Some mushrooms are highly sought-after for their use in cooking. Others get used for their medicinal benefits.
Turkey tail mushrooms fall into the second category. They contain a number of beneficial compounds that make them worth consuming.
The problem is that you can’t simply eat turkey tail mushrooms like portobellos or oyster mushrooms. Their thick and woody structure makes them basically inedible to humans.
These mushrooms need to get prepared in specific ways if you want to benefit from them.
The good news is that preparing turkey tail mushrooms as a tea or supplement isn’t difficult.
In this article we’ll explain how you can use turkey tails for medicinal use. We’ll also go over how to find and identify them, what their benefits are and more. Keep reading to see if turkey tail mushrooms are something you might want to add to your daily health regimen.
And if you’re in the UK I’d love you to have a look at our MycoTonics range of medicinal extracts which includes Turkey Tail.
Turkey tail mushrooms are gaining popularity for their culinary versatility and impressive potential health benefits. As wild food foragers and mushroom enthusiasts, we love integrating this underutilized mushroom into various recipes. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll share everything you need to know to source, prepare, and cook with turkey tail mushrooms.
Turkey tail mushrooms, known scientifically as Trametes versicolor or Coriolus versicolor, are a common polypore mushroom species found throughout the world. They grow in overlapping clusters on decaying wood, especially on fallen hardwood trees and logs. The colorful, concentric bands on the top of the cap resemble the fanned tail feathers of a turkey, giving rise to the common name.
These mushrooms have been used medicinally by cultures around the world for centuries. Modern research is now confirming many of the traditional health claims about turkey tail mushrooms including potential cancer-fighting immune-boosting, and gut health properties. The research is still ongoing but initial studies are promising.
In the culinary world, turkey tail mushrooms are valued for their earthy, umami flavor and meaty texture when cooked. Let’s look at how to properly source and prepare them in your kitchen.
Sourcing Turkey Tail Mushrooms
Foraged turkey tails are preferable since they deliver the freshest flavor and nutritional composition. However exercise caution since some look-alike mushrooms are potentially toxic. Proper mushroom identification is essential.
If you don’t have foraging experience, purchase turkey tails from a reputable grower or online retailer. Many provide organic, sustainably grown options. You can also likely find them fresh or dried at health food markets and specialty grocers.
Dried turkey tail mushrooms are more commonly available and provide convenience, longer shelf life, and versatility in recipes. However, fresh mushrooms deliver a more intense, nuanced flavor.
Preparing Fresh Turkey Tail Mushrooms
Proper cleaning and preprocessing helps remove debris and intensify turkey tails’ flavor. Here are some tips:
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Carefully trim away any rotted, bug-eaten, or excessively tough sections with a sharp knife. Only keep the youngest, most tender parts.
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Use a soft brush or damp towel to gently clean away dirt, leaves, and other debris.
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Slice, chop, or tear mushrooms into smaller pieces to shorten cooking times and tenderize texture.
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Consider briefly blanching in boiling water if the mushrooms are older or excessively tough.
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Fresh turkey tail mushrooms are now ready for cooking!
Drying Turkey Tail Mushrooms
Drying concentrated the flavor and preserves turkey tail mushrooms for future use. Here are two reliable methods:
Oven Drying
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Arrange mushrooms in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
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Bake at the lowest oven temperature, around 150°F, for 6-8 hours.
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Rotate mushrooms periodically for even drying.
Dehydrator
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Place mushrooms in a single layer on dehydrator trays.
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Dry at 95-100°F for 6-8 hours.
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Rotate trays periodically for even drying.
Mushrooms are fully dry when brittle and crispy with no moisture inside. Then store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Cooking with Turkey Tail Mushrooms
The earthy, umami flavor of turkey tail mushrooms enhances many savory dishes. Consider these preparation methods:
Soups and Stews
Rehydrate dried turkey tails in warm water for 30 minutes. Then add them into your favorite soup or stew recipes for extra nutrition and depth of flavor. They pair well with standard soup seasonings and vegetables.
Tea
Simmer chopped or powdered dried turkey tails in hot water for 10-15 minutes to extract the flavors and nutrients into a broth. Sweeten with honey or add other herbs like ginger to taste.
