Mushroom Tincture Ratios Explained

With regards to mushroom tinctures there is a stated ratio such as 1:4 or 1: 8 or 1:10.

Theses ratios refer to concentration levels but what do they actually mean and what is a good ratio to look for?

With regard to mushroom tinctures the first number should always be the number one as it refers to single unit (usually kilograms) of extract.

The second digit is the is the amount of raw mushroom material used to produce a single unit of extract.

For example, a ratio of 1:5 would indicate that five kilograms of raw mushroom material has been used to create one kilogram of extract.

It would therefore seem that the higher the second number the more concentrated and potentially potent the tincture right?

Well, no. Not really.

There is a level at which adding more raw mushroom material will do little to increase concentration levels due to medium saturation.

What is medium saturation?

To be honest, I’m not sure “medium saturation” is the right phrase but it’s the one I have coined and going to use.

I refer to the fact that whatever medium is being used in the extraction process, the medium of hot-water, cold-water or alcohol for example, there is a limit to the amount the solution can dissolve and hold in suspension.

Once this limit is reached the medium (typically water or alcohol) can be said to be saturated and cannot therefore hold any more. Adding more raw mushroom material from this point onwards is simply wasting mushrooms as the excess will not dissolve and simply collect at the bottom of the container.

Think of adding table salt to hot-water for example. At first the salt dissolves in the water and the more you add the saltier the water solution becomes. However, there comes a point at which the salt stops dissolving and crystals of salt begin to collect at the bottom of the container. No matter how much the solution is stirred the water cannot dissolve any more. It has reached its saturation limit.

So, what is the best ratio for mushroom tinctures to make sure it’s a top-quality concentration?

Around 1:4 or 1:5 would be high concentration, if you see tincture ratios much higher than this you should pause and lament for all the wasted mushrooms.