THE BRCC NEWSLETTER
October News
Every October I start to feel like the year flew by. It’s been an interesting summer, we got a good soaking along the way which brought us some nice mushroom flushes. I’m pretty excited for the way the fall has begun so far, hen of the woods has been bountiful in higher elevations and I found some real nice chicken of the woods flushes also. October should be alot the same, I’m looking forward to the honey mushrooms, the shrimp of the woods along with those and lions mane! I have some exciting events this month, check out my market section to learn about those. My new coffee alternative has been a hit, combining four top medicinal mushrooms with roasted chicory, dandelion, and carob, along with cinnamon twist, get off or reduce the caffeine you consume and try this blend!
This is my last month of tours! It’s been an awesome year on the tour front and I got to meet and teach so many fungi friends. There’s still alittle time left, I’m taking tours until the middle of the month, so if interested shoot me an email or contact me by phone to make it happen.
October is also the last full month of full on foraging, with just some lingering mushrooms sticking around in November. As usual, I plan to be out in the woods everyday this month, finding what I can before the winter months bear down on us!
Appalachian Resilience Handcrafted Mushroom + Herbal Tea Blend — Daily support for resilience, rooted in plants and mushrooms.
A rich, berry-forward herbal tea crafted to support immune resilience—layered with warming spices, citrus, and functional mushrooms.
Ingredients: strawberry leaf, blackberry leaf, hibiscus, rose hips, juniper berry, acerola, elderberries, astragalus root, echinacea root, turkey tail mushroom, maitake mushroom, chaga mushroom, orange peel, elder flower, ginger root, cinnamon chips, bee balm, licorice root
Brewing: Daily Cup: 1-2 tablespoon per 8–10 oz hot water. Steep 15-20 minutes, covered For a stronger brew: 3-4 tablespoons per quart. Steep 30+ minutes
Net Weight: 1.7 oz (45grams)
Monthly Special
Immune System Protection and Boosting
$5 Off Resilience Tea Blend & Turkey Tail dual extracted tincture
Building up your immune system is important this time of year. With changing temperatures and seasons, our bodies make a transition naturally and for some with weaker immune systems this means cold and flu season. Medicinal mushrooms can be a key ally during this shift, helping to bring protection and a needed boost. Two of the best products we carry for this are our Appalachian Resilience Tea Blend and Turkey Tail tincture. Turkey Tail is known for it’s great effects on the immune system. It’s really on top of the list of medicinals, along side Chaga, Reishi, Maitake and Lions Mane. You can use the dried and ground Turkey Tail in broths and soups, the long, slow, low simmer pulls out many of the benefits it encompasses. Some folks add a bit to their coffee grounds or smoothies as well. Simply brewing it as a tea is the most common method.
Turkey Tail appears in the resilience tea blend along side strawberry leaf, blackberry leaf, hibiscus, rose hips, juniper berry, acerola, elderberries, astragalus root, echinacea root, maitake mushroom, chaga mushroom, orange peel, elder flower, ginger root, cinnamon chips, bee balm, licorice root. The tincture is an easy way to get all the benefits Turkey Tail holds, take it straight or drop it in your morning beverage of choice, a dropper full a day will do the job. Add these to your daily ritual and keep your system cold weather ready!
Turkey Tail Dual Extraction -Wild‑Foraged Fruiting Bodies • Dual‑Extracted for Full‑Spectrum Potency
Turkey Tail is one of the most widely studied mushrooms in the world and one of the most recognizable in the Appalachian woods. Its layered bands of browns, blues, greys, and tans make it a favorite among foragers, especially in late fall and throughout winter when few other mushrooms are present. We work exclusively with wild, mature fruiting bodies, gathered from downed hardwoods and extracted through a true dual‑extraction process to capture both the water‑soluble polysaccharides and alcohol‑soluble compounds.
This extract reflects Turkey Tail’s long global history and its strong presence in our local forests — a reliable, steady mushroom traditionally used to support immune balance and gut‑immune harmony.
