps can induce apoptosis, resist cell cycle and cause DNA damage in cancer cells; as well as induce autophagy, modulate the immune system, and inhibit tumor metastasis.”

– Rogers, Robert, Medicinal Mushrooms: The Human Clinical Trials

The mushroom, or fruiting body, of Cordyceps is rich in calcium, potassium, sulfur, and magnesium, as well as cordycepin, ergosterol, adenosine, adenine, D-mannitol, and pentostatin, all of which are being researched for their health-promoting and anti-cancer potential. Extracts of the mushroom have been shown to have the potential to inhibit angiogenesis, the process by which tumor cells grow a vascular blood supply; to reduce inflammation; and to promote nerve growth, suggesting benefit for the brain. Its energy-boosting properties are due to its ability to increase adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecule of cellular energy, by up to 28%.5 It may also suppress bone loss, reduce cholesterol, and increase insulin sensitivity, which in turn improves metabolic efficiency. Even the eggs of chickens that eat Cordyceps mushrooms are lower in cholesterol.6

“Experimental evidence based on polysaccharide extracts indicates that O. sinensis is able to improve brain function, and the powerful antioxidants superoxide dismutase and glutathione, which together with its beneficial effect on cardiovascular function, makes it an excellent supplement for the elderly.”

– Martin Powell, Medicinal Mushrooms: The Clinical Guide

Both superoxide dismutase and glutathione are produced endogenously (synthesized within the human body). They can work as part of the body’s primary defense network to neutralize harmful free radicals and oxidative stress. These antioxidants may be crucial for preventing disease and protecting long-term health.

“Increasing evidence shows that cordyceps is a bidirectional modulator with both potentiating and suppressive effects on the immune system through regulating innate and adaptive immunity.”7

Research also suggests the efficacy of Cordyceps may be mediated by the host immune system – that is, the human microbiome, which plays a supportive role in enabling the mushroom’s unique compounds. The mushroom works by activating, balancing, or signaling the human host’s own immune cells to do the work, but it cannot engage a deficient or dysregulated system.8 In addition, mushrooms are adaptogenic, acting gently and gradually over time. You can help Cordyceps help you by taking it consistently and eating a nutrient-dense diet rich in prebiotic fiber (non-starchy vegetables, dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and legumes) and fermented foods that feed your gut microbiome; and by exercising regularly (aerobic and weight-training) to increase circulation and stimulate detox pathways.

If you’re looking to increase your oxygen capacity and energy output, Cordyceps extract may be a good way to support your practice. Personally, I take Cordyceps in the summer, when I’m most active, adding swimming and hiking to my usual workouts. After a few weeks of daily use, I begin to feel that once I warm up and my energy is flowing, I can keep going forever.

Do you have an experience with Cordyceps that you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you! Respond directly to this post, or email info@catskillfungi.com.

If you find something that looks like a small cheese doodle in the woods, you’ll know what it is. Consider yourself lucky if wild Cordyceps crosses your path. In the meantime, you can purchase Catskill Fungi’s triple extraction of cultivated Cordyceps here.

The caterpillar fungus is a fascinating tale
Ingested by its host, the spores start to exhale
Control both direction and when it finally dies
Helps the fruiting body pop up between the eyes.
To some it seems incredible
That such a gruesome fate
Can help improve your sex life
Immunity and weight.
What existential twist can be so profound
As a moth consumed by mushrooms,
instead of the other way around?

– Robert Rogers, The Fungal Pharmacy

Yael Bernhard is production manager and mushroom walk leader for Catskill Fungi. She is also an integrative health & nutrition coach, with a special emphasis on herbal and fungal medicine; and a professional painter and illustrator – all of which she weaves together in her two Substacks: The Art of Health and Image of the Week.

We are delighted beyond words to announce the birth of the newest member of the Catskill Fungi family: Josephine Rose Michelotti was born on April 28 to proud parents Gabriela & John Michelotti. Welcome, baby Josephine! Here she’s shown with her very first morel.

Upcoming Mushroom Events

Mushroom Walk – Olive Free Library, West Shokan, NY
Tuesday, June 2, 2-4:30pm
Join us for this exciting mushroom walk and learn about the ecological functions of fungi, common edibles, medicinal mushrooms, historic uses, and present-day innovations of these fantastic fungi! FULLY BOOKED – Waiting list available.

Rhinebeck Crafts Festival – Dutchess County Fairgrounds
Saturday, June 6, 10:00am- 5:00pm
Visit our Mushroom Booth at the Rhinebeck Crafts Festival! Bring your mushrooms in to get identified by a certified wild mushroom forager.

Understanding Mushroom Toxins – New York Botanical Gardens Online
Wednesday, June 17, 6-8pm online
No mushroom is poisonous to the touch. Some emit fumes when cooked; others are edible as long as they are not consumed with alcohol. Knowing toxic lookalikes helps you feel confident when attempting to identify edible mushrooms in the wild. In this class, you’ll dispel myths and learn the truth about mushroom toxins as you review results from toxicology reports spanning 40 years.

Mushroom Foraging and Identification Walk with Hilltop Commons
Saturday, June 27, 12:00 pm- 8:00 pm
63 Huyck Rd, Rensselaerville, NY 12147
A full-day event of foraging, food & mushroom paper-making, followed by mushroom libations

July 4th Mushroom Walk, Cooking, and Tasting
Forage & Feast on Fungi in the Forest - Pine Hill, NY
Saturday, July 4, 10:00am- 1:30pm
8553 NY-28, Pine Hill, NY 12465
Join John Michelotti, Certified Mushroom Forager and Outdoor Guide, for an immersive journey into the fascinating world of mycology. This experience is designed to connect you directly with nature through the art of foraging, preparing, and enjoying the forest’s hidden treasures.

Mushroom & Plant Remedies: A Foraging Walk & Medicinal Tincture Workshop
With John Michelotti and Remedies Herb Founder Cheryl Boiko - Willow, NY
Saturday, July 11, 10:00am-3:00pm
Join John Michelotti from Catskill Fungi and Cheryl Boiko, owner of Remedies Herb Shop in Brooklyn and Woodstock, for a foraging walk and tincture-making workshop in the beautiful Catskill Mountains. John will share his endless enthusiasm and expertise of the fungal world as we explore the woods; in the afternoon, he will take us through the process of making a mushroom tincture for you to take home. As we wander, Cheryl will guide you on the local medicinal plants growing in the region, and you’ll have an opportunity to gather your own herbs to make and take home two handcrafted herbal tinctures.

Foraging Walk & Salve Workshop: Forage Plants and Fungi to Make Your Own Salve
With Kitty & John Michelotti, a sister-brother duo – Pine Hill, NY
Sunday, July 19, 10:00am- 12:30pm
Start the day with an herb and mushroom walk in the field and forest to harvest herbs and mushrooms for our salve. Learn about the medicinal value plants have for our skin and how they have been utilized throughout the Catskills. We will return to our kitchen to infuse our oils, mix in wax, and pour our containers to take home.

Medicinal Mushrooms: Fungi for a Healthy Body, Mind, and Planet
New York Botanical Garden - Online
Tuesday, July 21, 6:00- 7:30pm online
Emerging research suggests that mushrooms may be beneficial for brain and nerve health. Discover the properties of different species and learn where medicinal mushrooms occur locally. We’ll also discuss how fungi have been used to clean up toxins in the environment by filtering water and to remove heavy metals from soil. Find out how mushrooms can benefit your body and the health of our planet.

Friends of Fungi Foraging Retreat at Menla Mountain Resort

September 18-20 - Phoenicia, NY

Join the Catskill Fungi team for a weekend of fun, wonderment, and enlightenment as we delve into the forests of Menla and engage the fungal residents there. Take a hands-on approach to learn how to identify common fungi in the forest. Through using your senses, you will be acquainted with multiple species and confirm your IDs. Learn to sustainably harvest mushrooms in the forest, how to clean them, cook them, and eat them. We will also dehydrate mushrooms to make teas and medicinal tinctures. This ID-focused course is designed for beginner or Friends of Fungi alumni to take a deeper dive into befriending and foraging fungi.

Participants will learn to:

-Identify common edible and medicinal mushrooms

-Cook and eat wild and cultivated mushrooms

-Preserve and store mushrooms

-Make mushroom tinctures and extracts with medicinal mushrooms

Finish the weekend with:

-Confidence in identifying some edible, wild mushrooms

-Foraging hand lens and Mushroom journal

-Medicinal mushroom tinctures

-Dehydrated mushrooms

-Deeper connection with fungi, nature, self, and friends

Catskill Fungi at the Farmers’ Markets

We’ve got some New Products to share, including our Kindom T-shirt, a Catskill Fungi Coloring Book, a NYBG Flashcard Deck, and Wooden Mushrooms.

Kingston Farmers Market – every Saturday, 9 am-1 pm

Pakatakan / The Round Barn, Margaretville, NY – beginning May 16, every Saturday from 9 am-1 pm

Phoenicia Farmers Market, Parish Field, Phoenicia - every Sunday, 10 am-2 pm – find our extracts at the main information booth

Product Highlight

This deck was a collaborative effort by the New York Botanical Garden, Penguin Random House, and Catskill Fungi founder John Michelotti. The publisher contacted NYBG, whose mycologist put them in touch with John to pick the 100 most common mushrooms in the United States. NYBG supplied botanical illustrations to the mushrooms, and Penguin took the text from the Audbons Guide to North American Mushrooms, which John edited to fit the cards. It was a special collaboration as the Audubon Guide was written by John’s first mycological mentor, Gary Lincoff.

Pick up your Flashcard Deck to hold these stunning illustrations and learn about the many fungi we find in our forests!

Catskill Fungi mushroom extracts are always available on our website.

Subscribe for monthly or bi-monthly deliveries to ensure your consistent benefits from magnificent mushroom extracts.

Hire a Private Guide for a Foraging Walk

Do you have a private group, a special occasion, or would you like to explore the mushrooms growing on your own land? Invite your family and friends for a two-hour private mushroom walk. Find out more here, or email info@catskillfungi.com to make arrangements.

Springtime Foraging Finds

Spring came slowly this year, but the mushrooms are finally fruiting. We’re delighted to be out in the woods again! Here are some of our most recent finds:

This gigantic Morel (Morchella esculenta) was found in the Hudson Valley by a local farmer. True Morels are hollow on the inside and edible when cooked thoroughly.

The poisonous False Morel (Gyromitra esculenta) is easily distinguished from its edible counterpart by its wrinkled cap and solid interior.

These robust Winecap Stropharia (Stropharia rugosoannulata) fruit from wood chips in the spring. Notice the prominent ring around the stipe – the remnants of a protective veil that covers the gills while they’re forming. The dark red cap turns beige once exposed to sunlight.

This Common Brown Cup (Phylloscypha phyllogena) releases spores into the air when you exhale carbon dioxide onto it.

The Tinder Polypore (Fomes excavatus) is a tough perennial polypore that grows on hardwoods, usually birch. It is both parasitic and saprophytic, decomposing dead wood and breaking it down into soil.

