Content
- 1 Features of harvesting chaga mushroom
- 2 How to prepare chaga correctly
- 3 How to Process Chaga
- 4 How to make a drying chamber for chaga
- 5 How to dry chaga at home
- 6 How much weight does chaga lose when dried?
- 7 How to properly store chaga
- 8 Shelf life of chaga
- 9 Harvesting birch chaga as a business
- 10 Conclusion
Harvesting birch chaga is practiced not only for personal purposes - some build a successful and profitable business on chaga. In order for birch tinder fungus to bring maximum medicinal and financial benefits, you need to know how to harvest it correctly.
Features of harvesting chaga mushroom
Before harvesting the mushroom, first of all, you need to decide on the collection time. Theoretically, you can cut chaga throughout the year, but in practice this is usually done in spring or autumn:
- In the autumn and spring, birch growths contain the most medicinal substances, and accordingly, harvesting is most justified.
- Harvesting mushrooms in winter is more difficult due to frost and snowdrifts. Snow drifts make it difficult to get close to the tree, and the mushroom itself is much harder than in the warm season and requires great effort to harvest. It also takes longer to dry winter birch growths during harvesting.
- In summer you can get close to the birch trunk without any problems, but another difficulty arises. Dense tree foliage often hides growths on birch trunks, making them more difficult to see.
Traditionally, people go to the autumn forest for birch tinder fungi during the period of active leaf fall, when the trees are exposed and it becomes easier to find the growths. Mushroom harvesting can also be carried out in March-April, after the main snow melts, but before the leaves bloom.
Chaga growths located high above the ground need to be cut off.
How to prepare chaga correctly
Harvesting is a fairly simple process, but when carrying out it you need to take into account several rules:
- Mown tinder fungus should only be collected from living trees; a mushroom located on fallen trunks or stumps does not have any special valuable properties.
- For harvesting, you need to cut off the mushrooms located in the upper part of the tree; it is better not to touch the growths near the ground, their medicinal value is minimal. Useful birch chaga should be located at a distance of at least a meter from the ground, and preferably higher.
- The most useful are birch tinder fungi, which are located in a group on one tree.
- The growth is difficult to separate from the birch trunk. It must be cut down using a small hatchet or a very sharp wide knife. The incision is made vertically, ideally it should run parallel to the tree trunk and separate the tinder fungus from the birch tree right at the place where the fungus connects to the trunk.
The chaga growth is separated from the trunk with a vertical incision
How to Process Chaga
Immediately upon returning from the forest, you must properly clean the chaga at home. If you do not plan to use birch tinder fungus immediately, then the treatment is as follows:
- the growth is beaten off with a sharp knife and cleared of loose areas of light color - in the place where it came into contact with the tree;
- Using a wide, strong knife or a small hatchet, the lumpy black bark covering the top of the mushroom is broken off from the growth;
- the remaining brown solid part is cut into small pieces of 3-5 cm in diameter; it is most convenient to store the tinder fungus in this form.
After processing, the birch tinder fungus needs to be dried for harvesting. This can be done in several ways; which one to choose depends on the purpose for which the dry product is needed.
How to make a drying chamber for chaga
If the harvesting of beveled tinder fungus is carried out in large volumes, then it is most practical to build a dryer for chaga at the dacha or in the house. It's quite simple to do this:
- The main thing you need to create a drying chamber is a small room in which there is a stove, fireplace or electric oven.
- The room will need to install a high-quality door that prevents drafts from entering. If there are windows in the chamber, it is necessary to install sealed double-glazed windows that do not allow air to pass through when closed.
- All cracks, cracks and other openings in the walls and corners must be sealed with sealant, and the walls themselves must be covered with insulation, which will help maintain a stable temperature.You can line the room with brick from the inside; it will help retain the heat coming from the fireplace or stove.
At the last stage, you will need to build metal shelves in the room on which the workpieces will be placed.
Harvesting in a drying chamber is very simple - the processed tinder fungus is placed in large volumes in a room, the oven is heated and an even temperature is maintained over the next few days for uniform drying.
To dry chaga raw materials, you can equip a special dryer
If the volume of workpieces is very large, you can also build a spacious dryer on the site, the size of which is more reminiscent of a garage. For it you will need to lay a foundation, then assemble a frame from an aluminum profile and metal sheets, and install thermal and waterproofing. Drying is carried out using a heat gun.
A large dryer helps quickly process large volumes of raw materials. However, its construction is profitable only if there is a business based on the sale of birch tinder fungus in wholesale quantities.
How to dry chaga at home
If birch chaga is harvested for personal purposes and in small quantities, then specially equipped dryers will not be needed. It is better to dry the mowed tinder fungus under normal conditions - this can be done in several ways:
- Natural drying. The process takes a lot of time, but more useful substances are preserved during this preparation - the valuable compounds in the mushroom are not destroyed.For natural drying, wood growth, chopped into small pieces, is laid out on sheets of thick paper and placed in a dry and well-ventilated place. The correct way to dry birch chaga is in the shade, away from the direct rays of the sun; in summer, verandas or tables under awnings are suitable, and in winter, shaded window sills are suitable. If the conditions are met, the mushroom will dry completely in 2-3 weeks.
- In the oven. This method is faster, although some of the beneficial substances in the composition are lost when used. Chaga raw materials should be laid out on a baking sheet or wire rack, and then placed in an oven heated to just 50 °C. The door must be left open for the entire drying time, and the process takes 8-10 hours.
The raw materials can also be dried using a special electric dryer. In this case, you will need to set the device temperature to no more than 40 °C and place birch tinder fungus in special trays for 7-8 hours in the dryer. From time to time it is recommended to move the trays from place to place so that drying occurs more evenly.
For private use, it is more practical to dry chaga in the fresh air or in the oven.
How much weight does chaga lose when dried?
The exact weight reduction of chaga during drying depends on the time and intensity of drying, as well as on how much water was contained in the freshly cut tinder fungus. But on average, after drying, the growth loses about 10-20% of its mass and becomes noticeably lighter.
How to properly store chaga
If the raw material is not intended to be used immediately after harvesting, it should be stored. Dried raw materials must be kept in paper bags, cardboard boxes or wooden containers.It is important to note that the container cannot be hermetically sealed with a lid; air must be allowed in, otherwise the mushroom will lose its beneficial properties.
For storage, birch tinder fungus is placed in a dark place with low humidity. At room temperature, the mushroom feels quite comfortable, but there is no need to put it in the refrigerator.
Shelf life of chaga
The shelf life of chaga after harvesting depends on the processing method. Dried raw materials are stored longer - this is another reason why drying is recommended immediately upon returning from the forest.
Chaga raw materials retain valuable properties after drying for 2 years
How long does dry chaga last?
Dry birch tinder fungus can retain valuable properties for 2 years. But how long chaga can be stored in dry form depends on compliance with storage rules. Therefore, you need to carefully monitor the conditions; low humidity is required; the harvested mushroom must “breathe” fresh air. The appearance of dampness in the container is unacceptable; under such conditions, mold will quickly develop on the mushroom.
How long does fresh chaga last?
The shelf life of fresh raw materials is much shorter - only about 3-4 months. That is why it is recommended to process the mushroom and dry it as quickly as possible. If you leave fresh tinder fungus in a place with unsuitable temperature and humidity, it can become moldy and lose its beneficial properties.
It is also recommended to process raw materials quickly because over time, the hard bark on the surface of the growth becomes more rigid.Cleaning a stale mushroom will be more difficult and the process will take longer.
Fresh chaga raw materials are not stored for long - only a few months
Harvesting birch chaga as a business
The medicinal properties of chaga are recognized not only by folk medicine, but also by official medicine and homeopathy. Therefore, chaga raw materials are in great demand in the Russian and foreign markets. Every year Russia sells more than 1 million kg of birch chaga, with China and Korea being the main buyers. Birch tinder fungus is also in demand within the country, which makes it possible to create a profitable and interesting business based on the harvesting of birch growths:
- To create a successful business, you will first need to resolve the issue of procuring raw materials. Depending on the scale of the business, it is necessary to either find a sufficient number of mowed tinder fungi close to home, or acquire reliable suppliers.
- To develop your business, you will also need to equip a spacious dryer in your dacha or country house, or several at once if the business develops well. Drying birch mushroom using home methods is unprofitable; if the raw material is intended for sale, the process will go too slowly.
- Before starting a business, it is recommended to find regular wholesale buyers for raw materials in advance. This is also rarely accompanied by difficulties - both Russian buyers and clients from China and Korea are interested in chaga.
The business of procuring and selling chaga is quite profitable and allows you to receive about several hundred rubles in profit every month.
If you wish, you can sell chaga in retail quantities, for example, through appropriate forums on the Internet.The profit from such a business will be low, but retail sales will allow you to get rid of excess chaga and also receive a nice cash bonus.
Chaga procurement business can be very profitable
Conclusion
Harvesting birch chaga is not only useful, but also potentially profitable. The valuable properties of the mown tinder fungus are used for treatment; chaga can also be sold in retail and wholesale quantities. The harvesting process itself looks quite simple if you follow the basic rules.
What does chaga infusion with water taste like?