How to Identify, Harvest, and Storage Chaga Mushroom

If you've ever taken a walk in the woods and thought you saw a large lump of mud on a birch tree, you've probably seen it before. This highly beneficial fungus grows specifically on birch species throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

Although it looks ugly, the Chaga mushroom is gaining popularity in the Western world for its potential health benefits, it has been used medicinally for thousands of years and now you can use it too.

In this article, you'll learn how to identify it, how to harvest it successfully, and how to save it to get the most of the benefits of this incredible superfood.

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What is Chaga, exactly?

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) is a parasitic fungus found in birch (Betula) species. It looks like a mound of mud or a charred piece of wood, usually sticking out of the side of a tree.

In certain Canadian regions, the Cree name for this mushroom is "Poashkan" or "Wiskakecakomikih". It has been harvested and used for medicinal and spiritual purposes by First Nations people here for thousands of years. It has also been used for both purposes in Europe and Asia around the same time!

Chaga is valued in Russia and Siberia for its many health benefits. Russian Nobel Prize-winning author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn mentioned this healing mushroom in his semi-autobiographical book The Cancer Ward.

Chaga contains large amounts of betulinic acid, which gives it powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and antiviral properties. This is why we only collect birch wounds for medicinal use. Although parasitic fungi grow on other tree species, they do not contain betulin.

How to identify Chaga

This fungus only grows in cold climates. You will find it in the birch species mentioned in places like Canada, Russia, Siberia, Scandinavia, Alaska, and North Korea. It grows mainly on yellow birch and paper, which can be easily identified.

Chaga looks like a thick-textured black lump sticking out of the side of a birch. Some people mistake birch knots for this mushroom, but it is very easy to tell them apart. Nodules are dark growths that tend to be smooth on the outside. If you cut them, you will see that they are beautifully twisted inside.

In contrast, Chaga is always black and rough on the outside and has a beautiful golden hue on the inside.

Chaga comes in all shapes and sizes, but you'll know you've got the right product if it looks like saffron when you open it. As an additional identifier, nasturtium is usually very easy to remove from a tree. It may take a bit of effort to remove it, but the nodules must be cut with a saw.

Harvesting Chaga

Once you've located and identified a nasturtium birch, make sure the nasturtium mushroom is at least the size of a grapefruit (the bigger the better) before harvesting. Larger blight fungi will have a higher concentration of nutrients since the fungus has had much longer to develop and store nutrients.

Chaga is also extremely slow-growing and can take up to 15 years before it reaches harvestable size. Allow smaller specimens to grow and develop for future trips to the forest.

When harvesting the Chaga itself, try a third of the fungus attached to the tree as it will continue to grow to allow for a future harvest.

Drying and storage

Once the Chaga has been harvested, it will need to be cleaned and dried before using it to make tea or to make an extract or tincture. Clean Chaga with these three easy steps.

1. Wash the freshly picked nasturtium mushroom in fresh water to remove any debris or insects that may be hiding in its many crevices.

2. Break the sore into fist-sized pieces to speed drying and prevent mold growth.

3. Dry the Chaga in a cool, dry place until clean and dry. This usually takes about a month.

Once dry, Chaga should be stored in an airtight container to prevent it from absorbing moisture from the air. Mason jars are great for this, but any large bowl or airtight container can be used.