Sautéed
Sauté fresh or rehydrated turkey tails in olive oil or butter until lightly browned. Season with garlic, shallots, or other aromatics. Use as a flavorful side dish or topping for meats.
Powder
Grind dried turkey tails into a fine powder using a spice grinder. Incorporate into rubs, dressings, dips, etc. Or sprinkle it on finished dishes as a mineral/umami-packed seasoning.
Extracts
Steep turkey tail mushrooms in vodka or food-grade alcohol for several weeks to create a potent extract. Use drops of the extract to add flavor and potential health benefits to drinks, soups, dressings, and more.
turkey tail mushrooms: 21
fresh turkey tail mushrooms: 4
dried turkey tail mushrooms: 7
soups: 2
stews: 1
tea: 2
sautéed: 1
powder: 1
extracts: 1
What Do Turkey Tail Mushrooms Look Like?
The caps of turkey tail mushrooms are about 0.7 to 3 inches (2 to 8 cm) across. They are quite thin at only 0.04 to 0.08 inches (1 to 2 mm) in thickness. Depending on how mature the mushrooms are, the cap may be convex or flat.
Turkey tail caps can come in a variety of shapes. These include kidney-shaped, circular, semi-circular, bracket-shaped or fan-shaped.
When the caps are young and fresh they are flexible, although they quickly dry out and become brittle. They can feel velvety or even hairy in texture.
The colors of the turkey tail mushroom form in concentric rings, similar to the rings of a tree trunk.
You will most often see turkey tails that feature various shades of white, brown, red, orange, cinnamon and grey. However you may also see hues of green and blue sometimes.
The color of these mushrooms is highly variable, so color shouldn’t be your only identifying characteristic.
Underneath a turkey tail cap, the pore surface can vary from white to a pale brown color. The entire underside is covered in tiny pores. A one inch (2.5 cm) area can have anywhere from 75 to 150 pores.
Turkey tail mushrooms thrive outdoors. See our article How To Grow Mushrooms Outdoors With A Mushroom Bed for more information on growing mushrooms outside.
What Are Turkey Tail Mushrooms?
Turkey tail mushrooms are a type of polypore mushroom that you can find all around the world.
A polypore is a type of mushroom that has pores on its underside. As opposed to the gills that you find on most mushrooms. Most commonly, these are shelf or bracket fungi that grow on living or dead trees. Usually they are tough and inedible, but may still contain beneficial compounds.
The turkey tail mushroom actually has three separate scientific names. Depending on who is describing them and how they choose to classify these mushrooms, you may hear any of these names used. They include Trametes versicolor, Coriolus versicolor and Polyporus versicolor.
The “versicolor” part of the name describes how the turkey tail mushroom usually displays several colors. The cap of this mushroom can have rings of different colors including white, various shades of red and orange, all the way to dark brown.
The way that groups of turkey tail mushrooms grow together in a cluster, combined with their coloration, is where the name comes from. The mushrooms look similar to the tail of a wild turkey in both shape and color.
The use of turkey tail mushrooms goes back centuries. Like most medicinal mushrooms, the oldest references to it come from traditional Chinese medicine. Originally it was used for treating respiratory problems, as well as issues with the liver and spleen.
Turkey Tail Mushroom | Medicine Making, ID, Harvest, and More
FAQ
What is the best way to prepare turkey tail mushrooms?
For a decoction, place about 1-2 tablespoons of your chopped Turkey Tail in a saucepan with two cups of water and bring it to a simmer for about 25 minutes. If you decide to decoct your mushrooms for longer than 25 minutes (up to one hour), be sure to add more water should your liquid evaporate.
How to clean turkey tail mushrooms?
- Check the mushrooms for lookalikes.
- Scrub the mushrooms with an old toothbrush to remove dirt and grit.
- Use kitchen shears to remove any wood.
- Spread the mushrooms out to dry.
Can you eat turkey tail mushrooms raw?
Foragers may find turkey tail mushrooms in the wild, but they cannot be consumed raw.
What are the side effects of taking turkey tail mushrooms?
Adverse Reactions
Diarrhea, darkened stools, and darkened nail pigmentation have been reported. Turkey tail glucan products (PSP or PSK) have been safely consumed at doses of 1 g or more per day for up to 10 years in cancer patients.