Last month I decided I would make my chaga tea in a Crock-Pot instead of the usual pot on the stove. I felt stupid that I never thought of doing it this way before because once I tasted the result I fell in LOVE with the tea.
There is no going back to the pot on the stove, no way.
It’s one of those things that you wish you had thought about it before and regret not doing it earlier.
Now that my intro is done, I won’t waste any more of your time with a long, detailed story of my life like every recipe blog tends to do to increase their word count. I will jump straight to the simple recipe.
How To Make Chaga Tea in A Crock-Pot [Or Other Slow Cooker]
- Pour 4 medium Mason jars of water into the slow cooker. Ok, it’s 2 Litre or 1/2 Gallon. I’m really trying to bring Mason jar as a measurement unit.
2. Incorporate 4 to 6 golf ball-sized chaga chunks. The amount can vary on personal taste and if the chunks were used before (you can use the same chunks 4 to 5 times)
3. Set the slow cooker on low and let it do its job for at least 8 hours
4. Pour the result through a strainer to separate the decoction from the chunks
5. You have a tasty and healthy drink.
Why Is The Slow Cooker Method The Best?
There are two reasons why we should make chaga tea in the Crock-Pot instead of a regular pot on the stove. Here they are:
- According to experts and enthusiasts, the best way to make a chaga decoction (or tea) is to let the chaga infuse in the heated water for a long period of time. The time to infuse vary depending on who you are talking to, but most can agree that 8 hours is the minimum time to get most of the healthy components out of the chaga and into the beverage.
- It is hard, with the regular method, to control effectively the temperature. Heat can destroy the main health compounds of the chaga, making the tea ineffective.
- It takes 2 minutes to prepare if you take your time.
*If you don’t already have a slow cooker, I would suggest the Hamilton Beach slow cooker. I have been using it for multiple years, several times a week and I find it amazing. If you are interested, click here to buy the 5 stars-reviewed slow cooker on Amazon.
How To Drink The Decoction?
I’m obviously not talking about the physical act of drinking, I’m referring to the ways you can consume the beverage. Here are some of my favorites:
Straight From The Jar
This might be the easiest way to drink it, but I hope you like the bitter taste of the tea. I normally put maple syrup in the glass when I drink it straight. It helps to bring down the bitter taste and adds a nice sweet taste to it.
If you are lucky enough to have birch syrup, you should definitely try the combo chaga-birch syrup. Not only does it tastes delicious, but you are also practically drinking a whole birch tree, which means health benefits x2.
You can also put milk/cream and sugar in your chaga tea as if you were drinking coffee. I’m not sure if there is a reaction happening that might compromise some of the health benefits of the chaga, but it’s a tasty option.
In Your Coffee
This one is my all-time favorite, my number one way to drink chaga. The taste is just amazing.
If you are a coffee lover, the combination will get you hooked on the first sip, I want to drink it right now just thinking about it.
The ratio of chaga tea to coffee is purely dependent on your personal taste. For me, 2/3 coffee and 1/3 chaga decoction
More Reading To Learn About The Wonders Of Wild Mushrooms
If you want to learn more about the wonders of the chaga mushrooms, you can consult some of our main articles on the subject:
- Chaga [Harvesting, Preparing, And Consuming Guide]
- Chaga Anti-Cancer? Here’s The Truth
- Chaga Health Benefits (6 Main Health Benefits)
Or you can read on the health benefits of other wild mushrooms:
In Conclusion
Whether you are a chaga lover or you a new to this and are looking for ways to consume the precious mushroom, I would definitely recommend trying to make your chaga tea in a slow cooker. From the short preparation time to the health benefits, the Crock-Pot method put every other method in a second class.
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f you want to read more about the Chaga mushroom, you can visit our chaga category to find the information you need on this topic.
