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1. Gather your materials
You will need: wide-mouth jars with breathable lids, brown rice (or a rice + nutrient mix), a pressure cooker/autoclave, a live Cordyceps militaris culture (liquid culture or agar), a still-air box or flow hood, 70% isopropyl alcohol, gloves and a thermometer/hygrometer.
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2. Prepare the substrate
A classic recipe is brown rice enriched with nutrients (e.g. a little peptone, potassium phosphate and magnesium sulphate) soaked in water. Fill jars roughly one-third full so there is room for fruiting. The substrate should be moist but not waterlogged.
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3. Sterilize
Pressure-sterilize the jars at 15 psi (about 121°C) for 60–90 minutes. This kills competing bacteria and mould — the single most important step for success. Let the jars cool completely to room temperature before inoculating.
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4. Inoculate with the culture
Working in a still-air box or in front of a flow hood, sterilize surfaces and your hands, then inject/transfer the live cordyceps culture into each jar. Cordyceps militaris likes light later, but incubate in the dark first.
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5. Incubate (colonisation)
Keep jars in the dark at around 18–22°C for 10–20 days while the white mycelium colonises the substrate. Avoid disturbing them. Discard any jar showing green, black or unusual coloured mould immediately.
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6. Trigger fruiting with light & air
Once fully colonised and turning slightly yellow-orange, move jars to indirect light (about 12 hours/day), maintain 18–22°C, high humidity (~85–90%) and some fresh-air exchange. Loosen lids slightly for airflow.
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7. Watch the orange fingers grow
Small orange pins appear and elongate into the familiar club-shaped fruiting bodies over several weeks. Keep humidity up and provide gentle, consistent light and fresh air.
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8. Harvest & dry
Harvest when the fruiting bodies are mature (typically 45–75 days total), before spores drop. Cut them off, then dry thoroughly with a dehydrator at low heat or in a warm, airy place. Store airtight, away from light and moisture.
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