The lovely Hexagonal Polypore (Neofavolus alveolaris) has beautiful honeycomb-like pores under its cap.

The Pheasantback (Cerioporus squamosus), a/k/a Dryad’s Saddle, is another springtime polypore. This delicious, nutty edible is only edible when young and soft; with age, they get rubbery and becomes too tough to eat.

Several Hare’s Foot Inkcap (Coprinopsis lagopus) in various stages of growth and decay. This curious mushroom autodigests, curling up into a star-like pattern.

Young oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) fruiting from a tree in Phoenicia, NY.

Last but not least, a tiny Orange Bonnet (Mycena acicula), only visible because of its brightly-colored cap.

Come join us for a fun-filled foraging adventure! Find all our events here.

by Yael Bernhard

Nature created cholesterol for good reasons. Cholesterol is a friendly fat produced in the liver and used as construction material for building cellular membranes, the structural sheathing of every cell in your body. Cholesterol also forms the basis of sterol hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol; as well as vitamin D, which is necessary for bone health, calcium absorption, immune function, nerve transmission, and more. This waxy substance is used to repair damage to the delicate linings of blood vessels resulting from injury, illness, inflammation, or wear and tear as we age. This is precisely why cholesterol is transported in the bloodstream: to deliver the building blocks of cellular repair wherever it’s needed. Lipoproteins such as HDL (high density lipoprotein), LDL (low density lipoprotein), and VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) are the postal carriers of these precious care packages.

When considering cholesterol levels, it’s important to focus on both production and elimination. The liver is constantly making cholesterol, taking it back from the blood, and sending out excess. Unwanted cholesterol is repurposed in an ingenious act of recycling – the liver converts it to bile acids, which are used to digest fats and then ushered out of the body together with soluble fiber – or in the absence of fiber, reabsorbed by the intestines. Lack of sufficient dietary fiber (25-35g/day) may therefore raise levels of cholesterol. Mushrooms contain a unique combination of both soluble and insoluble fiber, and while not abundant (roughly 2-3g per serving of cooked mushrooms), these fibers also come with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits that help keep cholesterol healthy.

“Mushrooms are an ideal food for diets designed to prevent cardiovascular disease, and have been extensively investigated for their potential therapeutic application in this regard.”

– Martin Powell, Medicinal Mushrooms: The Clinical Guide

Cholesterol itself may become damaged – that is, oxidized (inflamed), brittle, sticky, unstable, or impacted, thus becoming a danger to the very system it’s meant to protect. Oxidation occurs from insulin resistance and inflammation, which may arise from numerous causes, such as consuming inflammatory oils, factory-farmed meat, refined carbohydrates (sugar and starch), or alcohol; or from chronic stress, pathogenic infection, or exposure to toxins, heavy metals, mold, etc. Your immune system treats oxidized cholesterol as something dangerous, and turns it into “foam cells” that accumulate in artery walls and form unstable plaques that may rupture, causing a life-threatening blockage. This is a key step in atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), cardiovascular disease, Alzheimers disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders. Damaged or excess cholesterol must therefore be recycled or otherwise removed from circulation.

This is where mushrooms come into play as helpful allies. Mushrooms are anti-inflammatory, and aid in repairing all this damage by providing antioxidants that neutralize oxidative stress (see our article Understanding Mushroom Antioxidants for more on this subject). Certain mushrooms such as Oyster and Shiitake naturally contain statin-like molecules and soluble fiber, which act upon the cycle of cholesterol production and elimination, helping to maintain homeostasis before excess accumulates. Multiple studies have shown Oyster mushrooms may improve both glucose and lipid metabolism, modestly reducing both total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides.

Numerous other compounds are found in many mushrooms that are associated with reduced triglyceride and LDL cholesterol synthesis and increased cholesterol clearance. These include ergosterol, lovastatin, cordycepin, tocopherols, chitosan, ergothioneine, γ-aminobutyric acid, quercetin, and eritadenine – all described as essential bioactives with cardioprotective and hypotensive effects.

Some, such as eritadenine, do not directly reduce cholesterol synthesis, but rather work downstream to increase clearance and redistribution, moving cholesterol out of blood circulation and into tissues where it’s needed. Eritadenine may be thought of as a “lipid trafficking regulator.” Comparable to plant sterols, eritadenine has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol by 5-15% (while the effect of statin drugs is about 30-60%). Results vary significantly, depending on the individual’s diet and lifestyle.

Ergothioneine also works indirectly, exerting effects on plaque formation and stability, and protecting against cholesterol oxidation and endothelial (blood vessel lining) inflammation and dysfunction. By suppressing inflammation in vascular cells, ergothioneine reduces cholesterol-induced injury. Research links ergothioneine to lower triglyceride levels and reduced plaque buildup in arteries. In conjunction with a healthy diet and lifestyle, higher ergothioneine levels are associated with a 15% lower risk of coronary disease, and a 21% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality.

“The protective effect on inflammation in brain endothelial cells suggests that ergothioneine might be useful as a nutraceutical for the prevention or management of neurovascular diseases, such as stroke and vascular dementia. Moreover, the ability of ergothioneine to cross the blood-brain barrier could point to its usefulness in combatting . . . . neuroinflammation, e.g. after excitotoxicity, in chronic neurodegenerative diseases, and possibly COVID-19-related neurologic complications.”

– Neuromolecular Medicine, March 2021

The richest sources of ergothioneine are some of our favorite culinary mushrooms: Oyster, Shiitake, and Maitake, with 6-20mg per 100g of cooked mushrooms. It accumulates in tissues of the liver, brain, and endothelium; thus, regular consumption matters more than a single dose.

Reishi mushrooms and other Ganoderma species are also known to have favorable effects on triglycerides, LDL, HDL, VLDL, and total cholesterol. This is by way of ganoderic acid, a special triterpenoid that directly inhibits cholesterol biosynthesis in human hepatic cells.1 While not as powerful as statin drugs, ganoderic acid works by a different pathway, interrupting cholesterol production further down the line and therefore not impacting Coenzyme-Q10, the depletion of which causes the common side effects associated with prescription statins: muscle wasting, mitochondrial dysfunction, and impaired energy. Ganoderic acid is not water-soluble and may therefore only be extracted by alcohol or other solvents. It’s also what makes Reishi mushrooms taste bitter. The best source is a liquid extract, which may be more convenient than culinary mushrooms for regular intake. Catskill Fungi is proud to produce a high quality liquid extract of sustainably-foraged wild Reishi mushrooms, which provides all the medicinal components of the fruiting bodies in a combined alcohol-based extract, cold-water infusion, and hot-water decoction.

While not a magic bullet, mushrooms are important protectors of cholesterol integrity and helpers in maintaining a healthy lipid profile. Both directly and indirectly, they exert a positive influence through your digestive system, your immune system, and your detoxification system. Not only your blood vessels but your entire body benefits from the many gifts of mushrooms. Unlike drugs, mushrooms do not have side effects (unless there is an allergy). On the contrary, their benefits accumulate over time, building a relationship with our bodies slowly and patiently. Like the silent growth of mycelium throughout the forest, mushrooms have a way of growing into our bodies and our lives, integrating us with the natural world around us. It’s all good.

Yael Bernhard is production manager, writer, and mushroom walk leader for Catskill Fungi. She is also an integrative health & nutrition coach, with a special emphasis on herbal and fungal medicine; and a professional painter and illustrator – all of which she weaves together in her two Substacks: The Art of Health and Image of the Week.

Key references (see also footnotes below):

• Oyster mushroom clinical review:

  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32316680/

• Shiitake randomized controlled trial:

  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34375514/

• Oyster mushroom human intervention:

  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464610000630

• Mechanistic animal study (oyster mushroom):

  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9221192/

• Reishi meta-analysis (lipids):

  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38116485/

• Review of mushroom bioactives:

  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9841694/

• Eritadenine and lipid metabolism:

  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12834276/

  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0006295274904341

  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316622019368

  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0021915073900397

  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/095528639400017G

• Ergothioneine and oxidized cholesterol:

  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33067719/

Catskill Fungi extracts are always available online.
Order here.

See you in the woods!

by Yael Bernhard

When people think about mushrooms, it’s usually culinary attributes or medicinal properties that come to mind. But what of their nutritional value? Mushrooms provide all the basic macronutrients – protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fiber – as well as micronutrients such as minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and polyphenols. Let’s take a look at the nutritional profile of some of the most common culinary mushrooms: Shiitake (Lentinula edodes), Maitake (Grifola frondosa), Oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus), Lions Mane (Hericium erinaceus or Hericium americanus), and common button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus).

All values given are per 100g (1/2 to 3/4 cup) of cooked mushrooms.

Protein

As the most prevalent nutrient in the human body, protein couldn’t be more important. Protein makes up your muscles, bones, connective tissue, blood, immune system, many hormones, enzymes, and more. Mushrooms contain only modest amounts of protein, but as a natural accompaniment to high-protein dishes, they can augment the total amount. At 2.8-4g (per 100g cooked), Oyster mushrooms contain the highest amount of protein, followed by button mushrooms (1.8-3g), Shiitake (1.3-3.2g) , Lions Mane (1.5-2g), and Maitake (1.6-2g).1 Many people do not get enough protein, so every gram counts!

The unique “umami” (meat-like) flavor of mushrooms is also due to protein: the amino acid glutamine, combined with a nucleotide known as GMP (guanosine monophosphate). Cooking or drying mushrooms increases this savory effect, which is even further enhanced by roasting. Shiitake mushrooms have the highest concentrations of GMP, while oysters are moderate and button mushrooms are comparatively low.2

Fat

Mushrooms contain small amounts of polyunsaturated fat, as well as ergosterol, a sterol-based fat that may be converted into vitamin D. More fat is absorbed (by both the mushrooms and your body) if they’re cooked in healthy fat, such as coconut oil or butter. Heat-tolerant fruit oils (coconut or avocado) or animal fats (grass-fed butter, tallow, ghee) are preferable to vegetable and seeds oils, which are fragile, heat-sensitive, and inflammatory. Oyster and Lions Mane contain the most fat (.3-.6g), followed by button mushrooms (.3-.5g), and Maitake and Shiitake (.2-.5g).3

Carbohydrates

Using powerful enzymes produced by their hyphae (growing tips of mycelium), fungi break down organic matter such as wood, sawdust, or decaying leaves, and harvest the carbohydrates produced by photosynthesis. These plant sugars are transformed and repurposed to build the structural cell walls of mushrooms. Fungal carbohydrates consist mainly of insoluble fiber known as chitin, as well as beta-glucans, mannitol, and small amounts of trehalose (sugar). The fruiting body of the mycelium – the mushroom itself – contains a surprising amount of carbohydrates – in terms of percentage, as much as 87% of its total mass – but unlike sucrose, fructose, and maltose (found in grains), these are beneficial carbs that do not spike blood sugar. Shiitake mushrooms contain the most carbs (12-14g), followed by Maitake (9-11g), Lions Mane (8-10g), Oyster (6-8g), and button mushrooms (4-5g).4

If you’re on a low-carb diet, bear in mind that mushrooms provide fiber and non-starchy carbs that are processed differently than grain-based or refined sugars. The glycemic index of Shiitake mushrooms, for example, is very low – just 10-15 on the GI scale. Anything below 30 is considered low (compare this to the GI score of bananas: 40-55; or a slice of whole wheat bread: 69-74). Even in a world of far too much sugar, few people need concern themselves with the carbs in mushrooms.

