How to grow kombucha in a jar. On homemade kvass

At one time I myself wondered where to get and how to grow kombucha. In fact, everything turned out to be quite simple, only long.

If you don’t feel like messing around, then you can ask around your friends, it’s possible that someone already has kombucha and he will share it with you. You can also use online stores, which, as you know, have everything.

But you can grow it completely on your own, with only tea, sugar and preferably apple cider vinegar.

And it’s worth doing this, if only because kombucha is not only tasty and quenches thirst well, but it also doesn’t contain, which is usually found in many soft drinks, including tea.

How to grow kombucha from scratch

You need to take a three-liter jar and fill it with ordinary tea, its strength is the same as it is drunk: not very weak, but not chifir either. You will need quite a bit of tea, half a liter is enough. A three-liter jar is so that the mushroom has room to grow in breadth, and extra movements will not be needed when we grow kombucha.

Add sugar to this tea, about 100 grams per liter, tie a gauze on top and place it in a place where no one will touch or move the jar. The temperature where the jar will stand should be twenty-five degrees. If there is less, it's okay, it just slows down the process a little.

It is not necessary to hide the jar in a dark place, but he does not like the sun either.

Here's what you can do for yourself if you have a tea room at home.

Gradually, a film will appear on the surface of the tea infusion, which will slowly grow. Be patient, sometimes you need to wait a couple of months, it all depends on the growing conditions. But let the future mushroom stand and grow for itself, but we still do nothing with it, only sometimes we look at how things are going there.

Everything will happen even faster if you take a ready-made mushroom infusion from someone instead. Another way to grow kombucha faster is to add a little apple cider vinegar to the tea, about a tenth of the volume.

When the film is already clearly visible and gains strength, its thickness will be about one millimeter or a little more, this will mean that the mushroom is ready. You can understand this simply by smell, it will be acetic-pleasant. Perhaps not quite correctly expressed, but somewhere like that. Actually you will understand.

If the mushroom is not quite ready yet, and you try it, then nothing terrible will happen either.

At first, bulges will appear on the mushroom, then they will grow and merge together.

Not always and not everyone succeeds in growing kombucha, even if they followed all the recommendations. It's hard to say, perhaps something is wrong with the ingredients. Here online stores can help, where you can order ready-made.

Tea mushroom. How to care.

If you want, you can watch this video, here is just about it.

An adult mushroom looks a bit like a jellyfish. From above it is shiny and smooth, from below, I must say, it does not look very beautiful. But it's delicious and very, very healthy.

You can pour a drink for use without removing the gauze. Just replace it from time to time. For some reason, the mushroom is very fond of flies. And you can’t close the mushroom tightly, it will suffocate and disappear.

You need to fill the jar regularly, topping it up by about 2/3 with sweet tea. We dissolve the sugar in advance, it is not necessary to throw it into the jar undissolved. The fact is that the surface of kombucha is very delicate, and it is easy to injure it.

If the infusion becomes too sour, strongly stings the tongue, then the fungus ceases to exist. It is possible that you will have to simply pour out part of the infusion if they do not have time to drink it. This usually happens in winter when you are not very thirsty. And in the summer, in the heat, as a rule, just have time to add tea leaves.

How often all this is done, you will instantly understand for yourself to taste. It is impossible to say the exact dates, it depends on how much tea leaves are added, what temperature is in the room, how much light is in it. The only criterion is your taste.

You can prepare an unusual tasty and healthy drink with the help of kombucha. Kombucha is known for its high palatability and numerous health benefits. You can even grow it from a small piece, but if you don't have one, we'll show you how to get a brand new kombucha at home.

Today's article will describe not only an effective way to grow kombucha, but also the basic rules for caring for it.

How to grow kombucha at home

To grow from scratch, you need to create a special nutrient medium. It is interesting that he appeared quite by accident: he just grew up in a cup with left tea. Since then, it has been used for several thousand years to make delicious drinks.

The main nutrient medium is brewed tea, sugar and water, which must be mixed in certain proportions. The most popular growing method will be described below.

Ways

So, how to grow kombucha at home. To do this, you need to brew loose leaf tea of ​​medium strength and add 2 tablespoons of sugar (with a slide) to it for every liter of water (Figure 1).

Ready tea is filtered so that no tea leaves remain in the liquid, and poured into clean glassware.

Note: Tea bags and sugar substitutes are not suitable, as the body grows only on natural ingredients.

Figure 1. Features of growing

As a rule, it is grown in liter jars. Fill the container with tea only two-thirds so that the product receives enough air.

Growing conditions

For the successful cultivation of this unusual organism, certain rules must be observed.

Kombucha needs the following conditions(picture 2):

• Sufficient amount of air: it is for this reason that it is impossible to fill the jar with liquid completely so that the growing biomass has enough oxygen;
• Optimum temperature regime: cover the tea jar with a lid and store at room temperature;
• Lighting: the product does not like direct sunlight, but it should not be placed in a dark place. The ideal option would be a place in the kitchen or in a room where there is enough light.

Figure 2. Growing technology

Within a week, a cloudy film should appear on the surface of the water, which indicates that the body has begun to grow. If this happens, the jar is left for about 2 months so that a sufficiently large biomass is formed inside.

Rules

After you managed to grow the body yourself from scratch, you need to properly care for it. First of all, it must be transferred to a clean large jar, in which the drink will be prepared.

Before moving the product and the container itself, rinse with warm water. The jar is dried and filled with fresh sweet tea (about 2/3) and the raw materials are shifted. The neck is covered with several layers of gauze.

Figure 3. Proper care of kombucha

In the future, an adult specimen can be divided if it begins to exfoliate along the edges. It is not recommended to cut off or tear off parts of the biomass: despite the fact that a young specimen can grow even from a piece, the old one often dies from such manipulations.

The video shows in detail how to grow at home.

Home Care

It does not require special care at home. The main thing is to put it in a suitable place with a sufficient amount of sunlight, but without direct sunlight, leave space in the jar for oxygen to penetrate, and drain the resulting liquid in time (Figure 3).

Watering

The drink that is formed in the jar has a characteristic sweet and sour taste. In addition, it is good for health, but you need to properly water it to get it.

Every three or four days, half of the liquid is drained, and a new portion of sweet tea is added, which serves as a nutrient medium (Figure 4). You can use both black and green tea, but it must be loose leaf.

Note: In no case should you pour tea leaves and sugar directly into the jar. The body grows only on brewed tea.

Periodically, about once every few months, it is recommended to drain all the liquid obtained, rinse the product again with warm water and lower it into a fresh portion of brewed tea.

Peculiarities

To make the drink tasty and healthy, you need to take into account some features of care. Firstly, the neck should always be covered with gauze so that insects do not get into the liquid.

Figure 4. Pouring kombucha

Secondly, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the fungus itself. If its surface has darkened or become covered with tubercles, you need to divide it into several new ones. This should be done carefully, gradually stratifying the biomass so as not to damage its tissues. After that, the resulting parts are washed with warm water and placed in separate containers.

Rules

There are certain rules for growing and caring for a living organism (Figure 5):

1. It is better to take a three-liter jar so that the body has enough space and air;
2. The neck can only be covered with gauze, but in no case with a lid or film, as not enough air will flow inside;
3. Once every few days, half of the finished drink must be drained and the liquid supply replenished with a fresh portion of the prepared tea.

Also, the mushroom must be periodically divided, since in old specimens the production of liquid is reduced.

Useful properties and how to grow

If you have already provided the body with proper care and even received the first drink from it, you will be interested to know what features and beneficial properties it has.

Figure 5. Storage and cultivation of kombucha

Using kombucha is helpful in such cases:

• Effectively fights excess weight, accelerating metabolism and removing salts and toxins from the body;
• It has high anti-inflammatory properties and can be used to treat and prevent flu and colds;
• Improves skin quality and fights acne;
• An infusion based on it relieves pain from burns and promotes wound healing;
• It has a diuretic effect and is used to prevent arthritis, arthrosis and atherosclerosis.