Ingredients
Turkey Tail dual extract (alcohol/water).
Other Ingredients: Grain alcohol, purified water.
2 oz (60 mL)
October is really the last full month of the year to get out there and still forage a range of amazing mushrooms. After a dry start to September, many fall mushrooms are coming in a bit late, which has been the trend all year seems. I say it all the time, but fall is my favorite time to be in the forest foraging.
October Mushrooms
Honey Mushrooms
Two different varieties of honeys grow in our region, the brighter, honey colored ringless, which have smooth caps and the paler ringed honeys, which have tiny speckles on the cap and a ring on the stem. Both grow in large clusters, usually always associated with oak trees. Both are equally edible, a small caution is that honeys cause GI distress for some folks and should be eaten in smaller portions, also the stems are more fibrous than the caps.
Shrimp of the woods
Shrimps are a parasite that take over honey mushrooms, growing where honey mushrooms were, sometimes at the same time. Shrimps are a good edible when caught at the right stage, they often clump together. They are a part of a two mushroom collaboration, aborted entolomas are the rolled up white version and there is also a gilled entoloma which are a gray cap and stem mushroom, also edible that have pink spores.
Puffballs
We have three kinds of puffballs that are edible in our area. The ones pictured first are pear shaped puffballs that are smooth, there is also a gem studded, pictured second with tiny specs on the top and there is a giant puffball, typically showing up on lawns. Puffballs are edible and little butter sponges that absorb flavor really well. Caution is required as toxic/deadly amanita mushrooms grow from a tiny egg like structure that can resemble a puff ball. Edible puffballs are white inside and spongy, there is a pig skin puffball that is black inside and toxic.
Comb Tooth
A close relative to lions mane, comb tooth has longer branches that resemble icicles and is quite a pretty mushroom. They are just as edible and medicinal as lions mane. They grow on downed wood and have no real look alikes, the Asian beauty fungus can look similar but do not form a fruiting body instead are more of a crust fungus attached to the wood.
Black Staining Polypore
Some folks confuse this mushroom with hen of the woods, but black stainers actually stain black at the edges and are much more woody. This mushroom is edible but really only when young or trimming the softer edges. It has a great flavor and tougher sections can be used like a bay leaf to flavor broth and then discarded. Also known as rooster of the woods.
October Markets
Weekly Markets:
Weaverville Tailgate-Wednesdays from 3-6
@60 Lakeshore Drive, Weaverville, NC
Yancey County Farmers Market- Saturdays 8:30-12:30
@322 W. Main St. Downtown Burnsville 10/31
East Asheville Tailgate Market- Fridays from 3-6 @954 Tunnel rd
Specialty Markets
Food & Wine Festival- Saturday, Oct 10th from 10-9
@The Grey Hawk in Lake Lure
Pumpkin Fest- Sunday 10/11, 12-5 @Packas Place, Horse Shoe, Nc
Fall Fest Market- Saturday, Oct 17th 12-5 @French Broad Brewery
Old Fort Harvest Festival- Saturday Oct 24th 11-4
@139 Mauney Park Old Fort
Follow me on Social Media to get the latest updates!
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS
They’re back! After a short intermission, we are bringing back two favorites. We took some time to develop new products this past summer, such as our new coffee alternative Myco Morning, Mimosa and Stress Resilience dual extracted tinctures. Many folks at markets asked when we’d have our poplar cocoa and taco seasoning back and here they are just in time for the holidays.
Mountain Myco Cocoa
The perfect cold weather treat. Our cocoa is rich and smooth, containing 9 functionally medicinal mushrooms. Add it to your coffee, smoothie, or drink it like a coco.
Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Dark Chocolate & Cocoa, Coconut Milk Powder, Ghirardelli Majestic Dutch Cocoa, Oat Milk Powder, Allulose, Coconut Sugar, 9‑Mushroom Extract Blend (Lion’s Mane, Chaga, Reishi, Shiitake, Oyster, Wood Ear, Maitake, Cordyceps, Turkey Tail), Vanilla Powder, Sunflower Lecithin, Tapioca Starch, Ceylon Cinnamon, Sea Salt.
