I had the pleasure of meeting Christopher Hobbs last month at the Radical Mycology Convergence. Over breakfast he shared that he has a daily morning ritual of taking Matcha green tea and reishi mushroom extracted powder every morning for many years.
I learned about this Clinical Study through my medicinal mushroom training with Fred Gillam which corroborated why this could be such an excellent idea.
I have really enjoyed bringing this practice into my morning routine.
Radical Mycology Convergence- Make your own Medicinal Mushrooms Extract (120 min.)
Session V – Friday, 2:00 pm
The Rhize Stage With Courtney Tyler of Hips and Haws Wildcrafts
A hands-on workshop discussing a diverse range of tasty and health promoting methods to incorporate medicinal mushrooms into your diet, your regime, your palate.
We will discuss, taste, explore how and why to add more mushrooms into your diet. How to pickle or ferment them, etc. We will talk about why making medicine from mushrooms is so different than when working with plants. How mushrooms impact our micro-biome (our myco-biome) and how they benefit our immune system. We will learn about how to best extract the medicinal compounds from fungi and have a hand-on section making medicine to bring home with you.
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately,
to front only the essential facts of life,
and see if I could not learn what it had to teach,
and not,
when I came to die,
discover that I had not lived.
-Walden
“Mushrooms emerge from beneath the forest soil and from the trunks of old and dead trees—their mycelia decompose organic wastes and bring forth fruiting bodies that can heal us, nourish us, or transform our consciousness.” —Sean Donahue
Courtney Tyler- based in Wicklow Ireland- Hips and Haws Wildcrafts
Preserving the wild harvests through fermenting, vinegar oxymels, shrubs, alcohol – tinctures, brewing my own, kombuchas, meads, sugar as syrups and cordials etc.
Deepening my knowledge of medicinal mushrooms combined with my other skills has lead me on an exploration of concoctions and I love to share how I bring these preparations into my every day life. While preserving the wild and at the same time increasing their bioavailability, nutrition and flavour in the process.
Simply eating more mushrooms in any and all forms is an important way to improve our health. Mushrooms are made from chitin and their cellular structure is a type of insoluble fibre which can positively impact our micro-biomo or our ‘myco-biome’ by feeding the bacteria in our gut- thereby increasing gut bio-diversity. Our myco-biome is already full of fungi, viruses, and dead bacteria which are a contributing factor to our gut health- the fungi in our guts perhaps consuming the dead bacteria etc and having some function in our immune systems.
Mushrooms effects on promoting vitality and increasing immune function is well documented. They can help to reduce inflammation, prevent cancer, combat heart disease or fight off colds, combat allergies and infections and help balance blood sugar levels and support the body’s detoxification mechanisms. There are many current studies that help us understand their exact mode of action that supports this historical use.
From a dietary perspective mushrooms are low in calories, high in proteins, fibre, iron, zinc, essential amino acids, vitamins & minerals. It appears that mushrooms are prebiotic – they feed the bacteria in our gut and improve and promote diversity in our gut- therefore they help our body strengthen itself and fight off illness (bacteria, viruses and other fungi). They also do this by maintaining physiological homeostasis and restoring our body’s balance and natural resistance to disease.
Mushrooms contain active polysaccharides, one of which is a type of soluble fibre called beta-glucan. This compound activates parts of your immune system, including immune cells called natural killer cells and macrophages, and by so doing it increases your body’s ability to fight infection and possibly even stop the growth or progression of tumours.
Mushrooms also contain B vitamins as well as a powerful antioxidant called selenium, which helps support the immune system and prevent damage to cells and tissues.
Reference longitudinal studies that show the increased longevity and decreased morbidity and dis-ease from higher and more regular mushroom consumption.
Stephen Harrod Buhner:
“One of our greatest fears is to eat the wildness of the world.
Our mothers intuitively understood something essential: the green is poisonous to civilization. If we eat the wild, it begins to work inside us, altering us, changing us. Soon, if we eat too much, we will no longer fit the suit that has been made for us. Our hair will begin to grow long and ragged. Our gait and how we hold our body will change. A wild light begins to gleam in our eyes. Our words start to sound strange, nonlinear, emotional. Unpractical. Poetic.
Once we have tasted this wildness, we begin to hunger for a food long denied us, and the more we eat of it the more we will awaken.”
The differences between using plants and fungi as medicine: the cell structure and how to best extract the beta-glucans and beneficial polysaccharides by long slow exposure to water- such as a slow cooker. Adding these to broths, smoothies, ice cube trays, sauces- any way you can!
