Drying amanitas
The most important aspect of preparing Amanita muscaria (Amanita muscaria) is its drying, because. through this process, the toxic ibotenic acid is converted to the less toxic and psychoactive compound muscimol. If you do not dry the fly agaric, then the signs of intoxication of the body will be quite pronounced (which will be expressed in dizziness, nausea, vomiting and other unpleasant symptoms), while the strength of the psychoactive effect will be insignificant.
It is best to dry fly agarics in their natural environment – in the sun or indoors, after stringing them on a thread. Drying in an oven or oven is not recommended.
It is also very important to make sure that no harmful effects are exerted on the mushrooms: they are not blown by any gases from the stove, toxic fumes, sources of strong odors, etc., because the mushrooms are very sensitive and absorb such things well.
If drying using heat treatment, it is very important not to give a very high temperature (maximum 60 degrees), because. otherwise, the mushroom may lose its magical properties.
Also, when harvesting shaman fly agarics, the following features should be taken into account:
– it is necessary to collect only mushrooms of the species Amanita Muscaria, having previously familiarized themselves with their appearance, as well as a description of poisonous fly agaric.
– it is advisable to dry only hats without legs, because. the legs contain the least amount of active substances; the largest is contained in the red skin and the layer under it
– it is necessary to collect small and adult fly agaric, skipping the old and weakened
– it is desirable to collect fly agarics that are not damaged by worms and other pests, because. this takes away the strength of the fungus. Wormy, eaten, broken, old – you can safely use it for medicinal purposes and put it on fly agaric tincture.
– it is recommended to keep the mushroom cap whole, and keep mushrooms from the same family together
– there is an opinion that small, unopened fly agaric mushrooms differ somewhat in effects from those that open; the first give a more stimulating effect, the second – psychoactive. It is also worth paying attention to the number of white spots on the mushroom cap – it is believed that a large number of them indicates a great psychoactive potential of the fly agaric.
– drying should be carried out until the mushroom becomes brittle (that is, it breaks with slight compression). With proper drying, the weight ratio of the whole fly agaric to the dried one should be 11: 1 (in other words, 10g of well-cooked fly agaric corresponds to 110g fresh)
After the mushrooms are completely dry, they are stored in a dry place at room temperature.
How to use dried red fly agaric hats
The method of using red fly agaric has not changed over time. It is eaten and, less commonly, smoked.
When using fly agaric, it is important to consider the following points:
– 2-3 days before taking mushrooms, it is recommended to put yourself on a diet of light food.
– mushrooms should be taken on an empty stomach in order to avoid nausea and enhance the effects
– If you are dealing with this mushroom for the first time – use no more than one medium fly agaric cap! Firstly, it will help protect against unpleasant consequences if you have an individual intolerance to fly agaric alkaloids. Secondly, you will be able to understand the potential of the material you are using, which will give you an idea of the optimal dosage for you.
– for the first time, a person (“sitter”) should be next to the recipient of the fly agaric, who will monitor the progress of the process, since it is impossible to accurately predict the effect of the fungus on the psyche and the body as a whole.
Amanita dosage:
– 5-10g for a stimulating effect
– 15-20g for a strong psychoactive effect