Fiber

Though not technically a nutrient, fiber is essential for human health. Fiber plays a key role in regulating the rate of digestion, the secretion of insulin, the processing of bile, and the elimination of cholesterol. Mushroom fiber is prebiotic, containing carbohydrates that are non-digestible: beta-glucans, chitin, mannan, galactan, xylan, and other polysaccharides. Because your body can’t digest these insoluble fibers, they reach the colon intact, where beneficial bacteria ferment them. This fermentation produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate – a post-biotic that offers many benefits. Butyrate supports gut lining integrity, which in turn helps to prevent autoimmune conditions that arise from “leaky gut.” It also reduces inflammation in the gut, which helps to regulate immune function. Two-thirds of your immune system is produced in your gut, as this is your internal interface with the outside world. Your digestive tract acts as a sensing organ that constantly transmits data to your brain via the gut-brain axis. Out of this cross-talk comes your immune system. Mushroom polysaccharides play a supportive role in the process. There’s even a fascinating emerging idea that mushrooms may act as “microbiome training foods,” gradually selecting for microbes that specialize in fungal polysaccharides and phenolics.5 We already know mushroom fiber feeds notable bacterial species such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. renowned for its anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and brain-enhancing effects (see my article “Life As a Holobiont” for more on this subject). Some researchers think this may partly explain the health associations seen in populations that eat mushrooms regularly.

Anthropologists have proposed that fungi were regular foods in prehistoric diets. If so, microbes capable of metabolizing fungal cell walls could have been selectively maintained in the human microbiome, and later lost in populations consuming low-diversity modern diets. Regular mushroom consumption may therefore help restore ecological niches that are otherwise underused.

The prebiotic fiber in mushrooms is gentle on digestion, producing less gas than others such as inulin, which may present problems for people who are sensitive to fiber from resistant starch or FODMAPs.

Among the mushrooms profiled here, Shiitakes have the highest amount of fiber (2.5-3.5g in the cap, 4-6g in the stem); Maitake and Lions Mane contain 3-4g; Oyster contains 2-3g; and button mushrooms have the lowest fiber, just 1.5-2g.6

Vitamins & Minerals

Mushrooms are also a good source of vitamins and minerals, with high levels of riboflavin (B2), niacin, folate, and trace amounts of vitamins C, B1, B12, and E. These micronutrients play a crucial role as cofactors in the trillions of enzymatic reactions that keep your body alive every second. Among these, folate is highest in Oyster and Lions Mane (25-40mcg); copper is highest in Shiitake (1mg – considered very high); selenium is highest in button mushrooms (15-20mcg); potassium is high (250-400mcg) in all but Lions Mane; and phosphorus, niacin (B3) and iron are highest in Oyster mushrooms (120mg).7

Mushroom vitamin D content depends heavily on UV exposure. Some commercial mushrooms are not exposed to before sale, leading to low baseline vitamin D. You can expose your mushrooms to sunlight before cooking them (4-6 hours of direct light, longer through a window, gills up) to accumulate vitamin D.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are crucial for neutralizing oxidative stress, the underlying cause of inflammation and many chronic diseases. These marvelous compounds scavenge free radicals, chelate metal ions, reduce inflammation and mitigate the cellular damage caused by oxidative stress. Antioxidants vary from mushroom to mushroom, partly depending on the environment in which the mushrooms grow. Cooking is generally known to destroy antioxidants – but mushroom antioxidants are unique, perhaps due to the ability of the mushroom itself to withstand harsh conditions. Their most valuable antioxidants are ergothioneine and glutathione – your “master antioxidant” (see our article “Understanding Mushroom Antioxidants” for more on this subject). In mushrooms, these are heat-stable phenolic compounds with a core structure containing a strong aromatic ring. Because of this unique structure, unlike the antioxidants in plants, the capacity of those in mushrooms may even increase after short cooking.

Cooking Techniques

With few exceptions, mushrooms should always be cooked in order to break their cell walls, which contain chitin, the same substance that makes up beetle and mollusk shells. Without sufficient heat, the nutrients inside the cell are not fully available and cannot be assimilated. This includes beta-glucans, which are trapped inside the chitinous cell walls; antioxidants; minerals; and protein. Depending on the technique, cooking increases nutrient accessibility by 20-75%.8 Boiling and frying, however, may lose nutrients into the water or oil. And as with all foods, cooking may reduce vitamin C and B vitamins. Light sautéing, microwaving, or short steaming preserves these heat-sensitive, water-soluble micronutrients.

No wonder the ancient Romans referred to mushrooms as the “Food of the Gods!” Mushrooms provide an impressive array of nutrients needed for good health and robust immunity. They are low-calorie, versatile, and rich in health-promoting properties. As sources of vital nutrients and bioactive compounds, the inclusion of mushrooms in your diet is healthy for many systems of the body. This is truly where food becomes medicine, and medicine becomes food. From a holistic perspective, what could be better?

Yael Bernhard is production manager and mushroom walk leader for Catskill Fungi, as well as an integrative health & nutrition coach. Find her nutrition newsletter, The Art of Health, here.

Catskill Fungi extracts are available online and in local stores and farmers’ markets. Find our calendar of mushroom foraging walks, workshops, and other events here.

The Miracle of Maitake

by Yael Bernhard

Among medicinal mushroom products, Maitake (Grifola frondosa) has never been a star. Rather, the lion’s share of limelight seems to go to Lion’s Mane, with Reishi and Cordyceps close behind. These popularity trends are based more on marketing strategies and internet buzz than on credible science. Each of these mushrooms rank high in terms of their own strengths. At Catskill Fungi, we’re on a mission to educate our readers about Maitake, for this amazing mushroom truly merits higher standing.

As both a culinary and medicinal mushroom, Maitake is rich in health-promoting compounds. In terms of antioxidants and immune-activating beta-glucans (complex sugars that make up the structural fiber of mushroom cell walls), Maitake ranks higher than its culinary compatriots, Oyster and Shiitake mushrooms. Specifically, Maitake possesses unique D-fraction glucans, which have the strongest immunological effects. These potent polysaccharides have a special branching pattern that yields insulin-sensitizing properties. D-fraction appears to increase insulin receptor activity as well as stimulate the body’s ability to pull glucose out of the blood without insulin.1 This insulin-independent pathway is also stimulated by the muscle contractions and increased respiration of high-intensity exercise. Without a doubt, exercise is the strongest insulin sensitizer we have, which no mushroom or drug can ever match – but Maitake may act as a powerful adjunct.

Maitake’s D-fractions work by activating compounds that increase mitochondrial density. Mitochondria are the microscopic organelles where cellular respiration takes place, converting glucose and oxygen into usable energy. Mitochondrial health is the foundation of stable energy and metabolic resilience, and the subject of cutting-edge cancer research. Maitake’s cytoprotective effects on mitochondria lower inflammation and improve metabolic signaling pathways throughout the body, thereby correlating with lower cardiovascular risk and lower risk of cancer.2 These diseases are increasingly understood to be metabolic disorders that arise at the cellular level from dysfunctional mitochondria.

Maitake’s glucans also lower inflammatory cytokines, reduce oxidative stress inside adipocytes (fat tissue), and even increase the production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the colon that safeguard healthy gene expression and protect colon health. Maitake also increases sensitivity to leptin, the hormone that signals satiety, helping to rebalance energy, curb appetite, and optimize glucose metabolism. Maitake has shown consistent glucose-lowering and insulin-sensitizing effects in animal studies, as well as significant improvements in people with type 2 diabetes. If you are already insulin-sensitive, however, Maitake will not push your glucose even lower – it just makes your system run cleaner.3

Maitake’s benefits don’t stop there. It is also one of the richest dietary sources of ergothioneine, a sulfur-containing amino acid that behaves as a targeted cellular protectant. Once absorbed, ergothioneine concentrates in tissues with high oxidative stress, high mitochondrial activity (energy turnover), and high damage risk – especially neurons, the lens of the eye, liver hepatocytes, and red and white blood cells. It acts as a mitochondrial shield, a heavy-metal chelator, and a persistent antioxidant that is not quickly depleted.

Animals cannot synthesize this unique amino acid, and plants contain only trace amounts – yet curiously, we humans have a dedicated transporter whose primary job is to absorb ergothioneine. This transporter is highly selective and is expressed primarily in your intestinal lining to aid with absorption, and in the liver, kidneys, brain, bone marrow, immune cells, and eyes. Such specialization is highly unusual and suggests we are evolved to consume ergothioneine regularly. Some researchers have proposed regular consumption of ergothioneine as a potent “longevity vitamin” (as with all proteins, however, the isolate form may not act the same).

Like many medicinal mushrooms, Maitake is also hepatoprotective, with studies showing protection from liver damage in mice.4 Studies in China found that D-fraction inhibits the virus. Lab studies have also demonstrated an anti-hypertensive effect, possibly due to another compound in this remarkable mushroom, SX fraction, which may also lower blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels.5 This glycoprotein regulates cell membrane activity, allowing for proper nutrient absorption and normal cellular exchange.6

Maitake does not act as a drug; its effects are modulatory and adaptogenic, harmonizing biochemical processes over time rather than directly inhibiting glucose production. Unless you’re allergic to mushrooms, there are no known side effects.

As a culinary mushroom, cultivated Maitake is available in farm stands and the produce section of many food stores. Also known as Hen of the Woods for its frilly appearance (not to be confused with Laetiporus sulphureus, Chicken of the Woods), wild Maitake mushrooms fruit in early autumn from the base of mature oaks. Exposure to the elements can render wild mushrooms potentially more potent but also less consistent than their cultivated counterparts. For metabolic support, 1/2 to 1 cup of cooked mushrooms 2-4x per week provides a sufficient dose. Do not eat Maitake mushrooms raw.

Catskill Fungi’s triple extraction of wild Maitake provides both alcohol and water-soluble compounds, in a stable liquid form that is highly absorbable. Extracts are most convenient for regular use. Order online, or find our local retail outlets here.

In Japanese, “Maitake” means “dancing mushroom,” referring perhaps to the inclination to dance for joy upon finding it in the wild. In China, where it is used as an adjunctive cancer therapy, it is known as Hui Shu Hua. Over 100 Chinese studies7 attest to its antioxidant, anti-viral, anti-diabetic, and anti-tumor effects – especially against breast, lung, and liver cancer. In vitro studies have also shown regression in kidney, prostate, and bladder cancer cells. Vitamin C appears to have a synergistic effect.8

Indeed, there is hardly a health condition that Maitake does not touch upon. Drawing upon the heartwood of oaks and the nutrients of the forest, it is truly a gift of nature. We are overjoyed when we find this miraculous mushroom!

