Double and Triple Extraction of Medicinal Mushrooms: How the Active Compounds Are Released
Have you ever wondered why you can’t just pick a mushroom in the forest, take a bite, and hope for the best?
Or why, when you buy mushroom powder at the store, it sometimes feels like drinking expensive sand?
The world of medicinal mushrooms is vast, mysterious, and sometimes — let’s be honest — a little confusing.
Everyone talks about properties, about wellness, and about support, but few stop for a moment to explain the “how.”
How do you turn a strange lump growing on a tree into an extract that actually does something for the body?
The answer lies in one word that comes up again and again: extraction.
And more specifically — double extraction (or, in our case, even triple).
This is not a chemistry lesson, I promise.
But if you want to understand what you are putting into your body, and why Triterra Farm decided to devote itself to this complex process, it is worth reading on.
Because in the end, the difference between a product that works and a product that stays on the shelf like a useless stone is the science behind the scenes.
So make yourself a cup of tea (or coffee with a few drops of extract), and let’s dive down below the soil.
Why do medicinal mushrooms need to be extracted at all? (Or: why your stomach is not a concrete factory)
Let’s start with the basics.
Mushrooms are not plants.
They are not animals either.
They are a kingdom of their own.
One of the key differences between mushrooms and plants is their cell structure.
While plant cells are wrapped in cellulose, mushroom cells are protected by a substance called “chitin.”
Sound familiar?
Perhaps because it is the same substance that makes up the shells of crabs, lobsters, and insects.
Now, imagine trying to digest a crab shell.
Not pleasant, right?
The human digestive system cannot break down chitin efficiently.
The problem is that all the good of the mushroom — the β-glucans, the polysaccharides, the triterpenes, and the rest of the impressive-sounding names (all explained in our medicinal mushroom glossary) — is locked inside this chitin “safe.”
If you eat a raw medicinal mushroom (especially the tough ones like reishi), your body simply won’t manage to get almost anything out of it.
It will pass through the digestive system and come out exactly as it went in.
To release the active compounds, we need to crack the safe.
We need heat, and we need solvents.
This is where the extraction process comes in.
Hot-water extraction: the first half of the equation
The oldest method, one that grandmothers in China and Japan have known for thousands of years, is steeping in hot water.
Simply tea.
The hot water manages to dissolve part of the chitin and release certain components.
These are mainly the “water-soluble” components.
The main stars here are the polysaccharides and the β-glucans.
These are the ones associated mainly with support for the immune system and general balance (a structure-function claim).
If you are looking into the researched properties of consuming mushrooms in the context of immunity, water extraction is a good start.
But that is only half the story.
Why?
Because there are components that simply refuse to dissolve in water, no matter how long you boil them.
They are stubborn.
They need something stronger.
Alcohol extraction: the part that makes it professional
This is where alcohol enters the picture.
Not to “get a buzz,” but as a precise chemical working tool.
There is a whole group of active compounds, such as triterpenes, essential lipids, and sterols, that are “alcohol-soluble.”
These compounds are critical.
For example, in the reishi mushroom, the triterpenes are traditionally associated with a sense of calm, with support for the liver, and with balance (traditional uses; not a substitute for medical advice).
Without alcohol, you are simply throwing them in the trash.
So double extraction is essentially a combination of the two worlds:
- Step 1: alcohol extraction, to draw out the “oils” and the stubborn compounds.
- Step 2: hot-water extraction, to draw out the polysaccharides.
- Step 3: uniting the two liquids into one complete, powerful extract.
But wait — how is this connected to us in the Galilee?
Here we arrive at our personal story.
Triterra Farm did not begin in a sterile laboratory in Germany.
It began as an escape.
We lived in Tel Aviv, and the city started closing in on me.
We wanted an alternative to the kindergarten for Avshalom, my son.
So we packed everything up, Avishag and I, and moved north, to the foot of Mount Tabor.
Suddenly I was surrounded by real nature.
Not a pot on the balcony, but a forest.
Avishag dragged me out to forage, and suddenly I met mushrooms.
I found myself on all fours, sniffing like a hunting dog.
The smell of the decay, of the forest, of the mycelium — it drove me wild.
When we went into the Corona lockdown, I broke through a wall under the parking area of our home in Hararit.
There, in the dark and the smell of moss, we set up what is today Triterra Farm’s medicinal extracts.
We understood very quickly that growing mushrooms is only the beginning.
To give people the true power of the forest, we have to extract it in the most precise way there is.
Not just double — meet triple extraction (Triple Extract)
At Triterra we decided not to settle for the standard.