Making the broth decoction with shiitake mushrooms (or giant Polypore, or Maitake, or TurkeyTail) and then using some of the liquid and the mushrooms themselves to make the Momofuku pickle. And use the broth for a ginger miso mushroom broth.
Vit D and exposure to sunlight. Fungi, like animals producing Vit D on exposure to sunlight and the importance of this vitamin for many metabolic functions. In Ireland at least, many of us are deficient in this. How to do this best: sliced or gills up in direct sunlight for up to 4 hours.
Discussion of simple cold alcohol extractions with enzymes present and the efficacy of amanita muscaria prepared in this way for external pain relief and for potential micro-dose (brain fog due to Lyme or post menopause, for alleviation of anxiety, etc)
Fungi and animals evolving alongside each other and our shared receptors and neurotransmitters (such as AM and Acetocholine and Psilocybin and Serotonin and mushrooms in general and ergothioneine (an amino acid we are often lacking but have the receptors for).
And the medicinal efficacy of plantain – plantago lanceolata – my experience in it for use against insect bites and then the correlation of the mushroom flavours in the flowers and seeds. The endophytic relationship of snowy wax caps within the cell walls of the plant and their enzymes that attract and consume insects- how these enzymes can be utilised in a spit poultice to break down the problematic insect bites inflammation and allergy response. Ref: Fred Gillam and Natasha of the Wild Side of Life. Discuss my testing with horse fly bites. Bee stings too.
Button mushrooms and gluten sensitivity- eating raw mushrooms to introduce the enzymes needed to counteract accidental or problematic gluten ingestion. (Fred Gillam Wild Side of Life)
Discuss Birch Polypore- Fomitopsis betulina- aka: Razor Strop fungus or white chaga, more sustainable and abundant than Chaga (in Ireland at least). Like chaga both derive some of their medicine from the birch tree. Long tradition of use in medicine as an antimicrobiano, anticancer and anti-inflammatory agent. Pharmacological studies Anti-viral and gut conditions, anti-parasitic, neuroprotective and immunomodulating activities of this mushroom.
Razor stropping- at barber shops- cut a strip from the fungus, dried it, attached it to a flat wood and used it. As a sharpening agent , giving their blades an antiseptic, anti-fungal and styptic wipe- very clever! (Also a wild band-aid).
ID features: found prolifically on birch, often forming a visually stunning stairway leading up the tree of grey-whitish brackets, guiding our eyes upwards to heaven. Otzi, How to harvest and dry it- collect fresh young juicy brackets. Simple (decoction) tea. Lemon, honey, ginger. Spectrum of edibility when young. Bitter.
Elderberries proven anti-viral compounds. Nice combination when mixed with BP. Also good action on gut issues with BP- have heard great success with IBS like symptoms.
Ginger acts as an additional anti-viral, adds flavour and helps the synergy of the other herbs together. Stephen Harrod Buhner – Herbal Anti-virals
Fermentation of mushrooms: Pascal Baudar. Noma. Kimchi. Dehydrating. Texture. Salting down to preserve. Jerky. Beefsteak. Ceps. *Fermentation as a method of decarb of FA (alternatives are milk/ yogurt, lemon)
Gomasio. Samples. Great way to add some wild everyday including powdered mushrooms. *Be sure they are okay as raw powdered mushrooms, like ceps. *I see lots of people adding powdered shiitake or other and should not!
Recipes to share:
Gomasio
A Japanese food condiment generally made with 5 parts toasted and crushed sesame seeds to one part salt.
I love it just like that but usually cannot resist adding a bit of wildness to it, to sprinkle as my version of salt seasoning to my savoury meals.
My favourite optional extras: seaweed flakes, nettle seeds, dried mushroom powders (in particular porcini ‘dust’ which is simple the dried and powdered and very tasty older cep caps- pure mushroom hit of flavour).
Elderberry and Birch Polypore Anti-viral Syrup
Decoction of Birch Polypore in slow cooker for 12-36 hours. If using dried elderberries you could add them at the same time, same for the ginger root.
Strain and combine this liquid decoction. Optional extras: cloves, licorice and star anise used in moderation.
Add in an equal amount of apple juice concentrate, sugar of choice and or honey. The honey must be cooked or it will ferment if raw. Use raw honey for additional medicinal benefits but consume sooner, and or keep in the fridge.