Here in the Catskills, Maitake has two lookalikes: the beautiful Umbrella Polypore (Polyporus umbellatus), another choice edible, and the Black-Staining Polypore (Meripilus sumstinei), also edible but not quite so palatable. Always triple-identify wild mushrooms before cooking and eating them (see our article What Do We Mean By Triple Identify?). With its frilly mass of fungal petals, Maitake is also an important food source and habitat for insects, rodents, and salamanders. Fortunately, it can grow quite large, so there’s plenty to share.

Do you have a story to share about Maitake? We love to hear from our readers and customers! Respond directly to this article, or email info@catskillfungi.com.

Yael Bernhard is a production manager, writer, and mushroom walk leader for Catskill Fungi. She is also an integrative health & nutrition coach, with a special emphasis on herbal and fungal medicine; and a professional painter and illustrator – all of which she weaves together in her two Substacks: The Art of Health and Image of the Week.

Catskill Fungi extracts are available online, or may be found in local stores. Find our calendar of mushroom foraging walks, workshops, and other events here.

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Amazing Amanitas

By Yael Bernhard

In his book Amanitas of North America, mycologist Britt Bunyard quotes his 19th-century predecessor Charles McIlvaine, a Civil War veteran and pioneer in the field of mycology. McIlvaine described Amanita mushrooms as “the most beautiful and conspicuous of fungi.”1 It would be nearly a century before scientists would even distinguish fungi from plants, yet McIlvaine’s early writings on mycology helped lay the foundations for what is today an increasingly popular and rapidly expanding field. “Amanitas are the aristocrats of fungi,” he wrote. “Their noble bearing, their beauty, their power for good or evil, and above all their perfect structure, have placed them first in their realm.”

The human fascination with mushrooms has centered around Amanitas since long before McIlvaine’s time, and has continued to this day. The well-known “emoji mushroom” is found on all manner of merchandise, including jewelry, clothing, linens, kitchenware, accessories, and more. Perhaps it’s the bright colors sported by some species, or the bold white spots that attract our eyes. Or maybe it’s the mystery that surrounds this mushroom that was used by shamans in Siberia to access other forms of consciousness. Is it a medicine, a psychedelic, or a poison? Are Amanitas edible, or not? What is their role in the forest? How do we identify this strange mushroom that is found all over the planet but takes so many different forms?

By learning about the “perfect structure” (morphology) of Amanitas, we also learn about mushrooms in general. Like all mushrooms, they are the fruiting bodies of a living mycelium that grows as an underground network of living hyphae (filaments). Like all mushrooms, they have a hymenium (spore-bearing or fertile undersurface), in this case formed as gills that radiate under the cap from a central stipe (stem). Amanitas have “free” gills, meaning they are not attached to the stipe. Generally mycorrhizal, they grow in symbiotic partnership with trees – typically conifers, oaks, beech, or linden. Minerals in the soil are broken down by powerful enzymes produced by the hyphae, and exchanged for plant sugars, which are photosynthesized by the tree. Neither mushroom nor tree can survive without the other.

Amanitas may be recognized even before they emerge from the earth, as the mushroom fruits from an egg-like sac known as a volva. You might see such an egg protruding from the forest floor, or breaking through a grassy lawn near trees. If you dig it up and slice it in half, you’ll see the primordia (baby mushroom) forming inside. Most Amanitas retain a bulbous base from this volva as they elongate and mature; some do not.

As the mushroom grows, its fertile surface is covered by a protective veil, which breaks away as the cap opens and matures, leaving behind a distinctive annulus or “skirt” that clings to the stipe. Again, there are exceptions to this rule.

Color and markings also vary from species to species. The famous white patches on top of Amanitas are actually remnants of the volva sac, also known as a “universal veil.” These white patches cling to the cap, but are not attached – you can push them off with your fingernail. But not all amanitas have these patches, and some may have remnants that resemble a ragged sheath or skullcap instead. The infamous Deathcap (A. phalloïdes) is one example (see photo below).

Amanitas are responsible for 90% of mushroom-induced fatalities,2 so it is well worth learning the characteristics of individual species. They tend to be large and conspicuous, so with some experience you can learn to distinguish their macroscopic features. Often it is the shape and texture of the stipe (stem) that is most telling; for example A. fulva sports a coarse woolly texture along its stipe, from which its nickname “grisette” (meaning “grey wool dress”) is derived. Examining the mushroom’s spores under a microscope is another technique, and sometimes the only way to make a positive identification. Staining the mushroom with a dilute solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH) or iodine provides clues as well.

Here in the Catskills, the most common Amanita mushrooms we find include the Eastern Fly Agaric or Amanita muscaria in yellow and orange variants; A. multisquamosa (the “White Panther,” formerly A. pantherina); A. jacksonii (American Caesar’s Mushroom); A. amerirubescens (the “Eastern Blusher”) and variants; A. flavorubens (the “Yellow Blusher”); A. flavoconia (“Yellow Patches”); A. vaginata, (“Grisette”), and A. fulva (“Tawny Grisette”). There are dozens of other species, and with the help of DNA sequencing, more subspecies are being discovered.

Perhaps the most widespread and deadly Amanita is the infamous Death Cap. Due to its ability to partner with a variety of trees, Amanita phalloides is known to grow on every continent except Antarctica. Up to 95% of mushroom poisoning deaths may be attributed to this mushroom, perhaps because it resembles several other species that are edible, particularly on the West Coast. Several fatal poisonings have recently taken place in California. It’s yellowish or greenish-yellow tint is worth noting, but not dependable as an identifying characteristic. An attitude of “better safe than sorry” is a wise choice, as a single mushroom cap containing just a few thousandths of a gram is enough to kill an average adult. A lethal dose may be as little as .1mg per kg of human body weight. According to Britt Bunyard, 1 gram (about a teaspoon) of the purified toxin could kill “an entire symphony orchestra.”3

Equally deadly is A. bisporigera, the Eastern Destroying Angel, which fruits among hardwoods. This slender white mushroom has a tapered stipe with a lovely skirt. Its elegant appearance belies the deadly effects of its amatoxins, virotoxins, and phallotoxins. These poisons afflict almost 8000 people each year worldwide, of which roughly 50% are severe or fatal. With swift medical intervention, fatalities may be as low as 10%, but survivors often suffer permanent organ damage, particularly to the liver.

How do these potent poisons work? Amatoxins shut down the action of the cellular enzyme RNA-polymerase, which is responsible for the transcription of DNA into messenger RNA. Without this life-sustaining biochemical pathway, cells cannot synthesize proteins, which are crucial to cellular functioning, and the cell soon dies. Symptoms do not set in right away, as there is a “latency period” in which the liver and kidneys are silently being destroyed. Without rapid intervention (often a liver transplant) within 48 hours of ingestion, severe vomiting, bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, chills, and other symptoms of liver failure will ensue, and quickly lead to coma and death.

Do not follow the example of squirrels and chipmunks that gleefully nibble on Amanita mushrooms in your yard! These animals produce special enzymes that neutralize the amatoxins that are poisonous to people and pets. Amanitas are also an important food source for insects.

Other mushrooms, such as the Deadly Galerina (G. marginata and G. autumnalis – see photo below) and certain Lepiota and Conocybe mushrooms are also known to contain amatoxins. These mushrooms do not announce their toxicity with bold colors, foul odors, or bitter tastes, which are somewhat more common among poisonous plants. Rather, your best protection is education and a cautious attitude. As one of our mentors put it:

“It’s of the utmost importance to be 100 percent certain of your identification of any mushroom you think is a choice edible.” – Gary Lincoff 4

Much folklore surrounds Amanitas, ranging from old tales of Santa Claus (some say his red and white garb comes from bright red Amanitas, suggesting the tale has roots in the ancient winter solstice rituals of shamans in the Arctic regions) to the story of Alice in Wonderland to the botanical art of Beatrix Potter (see image above). The cultural value of these beautiful mushrooms and their benefits to trees and small creatures are indisputable. There is culinary value as well, as certain species of Amanitas are sought after as highly prized edibles in Asian and European cuisine. In addition, muscarines and other substances in A. muscaria have been isolated and used as dissociatives but falsely marketed as psychedelics (however, reader beware: muscarine poisoning, though not always fatal, is quite serious5). It is beyond the scope of this article to recommend or even distinguish these species or their usage. We strongly discourage our readers and participants from ingesting Amanita mushrooms in any form. At the same time, we encourage you to learn about these amazing mushrooms, and to appreciate the crucial role they play in the fields and forests that surround your home. Amanitas are safe to touch, and wonderful to photograph.

We love Amanitas! Any friend of the forest is a friend of ours. At Catskill Fungi, we lead mushroom walks from late May to early November so you can learn about mushrooms, recognize their identifying characteristics, and understand how to forage safely. During the off-season, we offer indoor and online educational events about fungi and fungal medicine. Winter is a wonderful time for learning. And when it comes to the fascinating world of fungi, there is always more to learn.

Yael Bernhard is production manager, writer, and mushroom walk leader for Catskill Fungi. She is also an integrative health & nutrition coach, with a special emphasis on herbal and fungal medicine; and a professional painter and illustrator – all of which she weaves together in her two Substacks: The Art of Health and Image of the Week.

Spotlight on Chaga: The Curious Conk

by Yael Bernhard

The first time I saw Chaga, I thought I was looking at a chunk of pavement stuck to a tree. Black as charcoal and hard as rock, Inonotus obliquus seems more like a mineral than anything organic. Also known as the Clinker Polypore, this curious fungus is not a mushroom, but a sterile conk, canker, or sclerotium that grows exclusively on birch. Chaga is a parasitic fungus that does no favor to the tree, often growing in a wound in the bark and slowly contributing to the tree’s demise. But along the way, it draws betulinic acids and other substances from the heartwood, and transforms them into powerful compounds that are beneficial for humans.1

Rich in antioxidants and prized for its immune-modulating activity, Chaga has been used as a folk medicine in Asia for centuries. In Russia, it is typically simmered for tea in a pot that sits on a wood stove through the long winters of the boreal forests. When the tea reaches the color of black coffee, it’s poured off and the water is replenished. A single piece of chaga may yield dozens of pots of tea. Once exhausted, the black mass may be dried, pounded into a poultice, and used externally to inhibit infection and promote healing.2

Chaga contains numerous polysaccharides (complex sugars), triterpenoids, triterpenes, melano-glucans, sterols, and inositol (vitamin B1), among other healing constituents. It was originally used as a remedy for tuberculosis, ulcers, and digestive ailments. Today it’s known for its healing effects on the intestines, which also extends to skin health. In vitro studies of betulinic acid have shown it to be effective against a wide variety of cancers;3 and in 1955 a drug called Befungin was approved as a cancer treatment in Russia. In the 1970s and 80s, studies were conducted on the effects of Chaga on peptic ulcers and psoriasis. In the 1990s, several studies showed Chaga’s anti-viral activity against HIV and influenza, as well as analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties; and in the early 2000s a study showed Chaga’s hypoglycemic, anti-lipidemic, and anticoagulant potential – all of which merit the ongoing scientific research that is slowly shedding light on this mysterious fungus.4

Chaga is purported to be the richest source of antioxidants in the world,5 exceeding other food sources by a factor of 50. Antioxidants are crucial for preventing the DNA damage implicated in chronic inflammation, abnormal cell growth, and cognitive decline. One study on Chaga extract showed a 40% reduction in DNA fragmentation compared to controls,6 while another demonstrated a significant reduction in oxidative stress in lymphocytes from IBD patients.7

Chaga grows very slowly, and care should be taken to harvest it sustainably. The conks are so condensed, a little bit goes a long way. While Chaga is not uncommon here in the Catskills and Hudson Valley, it should not be taken without good reason, nor depleted at any one source.

