The dark and damp days of winter have settled in for much of the country and the outdoor activity options are limited, However that means that it is time to enjoy the bounty of our summer harvest. A couple years ago on an Alaskan forage my wife and I brought home an abundance of both chaga and birch polypore mushrooms. After they were dried and stored in mason jars making a sweet healthy tea from them was easy and provides a nice alternative to soda or store bought tea while strengthening your immune system against the winter crud. Something even more important during these trying times.
Here is my very simple recipe for winter chaga tea.
1 gallon water
2-3 cups of chunked chaga
2-3 cups of birch polypore strips or chunks
Boil for at least twenty minutes or as long as you like, the longer it boils the stronger it will be. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes then add:
1 cup dried rose hips
2-3 black tea bags
Let sit for fifteen minutes then remove the tea bags. Let cool completely then strain into bottles or mason jars.Enjoy!
Feel free to vary in anyway from this recipe, the fun is in the experimentation. You could use just Chaga of just the birch poly-pore. Blueberry or raspberry flavoring might be interesting as well. Most importantly after being outside and doing something wild, enjoy the fruits of your adventure!