*I always add a shot of alcohol into the bottles before adding the syrup (and/or infused vinegars at the boiling stage to increase acidity and therefore shelf life).
Ginger miso broth with medicinal mushrooms
DAMN GOOD DASHI by Katie Sanderson
Dashi is a type of cooking stock that is sometimes considered the backbone of Japanese cuisine. I personally think it’s about time that we started incorporating it more into our diets too. It’s the simplest way of extracting the flavour of seaweed, an instant pick me up and a great source of iron and nutrients.
By cutting the seaweed up there is an increase of approximately 35per cent more umami and very obviously a greater tasting stock.
Don’t wipe the white-ish powder off the seaweed. Seaweeds are a great source of Glutamic acid and thus naturally occurring MSG. ( that’s what the white stuff is)
Use Japanese Kombu, Irish kelp or Irish Dillisk (or use what you have!) (cut it up into thin ribbons).
Place the cut up seaweed in the cold water and let steep for a half hour, place on a gentle heat not letting the temperature rise above 60C/140F. For thirty minutes until the flavour is to your liking. (Put seaweed aside for pickling). Or Prepare daishi the night before by leaving Kombu in cold water and letting steep overnight. This will keep in your fridge for 3-5 days.
Then add your mushrooms such as dried shiitake or mushrooms of choice to the slow cooker with your seaweed dashi and simmer for 30 minutes up to 36 hours (the more time, the more medicinal compounds are extracted into your broth). Strain out the mushrooms and put them aside to pickle in the Momofuku recipe below this one.
Simple MISO SOUP
Add 1 litre Dashi, 1 TB Miso, 1 TB Tamari soy sauce: Heat your dashi, whisk in miso and tamari. Add your flavourings. Chopped carrots, cooked pumpkin, crispy fried mushrooms, lots of spring onion, coriander etc.
Momofuku inspired Balsamic Shiitake Pickle
Makes enough for a litre container
This recipe has my adaptions below.
2 cups dried shiitake mushrooms (tough stems removed and kept for stocks) **(definitely better with dried mushrooms over fresh- it improves the finished texture) **(also good with other good texture firm dried wild mushrooms).
½ cup soy sauce (I used Tamari- with some koji added!) but any soy sauce will do.
½ cup sherry vinegar (I used Balsamic)
¹⁄³ cup sugar (honey also works!)
(*Optional- I added seaweed in too!)
1 piece (7.5cm) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into coins of a thickness that will be delicious pickled
1. Put the mushrooms in a bowl or a pot, and just cover with boiling water. Let stand 15 or so minutes. Reserving one cup of the soaking liquid, drain the mushrooms and slice them.
**(Alternatively do this in a slow cooker for 36 hours for maximum medicinal benefits and flavour!)
2. Combine the mushrooms, soaking liquid, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and ginger in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, reduce it to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the contents cool down to room temperature.
**(I add the seaweed at the end rather than boil it).
3. Decant the contents of the pan into a jar and chill well – these taste best straight from the fridge.
These will last for months in the fridge as long as covered in liquid. Enjoy the liquid. It’s as good and precious as the mushrooms are!
Chocolate covered Jelly Ears
Try soaking the dried Jelly Ear mushooms in interesting liquids, juices, liqueurs, etc: I prefer elderberry liqueur but have used Kahlua or whatever I have) before drying a little again, then covering in chocolate to make something quite like an interesting “turkish delight”. Fergus Drennan aka Fergus the Forager might be the one who first came up with this idea?
Medicinal Mushroom Chocolate Mousse/ Mushroom Hot Chocolate (thanks Barbara Faibish)
50g cacao butter
2T coconut oil
3T cacao powder
3T coconut palm sugar, or sweetener of choice
2t mushroom powder of your choice (I used lion’s mane and cordyceps)
½ cup of cashews soaked for a few hours and then drained
dash of vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
2 cups of warm water or mushroom tea (but use mushroom tea of course! I used a decoction of Turkey Tail, Chaga, and reishi- but you should use whatever you have!)
Optional extras: coconut milk, hemp seed powder, protein powder or other extracted mushroom powders.
Melt the cacao butter and coconut oil slowly in a bain marie. Add the melted butter and oil to a blender with the rest of the ingredients and 2 cups of mushroom tea.
Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust to your liking. You can add more sweetener, more mushrooms, more cacao.