Catskill Fungi’s triple extraction of Chaga is mindfully made in small batches, drawing out all the health-promoting components that are soluble in alcohol, by hot water decoction, and by cold water infusion.

Like most mushrooms, Chaga is adaptogenic and confers its benefits gradually and cumulatively. Fungal mycelium grows slowly, penetrating its chosen substrate over many months and extending the web of life that interconnects life in the forest. Similarly, it takes time for our fungal allies to improve our health. Herbal and fungal medicine is a patient practice, suitable for the long winter months. Consistency is key. Sipping Chaga tea or taking the tincture daily, we are graced with its gentle blessings.

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Yael Bernhard is production manager, writer, and mushroom walk leader for Catskill Fungi. She is also an integrative health & nutrition coach, with a special emphasis on herbal and fungal medicine; and a professional painter and illustrator – all of which she weaves together in her two Substacks: The Art of Health and Image of the Week.

Catskill Fungi extracts are available online, or may be found in local stores. Find our calendar of mushroom foraging walks, workshops, and other events here.

“Few mushrooms have as many properties beneficial to humans and the environment as this one.”

– Paul Stamets, Mycelium Running

By Yael Bernhard

An old woman returns from the forest to her cabin on the banks of a river in Siberia. She reaches into a fish skin pouch and pulls out a handful of flat, fan-shaped fungi. The fungi’s surface is finely fuzzy, with wavy stripes of brown, beige and white. The pale undersides are cream-colored and smooth. The woman breaks the leathery fungi into pieces and drops them in a cast iron pot, to be cooked with wild boar meat to make a healing broth. Her pouch is decorated with the same striped mushrooms, dried and sewn in place to form a scalloped edge.

In the mountains of northern Mexico, a young mother drops a similar mushroom into a wooden mortar. She grinds the dried fungus into powder, then adds cornmeal and water to make a paste. She applies the healing paste to an inflamed rash on her baby’s skin.

Near the coast of British Columbia, a team of forest workers creates a protective barrier around an old-growth forest that is threatened by destructive fungi. Using a special mixture of wood pulp inoculated with the mycelium of the same fan-shaped mushroom, they introduce the robust competitor to the perimeter of the forest.

This versatile and beneficial fungus is Trametes versicolor, formerly known as Coriolus versicolor. The epithet of the Latin name refers to the multicolored stripes that vary from buff to brown, grey, or black, resembling the tail of a wild turkey – thus giving this ubiquitous mushroom the common name of Turkey Tail. Other English names include Little Nest Polypore, Anise Polypore, and Fairy Bench. In Japan it is known as kawaratake, and in China it is called yun zhi – “rain cloud mushroom.”

Turkey Tail is one of the most common mushrooms in the world. As a saprophytic (decomposer) shelf or “bracket” fungus, it thrives on many types of dead wood. Its stripes may be silky or fuzzy. Its parchment-like underside is covered with fine pores. Turkey Tail is prized for both its chemical content and its decorative potential.

Healing Benefits

Turkey Tail’s uses are as diverse as its colors, and it is likely the most studied mushroom in the world – mostly for its immune-enhancing and anti-carcinogenic properties. It is the subject of hundreds of clinical trials. A licensed cancer treatment in Japan known as Krestin is derived from Turkey Tail; and fermented mycelial preparations of Turkey Tail’s polysaccharides PSK and PSP have been used in Asia to suppress angiogenesis, the growth of blood vessels that supply tumors.1 According to renowned mycologists Paul Stamets and Martin Powell, when used properly by trained professionals, PSK and PSP reduce the toxic side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, helping to potentiate these treatments. Study after study shows significant improvement in patients treated with these polysaccharides, whether alone or as an adjunct to conventional approaches.2

Traditionally, the mushroom has been simmered in teas and soups for its antimicrobial properties. It’s too tough and leathery to eat, but imparts its water-soluble benefits into broth. Other components must be drawn out with alcohol. Used correctly, Turkey Tail’s medicinal compounds may inhibit viruses by modifying viral receptors and stimulating the production of interferon, interleukin-2, IgG, and T-cells. PSK has also been researched for its effectiveness against the HIV virus, E. coli, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Candida albicans, Listeria, and other pathogens. PSK is also a scavenger of free radical oxidizing compounds, and may even enhance the potency of antibiotics against drug-resistant bacteria such as MRSA.3

Turkey Tail has also been shown to support the cardiovascular system and the function of the liver and spleen. Some people report it soothes skin rashes, and accelerates the healing of burns. One mushroom within the genus, Trametes sanguinea, even shows promise in producing a more powerful type of morphine – one which would be far more difficult to transform into heroine than the thebaine-rich poppy currently used. T. versicolor and T. sanguine also contain a quinoline compound, which is active against malaria. Cinnibarin extracted from this mushroom is being studied for its effectiveness against the rabies virus.4

More research is needed on this marvelous mushroom!

Environmental Benefits

Turkey Tail shows much promise in remediating toxins and restoring environmental health. By using T. versicolor to create a competitive barrier, mycologist Paul Stamets has created a method for resisting blights that can overtake an entire forest. Burlap sacks filled with sawdust on which the mushroom is cultivated may be used for “mycofiltration,” filtering toxic metals such as mercury, organophosphates (insecticides), PCPs, harmful bacteria, chlorine effluence, and more.5

In the laboratory, researchers are studying the genome of this common fungus. Gene expression and enzymatic pathways vary from subspecies to subspecies, and according to the host environment. Native strains of Turkey Tail are so diverse, almost every forest of the world could have a local cultivation.

A Global Mushroom

Turkey Tail mushrooms may be found wherever trees grow, and wherever they have died. It is most likely to be found from late spring through early winter, from northern boreal forests to temperate, subtropical and even tropical regions. In indigenous cultures around the world, the multicolored, overlapping fans of Turkey Tail have been incorporated into works of art, strung on necklaces, sewn onto clothing, and used as decorative enhancements on shields. Truly, Turkey Tail’s diversity matches its variegated form. Its beautiful patterns fan out in concentric ripples, spreading its benefits everywhere.

Next time you walk in the woods, you might notice what looks like clusters of curved shingles clinging to a fallen log or a rotting stump. Whatever subspecies of Turkey Tail thrives near you, consider yourself blessed. With its wide range of healing and mycorestorative properties, this tough little polypore is not found on your Thanksgiving table, but is truly something to be thankful for.

Catskill Fungi makes a high quality triple extraction from the fruiting body of Turkey Tail mushrooms in 2oz bottles. Find it online or at local stores that carry our extracts.

Yael Bernhard is production manager, writer, and mushroom walk leader for Catskill Fungi. She is also an integrative health & nutrition coach, with a special emphasis on herbal and fungal medicine; and a professional painter and illustrator – all of which she weaves together in her two Substacks: The Art of Health and Image of the Week.

By Yael Bernhard

All photos by Yael Bernhard unless otherwise noted.

Mushrooms are weird. They pop up out of the ground and grow into strange and fleshy forms overnight – and may just as quickly decay and disappear back into the earth. Take the Shaggy Mane mushroom shown above, for example – it appeared one day in front of the Catskill Fungi commercial kitchen, and by the end of the day had begun to autodigest, liquifying itself into black inky ooze in a process known as deliquescing. You can practically watch this happen, as the mushroom progresses from a choice edible – delicious when eaten young – to a dripping mass of black decay.

Next come the Stinkhorns, which disperse their spores by attracting insects with a stinky, slimy ooze. This Club-Shaped Stinkhorn hides its green goo inside until it’s ready to break open.

The more common, phallic and grandiose Stinkhorn is aptly named Phallus impudicus:

Then there’s the rare and beautiful Wrinkled Peach, which looks like a fungal spaceship. This mushroom has been found only once by the Catskill Fungi team, growing on a humble log:

Next comes the pale and eerie Ghost Pipe – not a fungus at all, but a parasitic mycoheterotrophic plant that steals nutrients from the mycelium of Russula mushrooms:

Clinging like a hand reaching from the grave, this creepy “Candle Snuff” fungus (Xylaria hypoxlon) was found fruiting on a piece of firewood:

Eek! This Gibellula sp. fungus is growing on a SPIDER! 😱 Say no more . . . but if you want to learn more about entomopathogenic fungi that fruit from insects, click here.

The “Old Man of the Woods” (Strobilomyces spp.) is a type of bolete mushroom, with a soft, spongy undersurface. Though it’s edible when young, it doesn’t look very appetizing. This one was found near the Ashokan Reservoir:

Chlorociboria sp., also known as Green Stain or Turquoise Elf Cups, is a fungus that decomposes dead wood, turning it a beautiful deep shade of teal:

Another strange and other-worldly species is the Earthstar (Geastrum saccatum). This saprophytic (decomposing) mushroom thrives on leaf litter and mulch:

Less frightening (and even beautiful) to look at but scary nonetheless for their mycotoxins, the following mushrooms are good to know and photograph but never to eat:

Jack-O-Lanterns (Omphalotus illudens) glow faintly green in the dark. These mushrooms are poisonous, causing extreme gastric upset and projectile vomiting. Unlike their lookalikes the Chanterelles, Jack-O-Lanterns grow in clusters that are joined at the base:

Amanita muscaria (var. guesowii) is neurotoxic to people and pets, but forms symbiotic relationships with conifer trees, and provides food for insects and rodents:

The Deadly Galerina (Galerina marginata) fruits in autumn. This little brown mushroom resembles many other “LBM’s” and appears harmless, but definitely is not. Note the brown ring around the stipe (stem):

The Destroying Angel (Amanita bisporigera) gets the prize for the most frightening, poetic, and well-earned name. Its lovely “skirt” is the remnants of a protective veil that covers the spore-bearing gills while forming. The ruffled stipe is also typical of this deadly poisonous mushroom, as is the egg-like sac or volva from which many amanitas emerge:

Last but not least is the equally lethal Death Cap (Amanita phalloides), which has a pale yellow to dull green cap (not evident in this photo, and not always a reliable identifying characteristic). Note the remnants of the veil still covering the gills. This breaks away to form a ring around the stipe as the mushroom opens and matures. Death caps are mycorrhizal, forming beneficial relationships with both eastern and western oaks.

