Anyone finding chaga?

[TBark]

Found some nice chaga growths on birch a week or so ago.

So had to steep some and sip while watching sports in the evening.

Been sleeping pretty well lately.

TBark

[Red Bullets]

I have a jar full of chaga. Collected this spring. I am willing to donate the chaga to someone if they want to pick it up. I cannot use chaga because it may compromise my cancer treatment drugs, according to my oncologist.

Message me and we can set up a meet and greet. Local to Edmonton.

[kingrat]

Every time I'm out I look and have yet to find any.

[FlyTheory]

Originally Posted by TBark

Found some nice chaga growths on birch a week or so ago.

So had to steep some and sip while watching sports in the evening.

Been sleeping pretty well lately.

TBark

Great finds!!

[honda610]

Pardon my ignorance. How do you steep it. What amount do you use

[Smoky buck]

I see Chaga often but have never brought any home or tried it.

[TBark]

Just a slow boil, or not quite boiling.

I break it up into aprx 1” chunks, 4-5 into a litre of water, steep for 3-5 hrs.
A bit longer if re-using the chunks.

Can re-use until they no longer turn the water tea coloured.
And use the grits from chunking too.
Filter it all when done.
Drink hot (with some honey) or cold.

TBark

[chris762]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

I have a jar full of chaga. Collected this spring. I am willing to donate the chaga to someone if they want to pick it up. I cannot use chaga because it may compromise my cancer treatment drugs, according to my oncologist.

Message me and we can set up a meet and greet. Local to Edmonton.

My wife was undergoing cancer treatments, and was taking Turkey Tail mushrooms and 2500mg CBD Oil. The Cross Cancer Institute has brochures regarding the use of CBD Oil. Japan has used Turkey Tail in their hospitals for 30-40 years to enhance the radiation and chemo effects, plus it helps to protect your good cells and organs from damage from the rad and chemo. She is in awesome shape only 3 weeks after 25 rads and 5 chemos, plus a brachytherapy for 58 hours. The Turkey Tail grows all over the place in North America, just check the spore pattern on the bottom; thousands of tiny little spore holes. The oncologists were told about it and had little to say, good or bad. Might be worth a bit of research. Best of luck......

[chris762]

My wife (and I), use needle nose pliers to break it up. Use to use a large knife, but was worried a piece of blade might break off, even with cutting along the grain...... That stuff is tough! Thought I read somewhere that the brown part has less good stuff compared to the white part? Nature is amazing!!

[TBark]

The medicinal components they say are within the darker outer layer.

I took portions of what I could reach, left parts of lower on the birch and left all the higher bits for another time.

Buying price seems to be from $5 to $10 per oz, so good to find these in the wild.

It’s a good day when you come home with 2 - 3 lbs.

TBark

[Big Grey Wolf]

Not clear what are the actual health benefits, any good scientific studies?

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by TBark

The medicinal components they say are within the darker outer layer.

I took portions of what I could reach, left parts of lower on the birch and left all the higher bits for another time.

Buying price seems to be from $5 to $10 per oz, so good to find these in the wild.

It’s a good day when you come home with 2 - 3 lbs.

TBark

Are you saying people buy it for 5-10 per oz?

If so please PM who

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Are you saying people buy it for 5-10 per oz?

If so please PM who

It's sold in many health food stores so guessing a wide variety of people

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Not clear what are the actual health benefits, any good scientific studies?

Google is your friend

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by MountainTi

It's sold in many health food stores so guessing a wide variety of people

Wondering more so is there a buyer that purchases from people who collected it he might know of

[TBark]

Unsure of any buyers , I just posted a ballpark value price.

Not saying I’m selling.
We’ll use ours up slowly, as it takes a long time to re grow once harvested.

