How to Grow Cordyceps militaris

No, you can't.
Making tincture or cooking will kill the contamination but will not destroy the toxic substance that results from contamination. Since we do not know what contamination is inside, please play it safe. Don't use. Discard it! 

Yes, if you clean them with warm, soapy water and a soft sponge and sterilize them in an autoclave. 

Technically, yes, but we do not recommend it. Our substrate is designed for fruit production, not direct mycelium consumption.
If we wanted to eat the mycelium, we would have designed our substrate very in a way that it only produces mycelium and not fruits. 

Drying and powdering Cordyceps is out of the kit's scope and requires deep knowledge of oxidation, heat, and other factors to preserve potency.
You may do so if you wish, but please do your own research. Our part is to help you grow. 

The recommended temperature for growing the Cordyceps is 18-20°C, 

If the temperature goes above 20° C, Your cordyceps will either deform or not grow. 

The kit is designed to require minimal maintenance once set up. You only need to check it for contamination.
We also check for mushroom pinning around 45 days. 

If you haven’t started using the kit yet, it needs to be used between a week (for the best results) and up to a maximum of 3 weeks.
Cordyceps are also extremely sensitive to light. They start changing color from white to orange and undergo some major changes in their structure. Therefore, the syringe must be kept in the fridge and not exposed to light. To do this, wrap it with foil paper inside a zip-lock bag. 

Only store the syringe in the fridge, not the substitute bag or the container; leave them in the cupboard. 

The fruits, however, can be stored in the fridge when harvested but are best consumed soon or dried. 

Harvest is expected around 60 days, and the yield from one container is between 10-45 grams (fresh) approx. This yield will make tinctures that will last for at least two months. 

It should take approximately 5 minutes to read the growing guide, 5 minutes to watch the instruction video, 10 minutes to clean all equipment using the alcohol spray bottle and set up the kit, and finally, about 5 minutes to harvest after 60 days. 

You may need to spend additional time researching cordyceps, its benefits, side effects, and ways to consume it. 

Yes, you can. Cordyceps does not perform well when expanded or when exposed to light except when it’s fruiting or when it’s kept in a low nutritional environment. Use our LC Supercharge mix to expand your culture, and add around 10 ml liquid to 200 ml Sterile LC to expand. Stir for 4 days and use all content straight away. They cannot be stored once expanded, they will start to die within a week. 

Cordyceps are referred to as medicinal mushrooms, meaning they are consumed for health rather than culinary reasons (It is important to note that 'medicinal mushrooms' is not a euphemism for psychedelic. These mushrooms are not psychedelic). While we can't list the medicinal benefits of cordyceps to abide by Australian Law, which is very restrictive in this regard, I am sure you are here because you have heard or know how amazing these mushrooms are and what they are capable of. 

The mushrooms won't be ready for at least 55 days. We recommend harvesting them after 60 days. Another sign your mushrooms could be ready is at least 3 mushrooms are 4 cm in length or above (although this sign is not always 100% reliable). 

You will need to get a sterile petri dish to collect cordyceps spores. Put some Vaseline in the inner part of the lid and stick one cordyceps mushroom harvested at 45 days. Close the petri dish with parafilm and let it drop spores on a sterile surface for 15 days. After 15 days, the mushroom would have shriveled up and dropped all of its spores. Collect the invisible spore from the bottom of the petri dish using a sterile cotton swab, and roll it on an agar plate. Watch your spores grow.