Psychedelic mushrooms are the edible portal to another world. They can open our minds, change our perspectives, and connect us to a higher power. However, although they are edible, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are tasty. In fact, to some people’s palettes they are kind of gross. There are various ways to improve the taste of mushrooms — tea, chocolates — or at the very least disguise and overpower it — like lemon tek.
These methods, though effective, take some prep and can spoil quickly. This is where ‘blue’, or ‘mushroom honey’ comes in. Not only does it taste good, and preserve your shrooms, it is also surprisingly easy to make.
What is ‘Blue Honey’?
Blue honey is honey that has been infused with psilocybin mushrooms or truffles. A sugary elixir that packs a psychedelic punch. You can make it as strong and potent as you’d like, and it’s easy to consume — bypassing endless gnawing on desiccated mushroom stems.
Why Honey?
Did you know that archeologists unearthed 3,000 year old honey in Ancient Egyptian tombs, and found it to be still edible? In fact, honey doesn’t really ever go ‘off’. It can harden, and crystallize, but this process can be reversed simply by heating it up. This is why honey has been used as a preservative for millenia. It is low in water and high in sugar, meaning that bacteria cannot grow on it. Additionally, honey contains small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, which inhibits the growth of microbes. This is why bees are so gosh darn clever — the honey they produce is both food and protection for their young.
Why Do Magic Mushrooms Turn the Honey Blue?
Magic mushrooms turn honey blue, because they themselves turn blue. This is because the psilocybin oxidizes, creating the color to appear. Previously it was thought that a singular molecule was responsible. However, following thorough experimentation, German researchers discovered it was actually a ‘cascade reaction’, with around 6 different molecules combining to produce the blue tint.
Researchers speculate that the reason magic mushrooms do this is to deter predators from eating them. It could be that these blue-making compounds are toxic to the kinds of insects that would prey on them.
The Bluer the Mushroom, the Stronger the Mushroom?
Despite the popular name, your honey may not actually end up that blue. In fact, the less blue the better. Magic mushrooms turn blue when they have oxidized. So, your honey will turn blue if the mushrooms in it are oxidized. While this is unavoidable if you are cutting mushrooms, it is in your best interests to limit this as much as possible, as oxidation degrades psilocybin. This would make the overall potency of your honey weaker. Don’t get too hung up on this though, some bruising is inevitable, and won’t really make too much difference in the long run. However, although it may look cool, don’t bruise your mushrooms just for the aesthetic!
The Benefits of Blue Honey
Here are some of the sweet benefits of blue honey:
- As we already enthused, honey is an effective preservative that has been used since ancient times. It could keep your mushrooms viable indefinitely.
- You can easily control your dose. Once you’ve calculated the dosage for your jar of honey, and thus the potency of each serving, you will be able to control your dose with ease. You may wish to make a weaker jar to build your dosage slowly, or you may want to make an extremely potent jar where one spoonful is more than enough to send you on your way.
- Boiling or high heat will destroy psilocybin. Luckily, no cooking or heating is required to make blue honey.
- Finally, it’s really, really tasty.
How to Make Blue Honey
Making magic mushroom or magic truffle honey: Step-By-Step
As we said, making blue honey is an easy process. However, it still requires a tiny bit of prep and concentration. So, here is our step-by-step guide on how to produce the sweetest trip of all.
What You Will Need:
Everything you need to make psychedelic mushroom honey can be found easily on the high street or online, if you don’t already have all the items at home.
- A Glass Jar: this must be airtight. Those jars with the clip-lids work best. This is what your blue honey will live in.
- A Sharp Knife: You need to chop your dried mushrooms or truffles into the smallest pieces possible (this maximizes potency).
- (Optional) Coffee/Herb Grinder: Using a coffee grinder ensures you have the smallest pieces possible. The larger the surface area of shroom to honey, the stronger it will be. If you cannot get hold of one, spend extra time cutting your pieces veeeery fine with the knife. As close to a powder or dust as you can get — watch those fingers!
Ingredients to Make Psychedelic Blue Honey
Our favorite recipes are simple. And it doesn’t get simpler than this. Psilocybin mushroom honey contains two things: psilocybin mushrooms and honey.
Completely Dry Magic Mushrooms (or Truffles): whether you are using magic mushrooms or magic truffles, they must be thoroughly dry. ‘Cracker-dry’ as they say. Otherwise they could ferment and degrade. This will make your honey non-psychedelic. Just honey with soggy bits in it.
Runny Honey: make sure you are buying runny honey, as it will easily envelope your shrooms. Trying to mix your mushrooms into set, or hard honey will be a total bust.
Blue Honey: The Steps
- Chop or grind your dried magic mushrooms or truffles as finely as you can.
- Fill your jar with powdered mushrooms and honey in alternate layers. First the mushrooms, then some honey, then some mushrooms, then some honey, etc, etc. until it is all filled up. The more mushrooms you add the stronger it will be. Another method is to mix your honey and mushrooms all together in a bowl, and then pour it into the jar. The difference here will be that the mushrooms are spread throughout the jar rather than in visible layers, which make dosing a bit easier. Whichever you prefer!
- Seal the jar and store in a cool, dark place for 1-4 months. The longer you leave your mixture the more psilocybin will infuse into the honey, making it more potent. It’s hard to be patient, but as we know, honey is happy playing the long-game!
- After you’ve counted down the days, like a kid at Christmas, it’s time to taste your honey! Be careful to start with a small dose, maybe a teaspoons-worth. This is because the potency of your honey will still be unknown. Once you’ve carefully tested it, you will be able to dose it properly.
How Potent is Blue Honey?
How Strong is Magic Mushroom Honey?
The strength of your blue honey is is up to you (and luck, to some extent!) The strength can vary based on your chosen mushroom strain or species. How well kept they are, as well as their size will also have an effect (gram by gram smaller mushrooms tend to be more potent.) The length of time you leave your jar before opening will also influence its potency, as well as a bit of luck that everything has infused nicely. However, if you have an idea of the potency of your chosen mushrooms, know how many you put in your honey, and the amount of honey you used, you should be able to quite reliably estimate the strength.
How Much Blue Honey Should I Eat?
Once you have tested your honey to see how potent it actually is, how much of it you consume is up to you, depending on the kind of trip you want. Each spoonful should be of similar strength, so you can work out your dosage from there, whether you want a lighter, or a more intense trip. Check out our Dosage Chart to make your calculations.
The strongest effects you will get from blue honey will be by taking it alone without food, so the psychedelic compounds will be absorbed straight into your blood. However, who can resist bread and honey? It could be the perfect addition to a psychedelic summer picnic! It just depends what kind of experience you are after.
How Do I Store Blue Honey?
Store your magic mushroom honey as you would store normal honey — in a cool, dry place, like a cupboard. If you completely dried your shrooms, then your mixture should be able to last forever, basically. Just keep it in the right conditions!
Can I Use Agave Instead of Honey?
For any vegans wondering, yes, you can use agave instead of honey, as it is similarly high in sugar content. You do not need to alter any steps, just replace honey with agave, and you’re good to go!