TBark

[Esox]

Im not a tea guy so I grind my chaga up and then put it in a jar with a 26 of cheap vodka and let is sit for a month. The alcohol extracts the same stuff as tea and in fact concentrates it more. I then put two small drops in my morning smoothy or glass of water and drink it down. By small drops, I mean not enough for people to think you're boozing every morning lol.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by TBark

Unsure of any buyers , I just posted a ballpark value price.

Not saying I’m selling.
We’ll use ours up slowly, as it takes a long time to re grow once harvested.

TBark

I am hiking by chaga often when out scouting/checking cams. I know where there is lots and never harvest any

Making tea has never interested me but was thinking if there is a buyer it might pay for a tank of diesel here and there if I throw some in a pack

[WayneChristie]

https://www.realmushrooms.com/what-t...chaga-grow-on/


first time Ive ever heard of this stuff, now I just need to find a tree!

[AltaBorn]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

I have a jar full of chaga. Collected this spring. I am willing to donate the chaga to someone if they want to pick it up. I cannot use chaga because it may compromise my cancer treatment drugs, according to my oncologist.

Message me and we can set up a meet and greet. Local to Edmonton.

I’d love to hear the explanation behind that one? What kind of C are you dealing with ?

[mryimmers]

I've spotted a few around my place , been meaning to read up about it, as to when to harvest and how to use.
Maybe this will remind me. haha

[smokeeter]

I find the easiest way to cut my chaga is to use a pair of large lopping shears , I cut them into 1/2 " chunks and then steep a double handful in a large slow cooker filler with water. I usually get 3 good steeps before I discard the spent chunks.
I also bottle the liquid in mason jars.

[colt45]

Originally Posted by smokeeter

I find the easiest way to cut my chaga is to use a pair of large lopping shears , I cut them into 1/2 " chunks and then steep a double handful in a large slow cooker filler with water. I usually get 3 good steeps before I discard the spent chunks.
I also bottle the liquid in mason jars.

I have been using it for quite a while now , I usually find some when I’m out hunting , I make a tea out of it , try not to boil it , I read some where it’s better if you don’t boil it , I drink it usually every day, found a bunch this year
I use it till I get just about no Color in the water then discard it
Found about 8 lbs this year ,

[TBark]

Wife does it the same way smoketeer,

I’m back in the same area this week.
Scored 2 lbs yesterday and 3 lbs more today.

One find today was a 2 lb slab, quite the nugget, ha.

TBark

[Dmay]

Pardon my inexperience, how do you remove it from the tree? Just chop it off? Any danger to the health of the tree?
I been tapping birch trees for many years and enjoy the syrup each spring. Never knew much about chaga.....

[barbless]

Very interesting topic.

[calgarychef]

I like chaga as a coffee substitute. I worry though about the overharvesting of it.
By the way can knock it off the tree with an ax without totally destroying the tree. The Chinese are cultivating chaga which is probably a good thing, once word gets out that something is worth a few bucks people become indiscriminate in harvesting.

[TBark]

Not chaga but on the topic of foraging,
I believe on this outing I’ve stumbled onto an abundance of Labrador tea.

Anyone tried it as a tea?

TBark

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by TBark

Not chaga but on the topic of foraging,
I believe on this outing I’ve stumbled onto an abundance of Labrador tea.

Anyone tried it as a tea?

TBark

I have had it once. Pleasant tasting. The person I had it with said do not consume to much. A small cup once a day at most. Labrador tea plants (bog labrador tea) that grow in wet places is not as potent as the strain that grows in drier places.

This is worth the read if you plan to consume it. It has been used for centuries and I'm sure helped people survive during desperate times. Suppposedly can be toxic in larger doses too.

https://www.drugs.com/npp/labrador-tea.html

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by AltaBorn

I’d love to hear the explanation behind that one? What kind of C are you dealing with ?

A little late of a response but.. I am dealing with stage 4 small cell lung cancer and have had the 14th chemo therapy treatment this last friday, Feb 23, 2024. I have outlived the oncologist's prognosis by also most half a year so far. Feeling ok so far but lost my beautiful grey free hair.