How to Make & Use Mushroom Powder at Home

While mushrooms have remained a long-standing flavor-packed staple in the kitchen, the medicinal benefits of mushrooms like Reishi and Chaga have only recently made waves in the Western world. Even though mushrooms have been used in traditional medicines worldwide (some records date their use in Chinese medicines at even 100 BCE), only in recent years have we seen functional mushroom coffees and supplements more prominent on grocery store shelves in the US. (1)

If you've found yourself immersed in the world of functional mushrooms, chances are you've explored different mushroom-based supplements and powders. Did you know, though, that you can make your own mushroom powder? The process is very simple and allows you to create your own combinations of DIY mushroom supplements and tailor the benefits to precisely what your body needs.

The Best Mushrooms to Make Into a Powder

The type of mushroom you use depends on what you want to use the powder for.

Home Cooking

If you're looking to boost the flavor of your favorite soups, stews, and stir-fries, a blend of Shiitake, oyster mushrooms, and Lion's Mane is a great place to start. (2)

Dried porcini mushrooms and dried Shiitake mushrooms are also great options to blend into an umami powder seasoning blend that enhances almost every dish.

Nutritional Supplements

If you want to use your mushroom powder for a superfood health-boosting routine, Turkey Tail, Chaga, and Reishi are some great options.

Maitake is another culinary mushroom that is revered for its health benefits, too. New research is also emerging on the effects of eating mushrooms daily, with varieties ranging from button mushroom families to chanterelles and the relationship between lower cognitive decline.

The Equipment Needed to Make a Mushroom Powder

If you're a fan of low-tech tactics, you can make a mushroom powder using your oven, mortar, and pestle. However, to get the most nutritional benefits out of your powder, it's recommended that you purchase a food dehydrator to dry your mushrooms. (3)

You can also start with purchased dried mushrooms, but again, depending on the method used to dry them, you may get less of the nutritional benefits out of them.

How to Make Mushroom Powder

Once you have the materials you need, it's time to dry and grind!

1. Dehydrate Your Mushrooms

You'll want to start with cleaned, fresh mushrooms (see above for some ideas on which mushroom types are best to use based on your specific needs). Be sure to clean the mushrooms using a dry cloth (don't wash them in water!), as the mushrooms will soak up the water, affecting the dehydration process.

Cut the mushrooms into thin slices about 1/4 inch thick (your dehydrator may also have specific requirements here), and arrange them on the dehydrator. A typical rule of thumb is that about every pound of mushrooms you dry equals about 1.5 ounces of dried mushrooms.

To preserve as much nutrition as possible, we recommend dehydrating the mushrooms on the lowest setting possible. Since the length of time will depend on the brand you're using and the environment, check in on your mushrooms after 3 hours and then in 30-minute increments. Once the mushrooms are brittle, wrinkly, and have shrunk significantly in size, they are done! (4)

2. Blend, Blend, Blend

Once your mushrooms are dried, it's time to grind them up into your fine powder. The method here is up to you. While a traditional blender or food processor will be the easiest labor-wise, a mortar and pestle is a fun way to get hands-on with your creation (and a mini workout in the process). A coffee grinder or spice grinder also works great!

Whichever method you choose, you want to ensure that the result is a fine soft powder free from clumps. If you run into larger powder chunks, feel free to use a mesh strainer to sift those out. (5)

3. Store Your Powder

The mushroom powder should be stored in airtight containers, like glass jars, and kept in a cool, dry place. If properly stored, you can keep your mushroom powder for 2-3 years! With such a long shelf life, it's a great way to use mushrooms before they go bad.

How to Use Mushroom Powder

You can use mushroom powder in various ways depending on the type of mushrooms used.

Home Cooking

Mushroom powder adds a fantastic umami flavor booster in soups, stir-fries, marinades, and even smoothies.

Nutritional Supplements

Functional mushrooms offer incredible health benefits, like lowering cholesterol and inflammation and boosting immunity. Experiment with different functional mushroom powders to target specific health benefits. Naturealm's Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder is a beloved staple for the seven varieties inside.

Important note: there is a meaningful difference between DIY dried mushroom powder and a commercially produced mushroom extract powder. Mushroom cell walls are made of chitin, which humans can't fully digest. Commercial extract powders use hot water extraction to break down chitin and concentrate the bioactive compounds, making them far more effective for therapeutic use. DIY mushroom powder is wonderful for cooking and adding flavor, but for health benefits, a proper extract powder is the better choice. Learn more about fruiting body extraction and why it matters.

Mushrooms have a wide variety of benefits for humans, making them such incredible gifts from the natural world. By making your own powders, you can tap into these fantastic benefits, experiment with different combinations, and find the perfect mushroom routine for your unique self!

Resources

(1) Nelega, Paulina, RH (AGH). "The Fascinating History of Medicinal Mushrooms." Blog.naturalwellbeing.com.

(2) Morrissey, Ellen. "Mushroom Powder Is the Ultimate Way to Add Umami to All Kinds of Dishes." Martha Stewart, 2022.

(3) "How to Dehydrate Mushrooms." Fresh Off the Grid, 2021.

(4) "How to Make Mushroom Powder with Dehydrated Mushrooms." Monterey Mushrooms.