Cluck’in Dust Taco’in Tuesday Seasoning Blend
The name says it all! Our taco seasoning is perfect for…..tacos! It can also pair well with any meats or veggies, to add a nice spicy twist.
Ingredients: wild foraged chicken of the woods mushroom, ancho and chipotle chili powder, bell peppers, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, red and green chile, jalapeno powder, oregano, sassafras, sea salt, black pepper, cacao powder, arrow root powder (anti-caking).
Mountain Myco Cocoa-Functional cocoa for daily clarity, calm energy, and cozy ritual.
A smooth, balanced cocoa infused with a 9‑mushroom extract blend — crafted for everyday focus, immune support, and gentle, sustained energy. Rich enough for winter comfort, light enough for year‑round use. It’s a cozy ritual that fits anywhere in your day: morning coffee, afternoon pick‑me‑up, evening wind‑down, or blended into smoothies.
Small‑batch and hand‑blended in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Ingredients:
Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Dark Chocolate & Cocoa, Coconut Milk Powder, Ghirardelli Majestic Dutch Cocoa, Oat Milk Powder, Allulose, Coconut Sugar, 9‑Mushroom Extract Blend (Lion’s Mane, Chaga, Reishi, Shiitake, Oyster, Wood Ear, Maitake, Cordyceps, Turkey Tail), Vanilla Powder, Sunflower Lecithin, Tapioca Starch, Ceylon Cinnamon, Sea Salt.
warm - bold - umami - smoky - just the right heat
We foraged Chicken of the Woods Mushroom in the local Appalachian forest, dried it, and created a custom seasoning so you can enjoy this popular and delicious fungi “from the forest to your dinner table.” Smoky, warm, and rustic, this bold Mexican-inspired blend brings the spirit of Taco Tuesday. Perfect for seasoning tacos, grilled meats, beans, roasted vegetables, and hearty stews.
The perfect balance of ancho and chipotle chili powders delivers a smoky heat, with a vibrant kick from red and green chiles and jalapeño powder. This blend is rounded out by the sweet and slightly tangy notes of bell peppers, combined with aromatic onion powder and garlic powder for a flavor base that bursts with freshness.
Cumin and smoked paprika add depth, while coriander infuses a touch of citrus. Oregano hints at herbal undertones, and a hint of sassafras provides a unique twist that will have your taste buds dancing. With sea salt and black pepper for seasoning, and cacao powder subtly enriching the profile, this medley ensures each dish is unforgettable.
The addition of arrow root powder ensures that your seasoning maintains its perfect texture without clumping, making it easy to measure and incorporate into your cooking.
Whether you’re grilling, roasting, or sautéing, this artisanal seasoning blend is your secret weapon for mouthwatering Mexican and southwest inspired meals. Bring home the taste of the wild today and transform your everyday dishes into extraordinary experiences.
Ingredients: wild foraged chicken of the woods mushroom, ancho and chipotle chili powder, bell peppers, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, red and green chile, jalapeno powder, oregano, sassafras, sea salt, black pepper, cacao powder, arrow root powder (anti-caking).
Net Wt. 1.9 oz (54 g)
Store in cool dry place
All Spice Berries
The all spice bush is a wild native to our area, it’s not the all spice most people associate with the popular seasoning in the store, it’s a shrub that grows in our mountains, also known as spiceberry. Often growing in the understory, where limestone is present. It takes both male and female trees to come together to produce the berries, with the female producing them. The tictac shaped berries appear red and green and both can be used. The flavor comes out citrusy pepper with a touch of vanilla. It’s quite popular traditionally in Appalachian cooking. We use this berry in our cooking at home and it’s also ground up and added to our smokey mountain allspice seasoning blend, paired with Maitake mushrooms.