Since this organism grows on natural ingredients, it has practically no contraindications. However, people with obesity and diabetes should drink it with caution, people with acute fungal infections, and people with high stomach acidity can only prepare a decoction based on black tea and honey (instead of sugar).

Almost every housewife used to have kombucha, but today it is not so common to find it. But it has many useful properties. What are these properties, and what is Kombucha used for, you will now find out.

What is kombucha, where does it come from, where to get it?

Kombucha is an amazing living creature. If you think about the question of what it is, then we can say with confidence that it cannot be attributed to either plants or animals.

By their nature, these are colonies of microscopic organisms that exist in friendly symbiosis. In appearance, they are a bit like a mushroom. In addition, they have a small but amazing feature. It consists in the fact that depending on the dishes chosen for the mushroom, it takes on the same shape.

And now let's talk with you about where he came to us from. No one can accurately name the place of its origin. But what is known for sure is that it was brought to Russia and neighboring countries at the beginning of the 20th century.

It is believed that it first originated in Ceylon, and later spread to countries such as China, Japan, and India. And only after that Kombucha came to Russia and Europe.
Many people want to have such a fungus in their jar, but do not know where to get it. Basically, there are not many options. You can either buy it or make it.

The benefits and harms of kombucha, what helps, medicinal properties and contraindications

Many people drink tea from kombucha, considering it a storehouse of nutrients. And some, on the contrary, believe that it can harm a person. Therefore, let's try to decide with you all the same what is more in it, beneficial or harmful effects on a person.

Let's start with the positives. Due to its composition, and these are vitamins and minerals, and acids, it can be used as a remedy for such health problems:

• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
• constipation
• High pressure
• Atherosclerosis
• Cosmetic problems

But, like any product, it has its downsides. It is contraindicated in people suffering from:

• diabetes mellitus
• Diseases of a fungal nature
• If you are allergic to its components
• With high levels of stomach acid

Video: Kombucha: harm and benefit

How to grow kombucha from scratch at home?

If you want to get kombucha but don't know where to get it, you can simply grow it. This activity, although long, is quite easy. In order to grow a mushroom at home, you only need sugar, tea and vinegar.

So how do you grow it? It is necessary to take an ordinary three-liter jar and pour half a liter-liter of tea brewed in advance into it. It should be neither too strong nor too weak. After that comes the turn of sugar. You will need 4-5 tbsp per 1 liter of water.

After that, it will be necessary to put it in a place where direct sunlight will not fall on the jar. But it doesn't have to be a closet. No need to close the container with a lid, it will be enough to cover with gauze.

But there is a certain requirement for the temperature regime, it must be within 20-25°С, but not lower than 17°С. Otherwise, the mushroom may not grow.

Then it remains only to wait. Over time, you will be able to observe how a film forms on the tea infusion. She is the future mushroom. If it doesn't show up after a week, don't worry. The fungus can grow up to 2-3 months. How to see that the fungus is already strong, its thickness will be about 1 mm, and a pleasant, slightly sour smell will come from the jar.

In order to help it grow faster, you can use vinegar. You will need to pour 1/10 of the essence of the entire volume of liquid into the container.

Video: How to grow kombucha from scratch?

Which side to put kombucha in a jar?

If your mushroom has grown considerably, then you should carefully separate it and move it to another container with a previously prepared tea solution. If you are doing this for the first time, the question may arise which side to put the mushroom in a jar. One side is smoother and lighter. And the second with bulges and processes, it is also darker. Sides with shoots and a darker side and you need to put the mushroom.

How much sugar do you need for kombucha?

To prepare tea leaves for kombucha, boiled water with sugar must be dissolved in a separate bowl. It is impossible for sugar or pieces of tea leaves to fall on the rowing body.

For 1 liter of liquid, 4-5 tablespoons of granulated sugar are required. If you have more water, then increase the amount of sugar accordingly based on the indicated proportions.

How to infuse kombucha, season, feed, rinse?