This makes a comforting and warming drink. I add less cacao butter if I want to drink it as a hot chocolate drink. Alternatively pour into ramekins, set in the fridge and you have a delicious chocolate mousse dessert. This mousse is delicious as is, perhaps dusted with some cacao powder, but to bring it to another level, top with coconut milk kefir or yoghurt and sprinkle with bee pollen or other pleasing garnish.
Capturing the essence of sunshine and peak summer for the winter months when it’s needed.
Just enjoyed capturing the oil maceration as I left the blooms out to wilt slightly, to decrease a portion of the moisture before adding extra virgin olive oil to cover.
I’ll wrap this glass jar in a brown paper bag then leave in the warm sunshine to infuse into the oil over the next week or two. These yellow flowers exude a surprising deep red oil, I liken to ‘dragon’s blood’ I’ll share a photo of the finished product in a later post.
I also made an alcoholic tincture by covering the fresh blooms in vodka to sit for a month, which I will shake regularly until ready to strain off to use in the winter months, to help combat seasonal affective disorder and the winter blues.
Photos show a St John’s Wort tincture and a St John’s Wort infused oil to use medicinally.
**Please note that this herb should not be taken alongside pharmaceuticals without professional guidance.
St John’s Wort tincture will let this sit for about 4 weeks shaking regularly.
I feel very fortunate to have crossed paths with and spent time with the formidable Judith Hoad. I first met this woman in 2003 when I was studying Naturopathy at CNM in Dublin.
She made a strong impression and years later I tracked her down once again and this time committed myself to a long drive up to the wilds of Donegal for a long weekend every month for six months.
Myself and four others were amongst the last to attend Judith’s “Natural Medicine for Householders” course around her kitchen table, next to a warm wood burning range at her off grid cottage way up there in the wild lands of rural Donegal.
It was a transformative experience for me, and one that I can say with certainly changed the course of my life. The exposure to her intentional off grid and simple living was eye opening and sparked my passion in living in alternative ways.
We spent many afternoons around Judith’s kitchen table, learning from her hard won wisdom of experience. Judith was nearing 80 years old and had learned all she knew the hard way, experience, intuition, books but limited access and certainly no internet.
She generously passed on her knowledge to us, as we sat in rapt attention. She is a tough taskmaster and you have to have thick skin at times if she gets cross! And at the same time, we learned about the food that grew in her garden, both cultivated and wild. We learned how to make salves, creams, lotions, tinctures and decoctions.
We were served delicious healthy soul food full of love and care and received her cookbook of favourite recipes at the end of the course.
Ill always be grateful for having had this opportunity.
I have very few photos of that time but here are a few:
I have been learning and teaching and talking and sharing and exclaiming about this remedy ever since I learned of it.
This mushroom as an alcohol extract has incredible properties for relieving pain – applied externally to the site of pain, particularly sciatica.
I first tried this medicinal mushroom remedy on myself after I developed a very painful bout of sciatica after a bicycle accident. As little as 3-4 drops applied externally near the pain (I applied this nearest the spine near my pain which was in my right buttock) and within minutes the pain was gone, and not just for hours, for weeks! and later for months. I no longer suffer the pain of sciatica. And yes, I am talking about only a few applications of 3-4 drops.
I have now taught and shared this old Finnish recipe with many and after the Welcome to Mushroom Hour podcast I have received many hundreds of messages from people all around the world who have shared this and many other ways in which this incredible mushroom has changed their life. Often eliminating long time pain and suffering after accidents or other types of chronic pain and often when nothing else would work!
Here is a link to purchase this remedy from my online shop. I make this remedy from wild, fresh fruiting bodies that I personally forage for from the stunning Wicklow mountains in Co Wicklow, Ireland.
Should you like to learn more in-depth information about this mushroom, medicinal mushrooms in general or how to make this yourself- you can book into my upcoming events here.
Here below is a link to purchase this mushroom tincture from my shop.
If you share your email here I will update you when new events or workshops are released, I will share recipes and things that inspire me and projects I am working on with infrequent emails. I will never share your details with anyone else and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Mushroom coffee? This question is often met with a look of suspicion or disgust, but happily it is also becoming more mainstream.
I’ve been drinking mushroom tea- or if brewed dark and bitter, I like to call it mushroom coffee.
How I make it:
The chaga mushroom is hard and woody. It is best to break it up into smaller chunks or a powder, although some prefer to use it as small chunks, maybe the size of an average coin.
I do not tend to follow any exact recipe but I might add a tablespoon of powdered or dried mushroom to about 500ml of water.
