Magic mushrooms can be consumed in many ways, including chocolate, fresh smoothies, blue honey, and even psilocybin tea, each with its own pros and cons.
The content in this post is intended solely for educational and harm-reduction purposes. We do not endorse the use or purchase of illegal substances in any way.
Among many psychedelic enthusiasts, lemon tek stands out as one of the most popular ways to consume psilocybin shrooms, as many believe it has an effect on the actual psychedelic experience itself. In this blog post, we will dive into the details, discuss scientific hypotheses, and share a few tasty, easy-to-make lemon tek recipes.
Let’s get started.
What Is Lemon Tekking Method?
The term Lemon Tekking refers to the practice of soaking magic mushrooms in lemon juice for 15-20 minutes before consuming them. Generally speaking, this method of consuming shrooms is often recommended for experienced users since the psychedelic effects can be significantly stronger.
Why Do People Use Lemon Tek When Consuming Magic Mushrooms?
Based on anecdotal reports, there are several possible explanations as to why people prefer lemon tekking. As we mentioned earlier, many psychonauts report more intense psychedelic experiences; however, it is not the case for everyone. Here are some of the alleged reasons why people enjoy lemon tekking:
- Faster onset
- Shorter trip
- A stronger and more intense psychedelic experience
- Reduced nausea
- Less body load
- Better taste
The Hypotheses Behind Lemon Tek: What Effect Does Lemon Juice Have on Magic Mushrooms?
Despite the lack of scientific research on this topic, there are several hypotheses regarding this subject and testimonials from users on the internet that should also be taken into consideration.
Mimicking the Stomach Environment With Citric Acid
As you may already know, psilocybin, the active ingredient of magic mushrooms, acts as a prodrug that is converted to psilocin. Psilocin is responsible for the psychoactive effects of shrooms. For psychedelic effects to occur, psilocybin must be broken down by the stomach into psilocin. With the lemon tek method, the hypnosis is that this chemical process happens externally, outside the body, because the citric acid in lemons can mimic the stomach environment. So, when magic mushrooms are soaked in lemon juice, citric acid starts a chemical reaction that breaks down the psilocybin and converts it into psilocin.
Vitamin C Protects Psilocin From Oxidation
Another hypothesis points out that the antioxidant effects of vitamin C found in lemons may contribute to the protection of psilocin from oxidation. Lemon tek could therefore maximize the retention of psychedelic compounds during digestion and thus increase the potency for the same amount of shrooms.
Lemon Tek May Prevent or Decrease Nausea
Another hypothesis suggests that with lemon tek, the citric acid breaks down the chitin found on the mushroom’s cell walls, which causes nausea. The result may be a reduction or elimination of nausea associated with magic mushrooms.
A Stronger Psychedelic Experience in a Shorter Amount of Time
It has also been claimed that lemon tekking makes the whole psychedelic experience stronger but shorter since the body processes psilocin much faster than psilocybin.
Lemon Tek Hypotheses Summarized
- Fast-onset: Citric acid in lemon juice converts psilocybin into the psychoactive compound psilocin.
- Intensity: Antioxidant properties of vitamin C prevent psilocin oxidation.
- Less nausea: Citric acid breaks down the chitin.
- Shorter trip duration: Our body processes psilocin more rapidly.
What About Other Citrus Juices?
The information above raises the question: is it possible to use other citrus juices besides lemon? In short, it is possible to use other citrus juices; however, they need to be high in citric acid. The stomach's pH level is around 1.5 to 3.5, and lemons are in the 2.0 -2.6 range. Therefore, if we want the same effect as lemons, other citrus juices should be within the pH level range of our stomach. For this reason, lime juice alone can be used as a substitute for lemon juice when making lemon tek.
If you want to use citrus fruit juices like oranges, tangerines, or grapefruit that have lower acidity levels, you will need to mix them with lemon juice so they can still attempt to mimic the stomach environment. Their acidity levels might not be enough on their own, but nonetheless, mixing them with lemons can still result in a less optimal pH level for lemon tek. For this reason, some users follow the classic lemon tekking process and only then mix it with orange juice before ingesting their mixture (which can also result in a less powerful effect, as shown in one of our recipes).
How Long Does It Take To Feel The Effects Of The Lemon Tek Method?
If you consume shrooms in an old-fashioned way, they often take 30 to 60 minutes before producing their psychedelic effects. This is because, as previously mentioned, our stomach needs to convert psilocybin to psilocin.
