How to Dry Magic Mushrooms
The three main ways to dry magic mushrooms are air-drying, dehydrating, or desiccating. Whichever way you choose, the first step is pre-drying the shrooms to remove excess water and prevent contamination:
Arrange mushrooms on a piece of cardboard or dry towel, evenly spaced without touching.
Place cardboard or towel in a well-ventilated area without direct sunlight, potentially in front of a fan for constant airflow.
Let sit for several hours until wrinkly in appearance and rubbery to the touch.
Now you’re ready to complete the drying process.
Air-drying is the easiest method, requiring little to no equipment or advanced preparation. However, this only works in environments with 55% or less humidity and takes up to two days. Just continue the pre-drying process, checking intermittently until the mushrooms are dry enough throughout to snap when bent.
On the other hand, using a dehydrator will ensure the mushrooms dry evenly in less time while minimizing the risk of contamination. Spread your pre-dried shrooms on the dehydrator sheet and cook at a temperature of 110°F, low enough to keep the psychoactive compounds intact. Dehydrate for four to eight hours, checking every hour, until mushrooms are bone dry.
The final method for drying is using a desiccant, meaning a substance that absorbs water from the atmosphere around it, like the silica gel packs included with many industrial products and readymade snacks.
To prepare a homemade desiccant, all you need is Epsom salt, a hammer, and an oven:
Fill a baking tray with a thin layer of Epsom salt.
Bake at 475°F for two hours.
Remove and immediately use a hammer to break the salt sheet into pieces. The longer you wait after removing it from the oven, the more moisture the desiccant will begin to absorb from the air around it.
Place hardened salt flakes into airtight containers while still hot.
Now, to use the desiccant to dry your magic mushrooms:
Pour a layer of desiccant into the bottom of an airtight plastic container.
Cover with paper towels and create a platform using a sturdy metal mesh to keep the shrooms from coming into direct contact with the desiccant.
Place the shrooms atop the mesh and secure the lid above.
Check mushrooms every day until dry enough to snap when bent.