I might throw some other medicinal mushrooms or herbs such as turkey tail mushrooms into the brew at the boiling and simmering stage, or maybe birch polypore, reishi, artist conk, lions mane, dandelion root, ginger, liquorice or whatever I have on hand. Or keep it simple and just use chaga or any one of these ingredients.
It can be decocted -brought to the boil and then simmered for at least 20 minutes, (or for much longer depending on if you’re sitting next to your warm stove for long stretches of time!) I then strain out the hard and woody mushroom material and drink the liquid. (Don’t toss the mushroom material, it can be re-boiled many times over until it loses its properties.)
I mix it with my milk of choice and a spoon of honey sometimes.
Alternatively I use this medicinal mushroom broth to add to miso soup, as a stock for any other soups or sauces. I use this broth to cook my rice in. Or I mix some of this into my ‘real’ coffee. Get it into you any way you can! You could also add some to your favourite smoothie recipe.
This mushroom has a lot of reported positive health benefits. It is full of anti-oxidants and has been reputed to have anti-cancer benefits among many other things. But beyond all of that, I find it a delicious way to get medicinal mushrooms into my wellness regime and is as satisfying a process as brewing a cuppa coffee.
This photo was taken at Dulra at the Permaculture Design Course where I have been a speaker for the past 4 years in Glenealy, Co. Wicklow. This was June 2020.
With so much gratitude to all of my connections and customers who allow me to live out the dream of working with sharing my greatest passions. Thank you!
You can click the link below to read the reviews directly on Facebook or some of them have been added below.
Had a wonderful time at Courtney’s workshop learning about wild food and medicines. Fun, informative and inspiring. Beautiful blend of stories, science, skills and plant magic. Evidently rooted in both experience and study, very grateful for the knowledge and skills she shares, which makes forging seem way more doable than I thought! -Lauren Owens
I spent several hours today in Kindlestown Woods in the company of Courtney of Hips and Haws Wildcrafts on a wild mushroom ID walk, and came away deeply impressed by her generosity in sharing so much knowledge and lore. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and she brought every species we found to life with anecdotes and back-stories. That dozen or so fellow attendees were friendly and sociable and we were blessed with a delightful bright autumn day. We broke up for foraging for a 10 minute “Forest Bathing” mindfulness exercise which left me feeling very up and relaxed. All in all, a super day and I would gladly recommend any similar activity by Hips and Haws to my friends. -Norman Darlington
I went to a wild plant foraging outing with Hips and Haws Wildcrafts last Friday and I can safely say I am bewitched! It was so so enjoyable. Courtney’s passion for wild plants is so contagious. She makes the whole experience very accessible and so enriching. I also really appreciate how respectful and considerate she is with the wild. I am hooked and will be back for more! Thank you. -Sophie Rieu
Brilliant day with Courtney she is an amazing person so knowledgeable and interesting. Gourmet healthy food in the sunshine on the beach, it was a gift to be lucky enough to experience. Thank you Courtney you exceeded expectations keep up the great work. -Emma Strain
What an amazing day today. This is my second course with Courtney and Hips and Haws Wildcrafts and I could not recommend them highly enough, her knowledge and passion is infectious. An amazing amount of information, how to use and fantastic recipes to use at home. Thank you also for the beautiful food prepared, delicious. Love spending time with the wonderful like-minded people on the walk today also. Looking forward to attending more. -Fiona Byrne
Cannot recommend one of these events enough! Courtney is so knowledgeable and easy-going. I could walk and listen to her talk about plants and mushrooms all day. Even if you think this isn’t your cup of tea- give it a try- I am certain she will change your mind! This is my second event with Hips and Haws Wildcrafts and I can’t wait for the next. -Julie Taylor
I cannot recommend Courtney’s walk in the woods “Wicklow Spring Greens and Wild Garlic Forage” workshop enough. It was a wonderful experience and what really shown out was Courtney’s passion for passing on her knowledge of the woods. Being a country boy myself I thought I knew a lot about the plants and what they can be used for but I soon learned how little I really knew. How to tap the birches for sap and what was not safe to eat. Of course nettles now take on a whole new life far from being something that stings you but a venerable whole food source in it self. The main purpose of course what the wild garlic growing in abundance. The flowers soaked in vinegar became a dressing and the leaves are added to all sorts. Who would ever think that combining honey with garlic would produce such a wonderful accompaniment for a fresh green salads or pasta. So as you can tell I’ve got the bug from Courtney for all things foraging. I must admit the following day we went back again to collect some more wild garlic. Thank you Courtney for igniting my new found interest in eating what is available in the woods. In the words of Nike “just do it’- foraging with Courtney. -Brendan Looney
Wow wow wow! Hips and Haws Wildcraft events are a special opportunity to connect with beautiful people in an amazing space. I was fortunate enough to have the privilege to attend a Fly Agaric event hosted by Courtney and Fergus the Forager. From the moment I arrived I felt an instant inspiration and warm welcome. We foraged in the nearby woods in fun filled explorations, while learning and connecting with the many species of fungi available. The preparations and dishes we were treated to after our journey in the woods was a unique blend of heartwarming tastes and enjoyable community spirit set outdoors. For a revitalising experience amongst a vibrant loving group a Hips and Haws event is the place to be. -Riain O’Táth
I love passionate people. I believe that if you want to try something in your life, it’s best to learn from people who are passionate about it. Last year I started reading a lot about plants herbs and how what we eat has a huge impact on our body spirit and well-being. I remember that as a child, my grandfather often took me on trips to find herbs, nettles, mushrooms, wild fruit and buds and everything that nature gave. Unfortunately, as a child, I wasn’t interested in what was edible or not was not, because that’s what my grandfather was for. Courtney reminded me a lot of the facts and stimulated my desire to learn more about using what is seasonal and at our fingertips, for which I thank you very much and recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more. This woman can infect positive energy. With a person like her you can easily develop your interests. I made wild garlic in olive oil in yoghurt topped salty and sweet pesto and thanks to this activity and knowledge I discovered a new favourite delicacy for my children. I never would’ve thought that nettles crisps could be so crunchy and the vinegar oxymel is perfect for salads and as a side dish. I am glad that I could take part in the classes and it will certainly not be the last time. I love learning new things through interesting classes and these were such. Courtney I know that your classes will be the perfect gift for my friend from me for her next birthday. Learning, practising and relaxing in nature in good company. -Roksana Grubba
Such a great experience. Courtney has lots of knowledge and is a wonderful guide. The location is immersive and the mushrooms we collected and ate were absolutely delicious! A feast for the senses! -George Edgeworth
If you have any interest in foraging and mushrooms this is the place for you. Groups are small which helps as you don’t get lost in the crowd. Everyone has the opportunity to explain they’re interested in what they’re looking for on the day. Courtney is such a lovely person with a wealth of knowledge and is not afraid to share it. Happy to help ID and discuss. It was probably the guts of three months ago and I still bang on about this day and how much fun it was. If you’re not it’s like I am it’s perfect for you. If you’re an expert it’s perfect for you too. Thanks Courtney -Houdini Galahad
Had a great day wondering around Avondale Forest Park, I learnt loads about the types of mushrooms I have no experience with and it’s given me the confidence to go and identify the species with a little more ease. Courtney is very knowledgeable and an excellent guide and speaker and I would recommend it to anyone who has no experience and would like to start and likewise I would recommend it to anyone who has knowledge and would like to refresh. I will definitely be back. -Kastro Freeman
What a fantastic day in the woods hunting for mushrooms. Learnt so much in the five hours. And at the end Courtney cooked for us a gorgeous meal and shared with us for home-made brews and food. Thank you so much. -Nadine Fitzgerald Selby
I went on a very fun and informative mushroom foraging trip with Hips and Haws Wildcrafts in August this year I definitely recommend their foraging trips anyone with an interest in this area. I had a splendid day looking for and learning about mushrooms, both edible another wise. -Farah Imran Shams
I have had the pleasure of being on a both a mushroom foraging and a fermenting workshop with Hips and Haws Wildcrafts and both have been delightfully informative. Courtney’s passion for what she does fills you with enthusiasm to get pickling and fermenting- highly recommended. -Clare Griffin
Just after my first class with Courtney and what a day she orchestrated for us, a lovely lunch included. I can’t imagine the work that went on behind the scenes. So happy to share her methods and resources and all things fermented not to mention her fantastic kefir starter. Very excited to continue the strains on at home. This fermentation masterclass was hands-on and Courtney really lives up to her wonderful reputation, so passionate about passing on this knowledge and practice. I can’t wait for my next day out with her. -Sarah-Lou Malone
Excellent knowledge, clear passion for the subject and warm welcoming approach to passing that knowledge on. And a huge amount of work done behind the scenes to make the day such a wonderful experience. Many thanks Courtney -Mike Hibbett