Aside from that, please note that the process will be shorter if you eat mushrooms on an empty stomach.
However, when you practice lemon tekking, given that the conversion of psilocybin to psilocin takes place outside of the body, it may affect you faster. Users claim that with lemon tek, the first psychoactive effects will kick in within 10 to 45 minutes, which is something many psychonauts find appealing.
How To Make Lemon Tek With Magic Mushrooms?
Lemon tek is relatively easy - all you need are a couple of fresh lemons and psilocybin mushrooms. Please note, if you choose to try lemon tek, begin with lower doses of shrooms, maybe even half of your usual dose, since the trip itself tends to be more intense when you use the lemon tek method.
Choosing the Right Magic Mushroom Strain for Lemon Tek
Choosing the right strain of magic mushrooms is important when making lemon tek. For example, the Psilocybe cubensis strain might be a better choice for lemon tek since its effects are considered to be softer compared to other strains of magic mushrooms, such as Penis Envy or Psilocybe mexicana.
Ingredients
- Magic mushrooms (0.5 to 2 grams)
- Lemons (2-3 per dose)
- Water (Optional)
Equipment
- Knife
- Coffee grinder
- Coffee filter (Optional)
- Small glass
Lemon Tek Recipe: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Grind the magic mushrooms into a powdered form and pour them into a shot glass.
Step 2: Squeeze the lemons into a juice.
Step 3: Pour the lemon juice over the powdered mushrooms.
Step 4: Leave them for around 15- 20 minutes, be sure to stir them every 5 minutes. Do not leave them for more than 20 minutes.
Step 5: Your lemon tek is ready unless you want to add more ingredients or if you wish to make changes as described in the sections that follow.
As you follow the steps above, you can also do some optional things to add colors to your mushroom experience. Here are some suggestions:
Optional: Filtering Out the Shroom Powder Using a Coffee Filter
If you want a softer and less intense psychedelic trip, you could make use of a coffee filter. Following the steps above, it is possible to filter the mixture and consume only the psilocybin-infused lemon juice.
Aside from that, those who are particularly sensitive to nausea may find this method beneficial as lemon tek is known to reduce nausea, along with the filtering process reducing the overall intensity.
Optional: Mixing the Lemon Tek Mixture With Other Drinks or Juices
Some users choose to mix the lemon tek mushroom mixture with other drinks, such as cold tea or orange juice, after the shrooms have been soaked for 15-20 minutes in lemon juice.
In some cases, people find that the taste of the shrooms and lemon juice mixture is quite strong and unpleasant, so by mixing it with something else can help make it more pleasant. However, keep in mind that mixing the lemon tek mixture with another drink may also slightly delay the onset of the effects, as it will take some time for your body to absorb the psilocin.
Read more on mixing orange juice with magic mushrooms.
Read more on how to make magic mushroom psilocybin smoothies.
Regardless of whether you mix the lemon tek mixture with another drink or not, as a harm reduction practice, it is important to start with a low dose and wait for the effects to fully kick in before deciding if you wish to ingest more, as the lemon tek method can significantly increase the intensity of the psychedelic experience.
Microdosing Lemon Tek Mushrooms
If you wish to begin microdosing with lemon tek, you could start by taking half of your microdose dosage. So, for example, if your microdose is 1/10 of a regular dose, you can try 0.5/10. It is important to note, however, that microdose dosages differ based on personal experience, which should be adjusted as you observe the effects. Alternatively, as described earlier, you could also try using a coffee filter to decrease the potency of your drink.
Learn more about microdosing with magic mushrooms.
Final Thoughts: Should You Try Lemon Tek Method?
Uncle Ben, a character from the Marvel universe, once said: “With great power comes great responsibility.” It is important to remember that lemon tekking is not for everyone because this technique could result in an extremely powerful effect that you may not be prepared for.
For those who do not have experience with psychedelics but still wish to mix shrooms with something else instead of taking them in their classic form, it might be more practical to try other methods, such as making magic mushroom tea.
If you are looking for a shorter and more robust psychedelic experience, lemon tekking might be what you are looking for. Even so, make sure you do your research well and follow all the golden harm reduction principles that apply to all psychedelic experiences: creating the proper set and setting, having a trip sitter, and being extremely careful and mindful of your dosage.