We are not a mass production line.
We are an atelier for mushrooms.
We developed a unique process called triple extraction (Triple Extract).
It is a process that lasts more than 6 weeks.
We combine ancient techniques with modern knowledge to make sure not a single molecule is lost.
We use only the fruiting bodies (Fruit Bodies).
Why does this matter?
Because many products on the market grind up the entire substrate the mushroom grew on (rice or sawdust) and sell you starch at the price of gold.
With us, inside every cordyceps fruiting-body extract, there is only the mushroom itself.
Clean, concentrated, powerful.
Which medicinal mushrooms benefit from this process?
In fact, all of our stars go through this pampering treatment.
Take reishi, for example.
It is a mushroom as hard as wood.
Without aggressive, precise double extraction, you cannot reach its core.
Many people ask us about the researched properties of the reishi mushroom, and the answer always begins with the quality of the extraction.
If the extraction is not good, the properties stay on paper.
The turkey tail mushroom (Turkey Tail) also requires special treatment.
We produce a quality turkey tail extract that allows the body to receive the range of complex polysaccharides in the mushroom. (Note: PSP and PSK are isolated, standardized compounds studied separately in research, and not the extract itself as it is sold as a dietary supplement.)
There are quite a few clinical studies on medicinal mushrooms that examine how the extraction method affects the availability of the active compounds.
Winning combinations: when mushrooms meet friends
Sometimes, one plus one equals three.
It sounds like a cliché, but in the world of mushrooms it is called synergy.
For example, a combination of lion’s mane and reishi.
Lion’s mane is researched in the context of cognition and focus.
Reishi is traditionally associated with calm and with support for the nervous system.
Together? You get a “mentalist” — a sharp but calm mind.
And of course, here too, every component in the bundle went through the same meticulous, slow extraction process.
Why is transparency not a dirty word?
We live in an era where everyone makes promises.
“The best,” “the strongest,” “100% natural.”
But with us, quality is a fact, not a slogan — and all the data is visible on our transparency page.
Every batch of reishi extract, or any other mushroom, is sent for independent, external lab testing (β-glucan).
We test everything.
Heavy metals? Tested.
Bacteria and contaminants? Tested.
Active-compound concentration (β-glucans)? Absolutely tested.
We are proud to be Galilean farmers who look you in the eye.
We know exactly what goes into every bottle, because our own hands grew it.
Questions we always get asked (and love to answer)
Question: Is the alcohol in the extract noticeable?
Answer: The amount of alcohol in a serving is minimal. It is not a shot of vodka, just a few drops. The purpose is preservation and extraction, not intoxication.
Question: How do I know which mushroom fits me?
Answer: Great question. Our complete medicinal mushrooms guide is built exactly for that — it helps you focus your choice according to your goals in just a few minutes.
Question: How long does it take to feel an effect?
Answer: Mushrooms are not a painkiller. They work with the body, not on it. Some people notice a change in energy (for example with cordyceps) within a few days, but the deeper processes usually take two to three weeks of consistent use. This is an educational review, not a therapeutic indication.
Question: Does it help the gut?
Answer: Preliminary studies are examining the link between medicinal mushrooms and support for digestion, especially mushrooms such as lion’s mane and turkey tail, which are researched as prebiotics. It is important to remember that this is a dietary supplement and not a substitute for medical advice.
Question: Can it be combined with coffee?
Answer: Of course, it is even recommended. The heat of the coffee does not destroy the extraction (it has already been through boiling), and it blends nicely into the flavor.
Final thoughts from the forest
At the end of the day, mushrooms are much more than a dietary supplement.
They are a connection.
A connection to the earth, to the roots, to ancient wisdom that was here long before us and will be here long after us.
At Triterra we see ourselves as messengers.
Our role is to take this wonder that grows in the dark, and to extract the light from it for you.
Whether you are looking to support memory with a lion’s mane (Lion’s Mane) extract, or simply want to feel stronger.
When you choose a quality double (and triple) extraction, you choose to give your body the best tools nature has created.
Not sure which mushroom to start with? Our complete medicinal mushrooms guide will help you focus a personal choice according to your goals — and if you want to learn more, our frequently asked questions are waiting for you.
See you on the trails.
Disclaimer: This content is an educational review, based on preliminary research and traditional uses, and does not constitute medical advice or a therapeutic indication. Medicinal mushroom extracts are dietary supplements only. Do not begin use — especially while taking medication, or during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or an existing medical condition — without consulting a physician or a qualified practitioner.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.*
