The Chinese Cordyceps (Ophiocordyceps Sinensis) is a highly coveted, rare, and valuable medicinal mushroom that has been used by the Chinese for over 3,000 years.
In the world of nutritional supplements, Cordyceps is one of the top-selling products. It’s been a big part of the Asian supplement market for decades, and it’s now becoming a huge part of the American supplement market as well. Cordyceps is an amazing herb that can make a huge impact on your health and well-being. Cordyceps help promote immune function, builds up lean muscle mass, and increases stamina. All of these things help increase athletic performance, improve endurance, and speed recovery time after exercise. Cordyceps is also known for its ability to help with pain relief, increased sexual performance, increased energy levels, better mood and sleep quality, and increased mental clarity and focus.
This cultivation method is easy and can be done with basic equipment and minimal space.
Below is the most basic recipe possible for the cultivation of Cordyceps Militaris. For a beginner, this is a good place to start. As you learn more you can tweak the recipe as needed. Many growers use a rice-based substrate. I have found that it is unnecessary to use rice for small amounts.
Recipe for 4 Pint Jars
- 1 cup wheatberries
- 2 cups water
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp light malt extract
- 1 tsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1/3 tsp Azomite Rock Dust
Put dry grains in the jars first. 1/4 cup per jar
Mix all other dry ingredients with water till thoroughly mixed.
Add 1.2 cup of broth to each jar
Close jars and cover lid with foil
Pressure cook @ 15 psi for 1 hour
Wait till the jars cool completely before inoculation.
Useful Items
These items might be useful in cordyceps cultivation so I have listed them here.
Containers Cordyceps Cultivation Containers. These are widely used in Europe for growing cordyceps in jars.
Liquid Culture – Enough to get you started or refresh your source from time to time. Cordyceps will age out and need to be started again. Unless you are into breeding fresh strains this is a good option.
Kit – Cordyceps Growing Kit. If you just want to give growing a try without investing lots of time and money.
Further Reading
I did a little experiment on the benefits of cordyceps mushrooms. If you are interested give it a read here, there are also links at the bottom of the page for other related subjects.