At Catskill Fungi, we want to inspire you to learn about mushrooms so you can forage safely and appreciate the beauty and wonder of fungi. As winter approaches and foraging season comes to a close, we’ll be gathering indoors to brew extracts, study mushrooms, offer workshops indoors and online, and continue to make connections with people like you.

Happy Halloween to all our readers! We hope we didn’t scare you too much.

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Yael Bernhard is production manager, shipping manager, and mushroom walk leader for Catskill Fungi. Also a certified integrative health & nutrition coach, she weaves functional, herbal, and fungal nutrition and healing together in her work. Find her articles at The Art of Health, also on Substack.

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Why join us?

This 9-day mushroom foray will be a truly unique experience – a deep dive into mushroom foraging with expert mushroom enthusiasts and a meaningful exploration of Puerto Rican culture. From Old San Juan to the rainforest and the beach, we will eat, learn, and foray with local experts.

Some highlights from our crafted itinerary include:

🔹 Looking for Flamingo Chanterelles
🔹 Visiting Old San Juan on foot (a UNESCO World Heritage Site)
🔹 A bioblitz at the ecological sanctuary Eye on the Rainforest
🔹 Visiting Wild Culture Mushrooms mushroom cafe
🔹 Enjoying fresh fruit and local foods like empanadas, mofongo, and Anthony Bourdain’s “best pork he ever had”
🔹 Nighttime bioluminescent hikes
🔹 Waterfall swimming
🔹 Opportunities for catamaran or snorkel tours
🔹Immersive experience in multiple unique ecologies, including limestone-karst forests, beachside mycorrhizae, and tropical rainforests, all home to many species, including Puerto Rico’s endemic coquí tree frogs.

Space is limited. See the itinerary and map, learn more about your guides, and sign up here! - Sign-up deadline is October 31st.

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Upcoming Mushroom Events:

Private mushroom walks are still available!
Sign up here or email yaelcatskillfungi@gmail.com

October 19th
Morning Mushroom ID Walk
10am-12pm, Woodstock, NY
Register here.

November 1st
Deep Imagination Mushroom Walk
10am-12pm, Woodstock, NY
Register here.

November 2nd
Morning Mushroom Walk: Forage Fungi in the Forest
10am-12:30pm, Pine Hill, NY
Sign up here.

November 20th
Mushroom Harvest: Cooking & Eating Fall Fungi
4-6pm, Fleischmanns, NY
Sign up here.

December 5th-13th
Puerto Rico Foray: Mushrooms on the Island of Enchantment
We are thrilled to offer this adventure! - Sign up deadline October 31st
Find out all about it here.

January 15th, 2026
Medicinal & Culinary Mushrooms: An Online Presentation
with Yael Bernhard, Catskill Fungi Production Manager
7-8:30pm online
Registration info to come soon.

Click here to find more events on our Events Calendar.

Upcoming Farmers Markets:

Kingston Farmers Market: Every Saturday 9am-1pm 285 Wall St Kingston, NY

Pakatakan Farmers Market: Every Saturday 9am-1pm 46676 NY-30, Halcottsville, NY

Woodstock Farm Festival: Last Market October 1st* Wednesday 3pm-6:30pm 20 Mountainview Ave, Woodstock, NY

Larchmont Farmers Market: Select Saturdays 8:30am-1pm Metro-North parking deck off Chatsworth Avenue, Larchmont, NY
October 25, November 8 & 22, December 13.

Chelsea Farmers Market: Select Saturdays 9am-2pm W 23rd St, New York, NY
October 18, November 15, Devember 6 & 20

*Park Slope Farmers Market: Select Sundays 9am-2pm 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY October 19, November 2 & 16, Devember 14
* We are Hiring a vendor for this Farmers Market! Email John@CatskillFungi.com

Catskill Fungi Mushroom Extracts are always available for purchase online.

Find our local retailers here.

See you in the woods!

The Power (and Limits) of Lions Mane

by Yael Bernhard

September is the season when Lion’s Mane begins fruiting in the Catskills. Hericium erinaceus is an intriguing mushroom that looks more like a cluster of shaggy hair than your typical toadstool. As the nights cool and trees gather their last sugars to be stored through the winter, you may be lucky enough to find a lone Lion’s Mane fruiting from a crack in a tree or clinging to a fallen log. Lion's Mane’s unique appearance makes it easy to identify, and it has earned other such common names as Bear’s Tooth, Hedgehog, and Mountain Monk Mushroom. Its close relative, H. coralloides, is known as Comb Tooth, and resembles sea coral, or even snowflakes (see photo below). Both are saprobic or saprophytic – decomposers that break down dead wood into soil and contribute to nutrient cycling in the forest.

Lion’s Mane is one of the most popular mushrooms today – and like its namesake, might even be king of the fungal heap. Both medicinal and culinary, it comes in a variety of pills, powders, extracts, beverages, power bars, syrups, and other confections. You might even find Lion’s Mane fiber made into paper. When cooked just right, the mushroom is said to taste like crab meat and provides valuable prebiotic fiber. When taken as medicine, its neurotrophic and neuroprotective compounds – most notably hericenones and erinacines – are believed to nourish the nervous system; improve neuropathy, support myelination of nerve sheaths; mitigate anxiety and depression; and protect against dementia. Whether Lion’s Mane’s popularity is a testament to our collectively frazzled nerves, our declining cognitive health, or our desire to emulate lions is anyone’s guess – probably a combination of all three. Surely a wild mushroom named after such a noble creature can impart its power to us!

And so it may. Studies show the healing and generative effects of H. erinaceus not only on the brain and nervous system, but also on the stomach, liver, and immune system – all of which are interconnected. Human clinical trials, as well as in vitro and in vivo studies, have demonstrated that neuroactive compounds in H. erinaceus induce NGF (nerve growth factor) synthesis and promote neuronal growth.1 (Note: Aerobic exercise also stimulates the production of NGF.) Numerous studies attest to Lion’s Mane’s potential to prevent cognitive dysfunction.2 Lion’s Mane is also known to accelerate the healing of stomach ulcers and has an anti-proliferative effect on cancer cells. 3

Lion’s Mane mushrooms may be cooked and eaten or taken as extracts. Extracts are more practical for regular use, conferring the adaptogenic benefits that accrue gradually over time. Extracts come in many forms, from powdered beverages to capsules to liquids. Research shows greater absorption and bioavailability from liquids, as the cell walls of fungi are made of a tough substance called chitin, which our bodies cannot digest; thus, raw dehydrated mushrooms in pill or powder form may be largely passed as insoluble fiber. While insoluble fiber does provide food for good gut bacteria, the most desired components in the mushroom may not be well absorbed.

It’s difficult to forage enough Lion’s Mane from the wild, so most products are made from cultivated fungi, either mycelium (the underground portion of a fungus) or fruiting bodies (the visible above-ground mushroom). Catskill Fungi’s liquid Lion’s Mane extracts are made from cultivated fruiting bodies, as we believe this yields superior potency, combining an alcohol-based extraction with water-based solutions that are carefully temperature-controlled. These draw out neuroprotective and immune-modulating compounds such as fat-soluble hericenones and beta-glucans, and water-soluble polysaccharides.

Can we count on these compounds to work? Media buzz leads us to believe that taking Lion's Mane can solve neurological disorders, ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to multiple sclerosis to Parkinson’s. Can taking an extract really make a tremor disappear or sensation return to numb feet?

The short answer is: it depends. Lion's Mane is not a miracle drug; it’s a mushroom. Mushrooms contain biochemical compounds that act as signaling molecules in the brain and immune system – but they can’t perform magic. Lion’s Mane’s nickname, Nature’s Nutrient for the Neurons, refers to its ability to nourish neural growth and help prevent decline. This does not mean it can compensate for an onslaught of neurotoxins; override the damage done by drugs or brain injuries; or cancel out the effects of chronic inflammation. Much of Lion's Mane’s action is achieved in the gut, where beneficial bacteria ferment beta-glucans, producing postbiotic metabolites that affect the brain via the enteric nervous system. Also known as the “gut-brain axis,” this is a bidirectional signaling pathway that travels from the intestines to the brain via the vagus nerve. This remarkable pathway depends on a healthy gut in order to function well. Without healthy gut bacteria, the full effects of the mushroom may not be achieved. Thus, an individual with a healthy microbiome may draw more benefit from a mushroom extract than someone who eats gut-degrading foods that kill friendly microbes and feed harmful ones. These include antiseptic mouthwashes; ultra-processed desserts and snacks; refined starch; glutinous grains; sugar and sweets of all kinds; alcoholic beverages; heavy metals; tobacco; chemical additives (pesticides, preservatives, dough conditioners, emulsifiers, etc); and pharmaceutical drugs such as antibiotics, painkillers, and antacid medication. On the plus side, fruits and vegetables in their whole or home-cooked form are rich with polyphenols that feed healthy gut bacteria and benefit the brain. Blueberries, for example, contain anthocyanins, which have been shown to increase cerebral blood flow.4 Eating a diet rich in prebiotic fiber (including that from mushrooms), fermented foods, and selective use of probiotic supplements helps to restore and maintain a healthy microbiome.

Taking mushroom extracts is like putting the wind at your back. To benefit, you have to be sailing in the right direction in the first place. This means eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle with plenty of exercise, adequate sleep, and freedom from toxins and excess stress. For the mushroom to do its part, you must do yours. When it comes to chronic conditions, there’s no substitute for removing the cause. Thus, adding something to your regimen cannot be a substitute for eliminating harmful substances and unhealthy habits.

Our relationship with mushrooms is individual, just as each mushroom is the individual product of its environment. Conditions in the forest, such as temperature, moisture, and acidity, affect the potency of mushrooms, and conditions in our bodies do the same. How you participate in this vast and intricate, interconnected web of life is up to you. Lion’s Mane is there to lend a hand to those who help themselves.

Yael Bernhard is production manager and mushroom walk leader for Catskill Fungi, as well as an integrative health & nutrition coach. Find her nutrition newsletter, The Art of Health, here.

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Catskill Fungi extracts are available online and in local stores and farmers’ markets. Find our calendar of mushroom foraging walks, workshops, and other events here.

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If you love mushrooms and want to learn more about the fascinating world of fungi, this is the place for you!

Learn how to confidently identify, sustainably forage, prepare, and enjoy ten easy edible mushrooms that grow in our forests.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th

At the beautiful Menla Resort & Spa

375 PANTHERKILL RD, PHOENICIA, NY 12464

Early autumn is the ideal time for foraging mushrooms! Join the Catskill Fungi team for a weekend of fun, wonder, and enlightenment as we explore the forests of Menla and engage with the fungal residents there. Take a hands-on approach to learn how to identify common fungi in the forest. You will be introduced to multiple species and learn how to sustainably harvest mushrooms in the forest, clean them, cook them, and enjoy them. We will also dehydrate mushrooms to make teas and medicinal tinctures. This ID-focused course is designed for beginners or Friends of Fungi alumni to take a deeper dive into befriending and foraging fungi.

