In Soviet times, kombucha was practicallyin every kitchen - lived on the windowsill in a glass jar, and knew no grief. But then cola, Fanta and other benefits of civilization replaced kombucha. Gradually, everyone's favorite drink made from kombucha began to be forgotten. But recently, interest in kombucha has returned again. Which, however, is not surprising, because kombucha has a number of very useful properties and, in the end, just a pleasant taste. But here's the problem - before, when kombucha was very popular, it was easy to find it. And today - this is quite a difficult task. But it is difficult only if you do not know how to grow kombucha at home from scratch. Yes, yes, this is quite possible and there is nothing complicated in growing kombucha. Everything you need for this is in almost every kitchen. Proper care - this is all you need for everything to work out for you. And, of course, certain knowledge that you can get now.
Growing a mushroom from black tea
If you only need kombucha fora tasty drink with a general tonic effect, you can grow a kombucha only from black tea. You will need a three-liter jar, gauze, a teapot, boiling water, sugar and large-leaf black tea leaves. Moreover, the tea leaves should be the most ordinary, without any additives - the cheaper, the better. The first thing you need to do is to very carefully wash the three-liter jar, which will become the habitat of your mushroom. This is a mandatory requirement, since the kombucha loves cleanliness very much. Otherwise, it will die without having time to grow. And one more very important point: under no circumstances use synthetic detergents to wash the jar - ordinary baking soda is enough. Place five tablespoons of black tea in a teapot and pour half a liter of boiling water over them, leave until the tea leaves have completely cooled. Then add 7 tablespoons of sugar to the tea leaves, stir thoroughly and strain through gauze. Pour the sweet strong tea leaves into a three-liter jar, cover it with gauze on top and put it in a warm place for about a month and a half. After about a week or a week and a half, a strong vinegar smell will appear - this is completely normal, you will have to endure it a little. After 5-6 days, the smell will practically disappear, and a thin film will form on the surface of the liquid - this is the kombucha. Every day it will get thicker and thicker - the mushroom does not stop growing throughout its life.
Cultivation of fungus from hips
If the task of your kombucha is notnot only quenching thirst, but also caring for your health, it is best to give preference to growing from rose hips. Such a kombucha is a real find in the cold season, during the flu and cold season, as well as in the spring, when vitamin deficiency is activated. The principle of growing is the same as from simple tea leaves, but there are some nuances that we will now talk about. First, you need to prepare a rose hip infusion. For this, you can use both fresh and dried fruits, which are sold in any pharmacy. Place four tablespoons of rose hips in a thermos, pour half a liter of boiling water and cover with a lid, leave for five days. After the rose hip infusion is ready, you can proceed directly to growing the mushroom. Wash a three-liter jar, pour in the rose hip infusion and pre-prepared tea leaves there - at the rate of a tablespoon of large-leaf black tea per glass of boiling water. Add 5 tablespoons of sugar and mix thoroughly, leave for a day. Then strain with gauze, rinse the jar and pour the infusion into the jar again. Cover the jar with gauze, previously folded in several layers and put in a warm, dark place. Then the process will develop according to the standard scheme - in about two weeks a strong vinegar smell will appear, which will soon disappear. And the mushroom itself will form in one and a half to two months.
Care of a tea mushroom
Growing Kombucha at Home withzero - that's only half the battle. The second, no less important half - is proper care of the mushroom. Otherwise, you risk getting not a tasty drink, but something resembling vinegar. Or even worse - the kombucha grown with such care will simply die. By the way, there is an excellent indicator of the health of the kombucha - it should always be on the surface of the water. If your mushroom has sunk to the bottom, or after adding tea leaves it refuses to float again - there is a very high probability that it is sick. If the kombucha is sick, you made a mistake in caring for it. This means that it needs to be treated, and in all cases without exception, the treatment is the same - cleanliness and proper care.
- Volume of liquid
As you remember, initially the bank containsa small amount of liquid - about 0.5 liters. But when the mushroom has already grown, there should be much more liquid - about three liters. It goes without saying that your kombucha is not a decorative item and you will drink it. So, do not forget to regularly top up the liquid. For this, you can use already used tea leaves - pour boiling water over it, cool and add sugar, then pour into a jar. There should not be too much sugar - no more than two tablespoons per liter of liquid. If necessary, it is better to add sugar to a cup with a drink. Many people do not strain the tea leaves - they just add it. There is no harm to the mushroom, it will just be inconvenient for you to drink the drink later. But there will be no harm only if all the sugar is completely dissolved - sugar grains should not come into contact with the surface of the mushroom under any circumstances.
- Bath day
Once every two to three weeks is a mustGive your Kombucha a bath day. Very carefully remove the mushroom from the jar, place it on a wide plate, trying not to deform it too much. Carefully strain the liquid the mushroom was in using gauze and pour it into a clean three-liter jar. Place the plate with the mushroom in the sink and carefully rinse with warm (but not hot) water, leave it in the air for a couple of minutes. Then also carefully transfer the Kombucha into the jar and cover with gauze. That's it, the "head wash" of the Kombucha is over. It would seem to be a completely simple procedure, which is very easy to do, and it is thanks to it that your Kombucha will be healthy. Otherwise, the mushroom will start to get sick - first it will acquire a brown tint, and then it will start to delaminate completely. It is very difficult to save such a mushroom, and in most cases it is easier to grow a new one. And it is not recommended to drink a drink from such a kombucha at all, because it not only loses its benefits, but also, moreover, becomes dangerous to health. Remember that the kombucha infusion should always be exceptionally clear.
- Keeping of a tea mushroom
Another necessary condition for the health of teamushroom - its proper storage. Firstly, the temperature - it should be high enough only when growing kombucha. Then the optimal temperature should not exceed 18 degrees. Secondly - illumination. For the normal functioning of the kombucha, light is simply necessary, and the daylight should be at least 8 hours. But direct sunlight should be avoided, so do not repeat a very common mistake - do not place the jar with kombucha on the windowsill.
Benefits of a tea mushroom
It's impossible not to at least briefly mention the beneficial properties of kombucha - after all, it's not for nothing that you're messing around with it, is it?
- Metabolism and immune system
The first thing worth mentioning is vitamins.Kombucha tea contains many more useful substances than the most expensive vitamin and mineral complex. Vitamins, minerals, carbonic, lactic and other acids, minerals, enzymes - this is far from a complete list. Therefore, it is not surprising that Kombucha tea has a very positive effect on the immune system and normalizes metabolism.
- The digestive tract
You suffer from gastritis, colitis, peptic ulcer diseasestomach and duodenum, dysbacteriosis? Just one glass of Kombucha drink on an empty stomach can improve the situation in just a week. And regular consumption promotes complete recovery. By the way, the drink is very good at eliminating even the most severe heartburn. As you can see, there is nothing complicated in growing and caring for Kombucha. Therefore, if you have set a goal to grow this miracle mushroom yourself - go for it, because the benefits are obvious! We recommend reading:
