Free shipping (via Purolator) on orders $150+ 🇨🇦

Shop All

Why Us?

0
0

How to Store Magic Mushrooms for Maximum Potency

Magic mushrooms, known for their psilocybin content and transformative effects, require proper storage to maintain their potency and quality. Whether you’re microdosing or preparing for a macrodose journey, knowing how to store your mushrooms correctly ensures they stay fresh and effective for longer. 

Here’s how to keep your mushrooms fresh and effective, and we’ll also cover how to store capsules, chocolates, and how to interpret blue bruising on your mushrooms.

Why Proper Storage of Magic Mushrooms Matters

Psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, is sensitive to environmental factors like heat, light, and moisture. Without proper storage, your mushrooms may lose potency over time or even spoil, making them ineffective or unsafe to use. 

By understanding the science behind psilocybin stability, as outlined in research such as the Oregon Health Authority’s report on the stability of psilocybin and its analogs, you can ensure your mushrooms retain their full potential.

1. Temperature Sensitivity: Research highlights that psilocybin is relatively stable at lower temperatures but begins to degrade more rapidly when exposed to heat. For optimal preservation:

  • Cool Environments: Store mushrooms in a temperature-controlled space, ideally between 15-20°C (59-68°F).
  • Avoid Heat: Exposure to temperatures above 30°C (86°F) accelerates the breakdown of psilocybin, leading to potency loss.

2. Light Exposure: UV light has been shown to degrade psilocybin. To combat this:

  • Opaque Containers: Store mushrooms in dark or opaque containers to block UV light.
  • Dark Storage Areas: Keep them in a cool, dark cupboard or drawer for extra protection.

3. Moisture and Humidity: Moisture creates the perfect environment for mold and bacterial growth, which not only ruins the mushrooms but poses a health risk. According to the report, dried mushrooms are particularly susceptible to moisture-related degradation:

  • Keep Them Dry: Ensure mushrooms are thoroughly dehydrated before storage.
  • Use Desiccants: Include silica gel packets or another desiccant in your storage container to absorb excess moisture.

Are Fresh Magic Mushrooms more Potent than Dried Mushrooms?

If you speak to cultivators, they will might tell you that fresh magic mushrooms  are more potent than dried magic mushrooms.

However, in this study, they found that that the tryptamine content in fungal
biomass is not reduced by drying in the dark at room temperature. The total tryptamine content was approximately 0.87 wt.% in both fresh and dried mushrooms. 

Higher amounts of phosphorylated tryptamines (e.g., psilocybin) were found in the dried fungal fruiting bodies, while higher amounts of the dephosphorylated forms of indoles (e.g., psilocin) were found in the fresh fruiting bodies.

Want to get more specific?  

Fresh mushrooms contained approximately 90% water, and their tryptamine concentrations included 0.54 wt.% psilocybin, 0.02 wt.% norbaeocystin, 0.01 wt.% aeruginascin, 0.05 wt.% baeocystin, and 0.25 wt.% psilocin.

Dried mushrooms, analyzed as a homogeneous powder, exhibited higher concentrations of most tryptamines: 0.62 wt.% psilocybin, 0.02 wt.% norbaeocystin, 0.01 wt.% aeruginascin, 0.06 wt.% baeocystin, and 0.16 wt.% psilocin.

Dried mushrooms showed increased levels of norbaeocystin (27%), aeruginascin (12%), baeocystin (26%), and psilocybin (18%), but fresh mushrooms had 34% more psilocin. This difference is attributed to enzymatic activity in fresh mushrooms, where psilocin may convert to psilocybin, as psilocybin is more stable than psilocin in aqueous environments. The findings align with prior research, confirming the stability of tryptamines under appropriate drying conditions.

Quick Takes

Should I store my shrooms in the freezer?

Mushrooms that were stored in the freezer (−80C) lost almost 90% of tryptamines.

Is there psilocybin in the spores or mycelium?

No tryptamines were detected in the spores, and only psilocin was present at 0.47 wt.% in the mycelium

Is there psilocybin in the caps vs stems?

The stems (called stipes) contained approximately half the amount of tryptamine alkaloids (0.52 wt.%) than the caps (1.03 wt.%). It is worth mentioning, these results were not statistically significant, as the concentration of tryptamines in individual fruiting bodies is highly variable.

What’s the best vs worst way to store magic mushrooms?

The storage conditions showed that the highest degradation of tryptamines was seen in fresh mushrooms stored at −80°C, and the lowest decay was seen in dried biomass stored in the dark at room temperature.

Stability of dried mushroom powder

This study evaluated the stability of tryptamines, including psilocybin, in Psilocybe cubensis mushroom powder stored under various conditions over 15 months. Initially, the powder contained 1.51 wt.% psilocybin, 0.07 wt.% baeocystin, and smaller amounts of norbaeocystin, aeruginascin, and psilocin. 

The most significant degradation to 0.67 wt.% was measured in a sample that was stored in the light at 20C. In contrast, the smallest loss of psilocybin occurred when the sample was stored in the dark at 20C, where the psilocybin was 0.82 wt.%. For the minor alkaloids (aeruginascin, baeocystin, norbaeocystin, and psilocin), the changes in concentrations were negligible