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Participants will learn to:

-Identify common edible and medicinal mushrooms

-Cook and eat wild and cultivated mushrooms

-Preserve and store mushrooms

-Make mushroom tinctures and extracts with medicinal mushrooms

Finish the weekend with:

-Confidence in identifying some edible, wild mushrooms

-Foraging hand lens and Mushroom journal

-Medicinal mushroom tinctures

-Dehydrated mushrooms

-Deeper connection with fungi, nature, self, and friends

Many people say "I would never trust myself to eat mushrooms from the forest." This is a healthy fear and an important first step to safe foraging. John didn't trust himself until someone showed him which mushrooms were edible, and he was confident he could tell them apart from their lookalikes. At some point we all learned to recognize and name different animals. Now we would never mistake a deer for an elk. One mushroom at a time, we learn to identify different species of fungi. This weekend get to know your common, easy, edible wild mushrooms. Learn to look, smell, and feel the differences between some obvious edible mushrooms that have few or no poisonous lookalikes.

There is no greater act that connects you directly to nature and the land than confidently finding something in the forest, identifying it as nourishing food or medicine, working with that organism to prepare it, and ingesting the nutrients it has to offer you. We are happy to help show you how to trust yourself and your resources to get to know, forage, identify, and prepare easy, edible and medicinal mushrooms.

This is Friends of Fungi's 12th session, and we are looking forward to another wonderful weekend of foraging!

Find the schedule and more information here.

Click here to sign up on Menla’s website.

Prices vary according to accommodations.

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Every year, we find different species of fungi fruiting as the season passes. As the heat of July gives way to the cooler nights of August, here are some of the mushrooms we typically find in late summer:

Known by several common names, Cortinarius armillatus or “Cinnabar Cort” is mycorrhizal with birch trees, exchanging minerals from the soil for precious plant sugars.

Cortinarius iodes has a lovely purple cap with pale spots. As with C. armillatus, the cortina underneath the cap is the cobweb-like remnants of the veil that protects the gills while they are forming.

The tiny Eyelash Cup fungus (Scutellinia scutellata) – so named for the tiny black eyelash-like projections that border its orange cup – may be tiny. Still, its mycelium can run through a huge rotting log and break it down to create new soil.

The Orange Waxcap (Hygrocybe aurantiosplendens) stands out on the forest floor. It has relatively large gills, which are sometimes yellow, and fork near the margin.

The Poison Pigskin Puffball (Scleroderma citrinum) has a rough and bumpy surface like a football, and turns from white to dark grey on the inside as it prepares to release its spores.

The Violet-Toothed Polypore (Trichaptum biforme) is a common bracket fungus that may be found all year round – but only when it’s fresh and young do we see this lovely purple color that gives this mushroom its name.

Catskill Fungi extracts are available online or may be found in local stores and farmers markets. Find our calendar of mushroom foraging walks, workshops, and other events here.

The Land of Lookalikes

These two mushrooms were found in mid-July along the same trail, barely 50 yards apart. The mushroom on the left is a choice edible, while the mushroom on the right is poisonous. Can you tell them apart?

Everyone wants to know how to identify wild edible mushrooms, and the safest way to do so is to learn one mushroom at a time – and its lookalikes. These two mushrooms certainly look alike! But if we look more closely at their characteristics, we can see the difference.

Let’s start with the top – the first thing we see when we spot a mushroom near our feet. The mushrooms on the left are Chanterelles (Cantharellus cibarius). Notice the wavy edge of the cap, which is typical of this mushroom. The mushrooms on the right are Jack O’Lanterns (Omphalotus illudens), so named because its bioluminescent compounds enable it to glow faintly green in the dark. Its cap has a smoother margin. Jack O’Lanterns are usually larger than Chanterelles.

Now let’s turn the mushrooms and look underneath. Both mushrooms grow in clusters, but Chanterelles typically grow individually or in pairs from soil, while Jack O’Lanterns grow from wood (sometimes buried wood) and are joined at the base of the stipe (stem), and can form very large clusters with dozens of mushrooms.

Both mushrooms have decurrent gills – meaning they descend down the tapered, funnel-shaped stipe. A closer look, however, reveals an important difference:

The Chanterelle actually does not have true gills, but generates spores from raised ridges under the cap. Notice their irregular form, with forked ends and sometimes, cross-connections between the ridges. By contrast, the Jack O’Lantern has true gills, which are smooth and consistent, like fine blades.

In addition, the underside of Cantherellus cibarius is typically paler and yellower, while Omphalotus olearius is a consistent orange throughout. And Chanterelles grow on the ground, while Jack O’Lanterns grow from wood.

These distinctions are worth noting, as a potentially delicious meal of Chanterelles could end in several days of severe gastric upset if a Jack O’Lantern accidentally ends up on your plate!

Why can’t Chanterelles be cultivated, you might ask? The answer is that this mushroom is mycorrhizal, meaning it forms a symbiotic relationship with trees, exchanging valuable nutrients from the soil for plant sugars. The mushroom cannot grow without its photosynthesizing partner: it needs the tree, and the forest. Jack O’Lanterns are saprobic, meaning they are decomposers, breaking down dead wood and contributing to nutrient cycling in the forest. They, too, play an important role in the ecosystem.

Once you know them, the individual characteristics of these two mushrooms are easy to tell apart. Similarly, other mushrooms become familiar as you get to know them, one at a time – and their lookalikes.

Our Friends of Fungi retreats are designed to help you learn to identify common edible and medicinal mushrooms. Just as we can distinguish a deer from an elk, it’s possible to learn how to identify and forage mushrooms safely. Education is the key – and at Catskill Fungi, we make it fun! Our autumn retreat this year is from September 5th-7th (Friday-Sunday). It’s not too early to sign up!

Catskill Fungi extracts are available online, or may be found in local stores and farmers markets. Find our calendar of mushroom foraging walks, workshops, and other events here.

by Yael Bernhard

Take a walk through a hemlock forest near a stream in late June or early July, and you might be lucky enough to find a dark red shelf mushroom growing from a tree stump or a rotting log. It might have white or yellow edges of new growth, and appear to be varnished on top. Look underneath, and you’ll see a smooth, pale underside covered with tiny pores, making this bracket fungus a saprophytic polypore of the genus Ganoderma – meaning “shiny skin.”

If you live in the Northeast, you’ve probably found Ganoderma tsugae, which grows on hemlocks. Known in this country as Reishi, this marvelous mushroom is called Ling Zhi in China, and has many other names, such as the “Ten Thousand Year Mushroom” for its superb healing and adaptogenic properties.

Reishi has been the subject of numerous scientific studies in Asia, and has been used in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese medicine for thousands of years. In Chinese medicine it is believed to increase Wei Qi, a protective force similar to the immune system. Reishi is a key component of the Chinese formula Fu Zheng, given to emperors and used by Taoist masters as an elixir of life, and treasured more than gold. Ling zhi may be roughly translated as “shaman’s active ingredient.”

Reishi has been used extensively in Asia as both a preventive of and curative for cancer and other chronic conditions. Combined with vitamin C, which aids in absorption of Reishi extract, dramatic improvement has been shown after several months of treatment. Reishi is known to “wake up” the immune system, as it is rich in Beta-D-Glucan, which has been shown to inhibit 100% of tumors in mice. In Japan, Reishi is an official drug recognized as a remedy for cancer. (See references below.)

Here in North America, Reishi has only recently gained recognition as an ally against cancer and as an adaptogen. Adaptogens are plants or fungi that gradually increase disease resistance and normalize bodily functions – the Western equivalent of a “qi tonic” that restores vital life energy. Other examples of adaptogens are shiitake mushrooms, astragalus root, and ginseng.

Reishi is a powerful ally of the immune system. Used properly, it induces the production of interferon, a substance secreted by the body to protect itself against viral infections. Interferon can stop a virus from entering uninfected cells. Reishi also inhibits bacteria, including staphylococci, streptococci, and bacillus pneumoniae. Given 48 hours in advance, a water extract of Reishi even protected mice from a lethal dose of E. Coli. The main constituents in this action are the polysaccharides, long-chain sugars that act as immune modulators. Reishi’s polysaccharides even show promise by increasing protein synthesis and cellular health in bone marrow, where macrophages and the precursors of antibodies are formed. Research in Japan showed that the ancient form of Ling zhi also augments the responsiveness of antibodies, especially IgG, and expands the “memory” of T-cells.

Reishi’s oleic acid (also found in olive oil and olive leaves) is thought to be responsible for its antihistamine effect and its specific use for allergic asthma. Reishi is a potent scavenger of free radicals and modulator of T-cells, both implicated in the body’s inflammatory response. In over 2000 case studies in clinics and hospitals in China in the 1970s, treatment with Reishi syrup provided relief to 60-90% of chronic bronchitis sufferers – especially older patients. Reishi has been regarded as a geriatric medicine since ancient times.

Reishi’s benefits to the cardiovascular system are numerous. Non-toxic, without side effects, this adaptogenic fungus is said to positively affect the heart qi, and is used for “knotted chest” or “aging blood.” Its abundant alcohol-soluble triterpenes act to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in the bloodstream; reduce arteriosclerosis (arterial plaque); relieve heart palpitations; and modulate blood pressure, raising or lowering it as necessary. It is anti-thrombotic, inhibiting blood clots. Studies in China have shown a wide array of cardio-tonic benefits, such as increased blood flow, improved circulation of the myocardium (innermost heart muscle), and reduced need for oxygen.

Reishi is also known as an effective remedy for insomnia. Used regularly, it gradually normalizes the body’s sleep patterns. Other gifts of this remarkable fungus include support for the liver and kidneys; protection against cobalt X-ray radiation; improved white blood cell count after chemotherapy; improved blood sugar profiles in diabetics; protection against hypothyroidism; and relief from neuromuscular disorders, stress-induced tension, and even altitude sickness.

The active ingredients in Reishi vary in potency from mushroom to mushroom and place to place. Larger specimens with a consistent dark color throughout are superior. Water-based decoctions yield beneficial polysaccharides. Alcohol-based extracts yield triterpenes – fatty acids that have an adaptogenic affect, helping the body adjust to environmental, biological, and emotional stress; as well as sterols – oily substances that are precursors to hormones and the basis of steroid medications.

And then there is the mysterious adenosine – a nucleotide, or basic structural unit of RNA or DNA – that may be responsible for Reishi’s most subtle and fundamental action. Adenosine inhibits the aggregation of blood platelets; mediates numerous signals among cells; plays a critical role in maintaining cellular energy; transmits hormonal messages to the major organs of the body; and assists the body in adapting to stress. Adenosine is considered a vasodilator, increasing the flow of blood, especially through capillaries. Adenosine’s mellowing effects are reduced by the intake of caffeine.

As with all medicinal mushrooms, proper identification and use is crucial. While Reishi has few lookalikes, foragers should always consult professional sources in identifying mushrooms, and seek trusted suppliers for medicinal preparations. If you are taking blood thinners, consult your doctor before taking Reishi in any form. If you have poor digestion, use with caution and combine with vitamin C. Reishi may increase menstrual cramps due to its enlivening effect on blood flow. Overall, Reishi is very safe and free of side effects, and can be used on a long-term basis.

Ling zhi is often found deep in the forest, on the edge of ravines over streams, where it is difficult to reach. It is said in Asia that to save a life, one must risk one’s life to find the oldest, most potent Reishi, believed to live for one hundred to one thousand years. As one of the most important longevity tonics in Chinese medicine, Reishi has been revered for centuries and can be found throughout Oriental mythology and art. Those swirly shapes embroidered on Chinese robes are not clouds, but Ganoderma lucidum – the Asian variety of Ling zhi shaped like spiraling rams’ horns. Ancient Taoists believed Reishi to be a gift from the gods – a gift of life itself. No wonder this incredible fungus is also known as “the Mushroom of Immortality.” We call it “The Mushroom of Many Wonders.”

Catskill Fungi’s triple extraction of Reishi mushroom fruiting body combines an alcohol extract, cold water infusion, and hot water decoction, creating the highest quality bioavailable liquid extract of Reishi’s healing components.

Catskill Fungi extracts are available online, or may be found in local stores and farmers markets. Find our calendar of mushroom foraging walks, workshops, and other events here.

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Yael Bernhard is production manager and mushroom walk leader for Catskill Fungi. She is also an integrative health & nutrition coach, with a special emphasis on herbal and fungal medicine; and a professional painter and illustrator – all of which she weaves together in her own two Substacks: The Art of Health and Image of the Week.

References:

Willard, Terry, PhD, Reishi Mushroom: Herb of Spiritual Potency and Medical Wonder, Sylvan Press, 1990. This book contains numerous references to specific studies.

Powell, Martin, Medicinal Mushrooms: The Clinical Guide, Mycology Press, 2nd Edition, 2014.

Rogers, Robert, The Fungal Pharmacy: The Complete to Medicinal Mushrooms & Lichens of North America, North Atlantic Books, 2011.

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/reishi-mushroom

Mushrooms love rain. Here in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, it’s been a wet spring with cool temperatures. But as the last logs in the wood stove burned down and the first open windows let in the evening breeze, the mycelia were silently growing underground, and mushrooms were preparing to fruit.

Mushrooms are seasonal. They come in succession, marking the turning of time as sure as tulips follow daffodils. We see a series of different fungal species fruiting over the course of the spring. Perhaps you’ve seen some yourself while walking along a field or down by a stream. Here are some of the springtime mushrooms you might find:

Above, young Reishi mushrooms (Ganoderma tsugae) fruiting from a hemlock stump. As they mature, these elegant bracket fungi will turn dark red. Reishi offers abundant health benefits, and is one of the medicinal mushroom extracts we produce at Catskill Fungi. Find out more about Reishi mushroom extract here.

Below, the Cinnabar Red Polypore (Pycnoporus cinnabarinus) was found growing on fallen logs in early May. With few lookalikes, this vibrant orange polypore is easy to identify.

Below is Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor), highly prized for its immune-boosting compounds. This ubiquitous mushroom decomposes newly-dead wood, and fruits in a variety of colors. Turkey tail is one of the most studied mushrooms in the world, and is used in Asia as a cancer remedy. Find Catskill Fungi’s Turkey Tail extract here.

Below is the handsome Pheasant Back (Cerioporus squamosus), so named for its feathery pattern, also called Dryad’s Saddle for its distinctive shape. This tough springtime polypore is edible only when young, and may grow up to 12” wide.

Above are Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus), with their soft, seashell-like forms. Below, the Red Belted Polypore (Fomitopsis mounceae), a perennial fungus that has slowly been growing on this particular log for several years.

Here is the Violet-Toothed Polypore (Trichaptum biforme), with its purple-fringed spore-bearing undersurface. This little polypore may cover an entire dead or dying tree with its flaky shingles.

Below is the coveted Umbrella Polypore (Polyporus umbellatus), a rare find and choice edible. The tops of the caps look like many ordinary gilled mushrooms, but the undersurface reveals tiny pores, like finely-textured fungal porcelain.

This Deer Mushroom (Pluteus cervinus, below) was found growing from an inoculated Shiitake mushroom log. Its free gills and salmon-pink spore print confirmed the identity of this wood degrading edible.

Above is the Hexagonal-Pored Polypore (Neofavolus alveolaris), always an intriguing sight with its intricate geometric undersurface. Below, Witches Butter (Tremella mesenterica) clings to a stick. This edible jelly fungus may fruit all year round, even during a winter thaw.

Below, a yellow Amanita “egg” emerges from its bed of spruce needles. Before it could finish growing and reveal its identity, it was eaten by bugs and knocked over by a squirrel. Beneath the surface, its mycelium lives on and will fruit again when conditions are right. These mycorrhizal fungi are poisonous to humans and pets, but provide important nutrients to trees and food for small critters.

Above, the Club-shaped Stinkhorn (Phallogaster saccatus) is shaped like a pink upside-down pear. When it’s mature, it breaks open to reveal fetid green spore-bearing slime that attracts insects.

As spring gives way to summer, the first tiny Chanterelles (Cantharellus cibarius) appear beneath a mixed stand of hemlock and pine, fruiting from the extended tree roots beneath a lawn. Given sufficient rainfall, they’ll continue to fruit into August.

Enter a field or forest, and you never know what you’ll find. Foraging is its own reward, merely to walk in the breath of the trees with mycelium under your feet, weaving a living web of interconnection, creating soil, decomposing death and enabling new life. Like all wild creatures, mushrooms are an expression of their environment, and faithfully accompany us through the turning of the seasons. Fungi are adept at adapting to hardship and change, and with their adaptogenic benefits, help us do so too. Every foraging find is a gift from the earth.

Want to join a guided mushroom walk and learn more? Find Catskill Fungi’s list of upcoming events here.

Wishing you a happy Summer Solstice!

The Catskill Fungi Crew

Have a question about our extracts, or how to use them? Explore our archive of mushroom articles here.

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Mushroom season is in full swing! The fungi are thriving on plenty of rain, and so are Catskill Fungi events. What mushrooms will you discover this summer?

Friends of Fungi
Our 12th annual spring weekend retreat
Friday, June 13th - Sunday, June 15th
Menla Resort, Phoenicia, NY

Through fun, hands-on activities learn low tech methods to cultivate gourmet and medicinal mushrooms, identify and harvest wild mushrooms, and make mushroom medicines. Participants will create/inoculate and take home:
• Indoor Oyster mushroom grow kit
• Outdoor wine-cap mushroom starter
• Chaga tincture
• Foraging hand lens and mushroom journal
• Deeper connection with fungi, nature, self, and friends

From the largest living organism on the planet to the creation of soil, fungi play an essential role in sustaining life on earth. They have been recycling and helping to heal the planet for millennia. Humans are learning to pair with fungi to improve our lives with the food and medicines this extraordinary kingdom/queendom has to offer.

Come explore the interesting and ancient relationship fungi have with our world and our culture. Learn about fungi and mushrooms in history and as we currently know them. Discussions will include: biology and ecology of fungi, mushrooms as food and medicine, how fungal allies can create resilience in our agriculture and communities, gardening with mushrooms, and mushrooms to heal the planet.

Find out more and register here.

Natural Farming Workshop
Easy concoctions for improving soil fungi and other microbes
June 21
10:00am- 12:00pm
Catskill Fungi Mushroom Mural and Kitchen, Pine Hill, NY

Join Adam Lavender and John Michelotti at Catskill Fungi, Saturday June 21st, for an immersive workshop where we will be learning how to make nutrients for our garden by partnering with fungi and other microbes that exist around our land. We will dive into natural farming techniques, biodynamics and gain hands-on experience, making products to apply on our crops to improve nutrient density and produce pest and disease resistant crops. You will go home with inspiration and confidence to take your gardens to the next level, and a sample of the solutions we create in the workshop.
Sign up here.

Grow Gourmet Mushrooms Indoors:
Oyster Mushroom Kit Creation
New York Botanical Garden - Online
June 25th
6:00pm- 7:30pm

Mushrooms have been used for thousands of years for medicinal and culinary purposes. John Michelotti, owner of Catskill Fungi, will show you how to cultivate gourmet mushrooms at home using safe and simple techniques. Using cardboard and coffee grounds, learn to create your own oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) starter kit for growing mushrooms at home, while learning about the life cycles, characteristics, and medicinal and culinary properties of fungi.
Learn more and register here.

Upcoming Events:

Mushroom Walk & Species Survey
Mike Kudish Natural History Preserve - Stamford, NY
July 3rd
10:00am - 3:30pm
Michael Kudish Natural History Preserve
2515 Tower Mountain Rd, Stamford, NY 12167

Join us in the morning for an introductory mushroom walk as we explore the fungi we find in the forest of the preserve and the stories they tell us about the forest. We will explore their uses for people and other organisms in the forest.
Register here.

Morning Mushroom Walk
Forage Fungi in the Forest - Big Indian, NY
July 6th
10:00am- 12:30pm
Catskill Fungi Mushroom Mural
8553 NY-28, Pine Hill, NY 12465

Join a mushroom walk and learn about the ecological functions of fungi, common edibles and medicinal mushrooms, as well as historic uses of fungi and present day innovations of these fantastic Fungi! Walks usually fill up so it is recommended you sign up in advance.

45th Annual Telluride Mushroom Festival
Wednesday–Sunday, August 13-17
In-person, Telluride, CO – and online

For a 10% discount on tickets, enter discount code: CATSKILLSFAM10 or click this direct link to auto-apply the discount.

Puerto Rico Foray: Mushrooms on the Island of Enchantment
December 5-13, 2025
Itinerary and Registration soon to come!

New Store to purchase Catskill Fungi Mushroom Extracts:

Story Farms in Catskill, NY is proud to join our list of retail sellers.
4640 NY-32, Catskill, NY 12414
Tuesday-Sunday 9am-5pm

Farmers Market Schedule:

Catskill Fungi extracts, t-shirts, pocket guides, books, and other fungal sundries may be found at the following locations:

Kingston Farmers Market: Every Saturdays 9am-1pm 285 Wall St Kingston, NY

Pakatakan Farmers Market: Every Saturday 9am-1pm 46676 NY-30, Halcottsville, NY

Woodstock Farm Festival: Every 1st Wednesday 3pm-7pm 20 Mountainview Ave, Woodstock, NY

Larchmont Farmers Market: Select Saturdays 8:30am-1pm Metro-North parking deck off Chatsworth Avenue, Larchmont, NY - June 14th & 28th

Chelsea Farmers Market: Select Saturdays 9am-2pm W 23rd St, New York, NY - July 5th

Park Slope Farmers Market: Select Sundays 9am-2pm 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY - June 15th & 29th

Catskill Fungi Extracts are always available online!

Want to learn more about mushrooms? Have a question about our extracts, or how to use them? Explore our archive of mushroom articles here.

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