Kombucha requires careful care. The poem needs to be washed every two to three weeks in the summer. In winter, this procedure can be done once a month. You can rinse with boiled water, running or purified.

Kombucha: how to brew for 3 liters, is it possible to fill it with green tea?

To prepare tea leaves for a mushroom for 3 liters, you need one and a half glasses of sugar. The brew should not be too strong, but not weak either. For brewing, as already mentioned, we use only boiled water. You can take both black and green tea, the main thing is that it be of high quality, large-leaf.

Kombucha for weight loss: how to make a drink, reviews

Chinese mushroom is very useful for fighting various problems of the body. Kombucha infusion promotes weight loss. After all, it helps to cope with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and remove toxins from the body.

To prepare an infusion that will help to remove extra pounds, the recipe is the most common. Need sugar, tea leaves and mushroom. The secret that it helps is in the intake. It is necessary to take 6 glasses per day, but the drink must be infused for at least two weeks.

Drink a glass of drink 1 hour before a meal and repeat the intake 2 hours after a meal. You need to drink it according to this schedule for a month, and then take a break for a week.

After that, you can resume the reception. The course of the use of tea infusion of the fungus - 3 months. Reviews of such a product are extremely positive, since almost all people have noted only a positive effect from the use of kombucha.

Is it possible to drink kombucha during pregnancy, breastfeeding, children?

Kombucha is very useful, so it can be drunk both during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. It will not harm either the expectant mother or the baby, and even, on the contrary, will strengthen the immune system. But it is advisable to give this drink to young children only when they reach 6 months of age.

Kombucha for hair: recipe

Kombucha is a natural healer that is used to treat hair. To prepare the decoction, you will need natural tea, you can add other useful herbs, pour boiled water and add sugar.

For 1 liter you will need 5 tablespoons of sugar. When the liquid has cooled, you should put the mushroom there and let it stand for a week. After the expiration of this period, you can apply this infusion.

In order to make a healthy decoction, you need 1 cup of aged extract mixed with 2 cups of water. Next, add different herbs as desired and put on fire.

To prepare it, you will need a third of a glass of monthly infusion. You will need to add 1 tablespoon of natural honey to it. There we also add essential oils of lavender, sage (8 drops each) and rub the resulting mass into the scalp and hair. After that, you need to walk with it for an hour, then wash it off.

Kombucha in cosmetology for facial skin: mask

Due to its composition, the Japanese mushroom is used in cosmetology. If you have dry or oily skin you are suffering from acne, then you can use kombucha in the form of masks, lotions.

It will have a very beneficial effect on the skin of the face if you wash yourself with infusion of the mushroom, especially after using soap. In addition, the masks from this drink will have an amazing effect.

For cleansing mask You will need 150 g of cottage cheese, rubbed through a sieve, 3 tablespoons of kombucha and cosmetic clay. Having brought the mass to homogeneity, you need to apply it on the face and wait until it hardens a little, after which it can be washed off. The effect will be amazing.

Kombucha: acidifies or alkalizes the body?

Many are interested in the question of the effect of the fungus on the body, whether it acidifies or alkalizes it. We will not delay and immediately answer this question. Many studies have shown that kombucha acidifies human organism.

Is it possible to drink kombucha with gastritis with high acidity?

Since kombucha contains acids, it contraindicated in gastritis with high acidity. Therefore, in order not to provoke an exacerbation of the disease, it is better not to take this drink.

Kombucha for nail fungus

A lot of men and women, for a number of different reasons, suffer from such a nasty and rather unpleasant ailment as nail fungus. But you can get rid of it by using a Japanese mushroom drink. To do this, boil it, moisten the cloth and, after cooling, apply to the affected nails.

This operation should be carried out until the nails become soft, after which they can be removed with scissors.

According to the reviews of the subjects, positive results become noticeable already 2 weeks after consuming kombucha.

Is it possible to drink kombucha with diabetes?

We all know that there are several types of diabetes. This is a terrible disease that requires constant monitoring and proper, special nutrition. In some types of diabetes, drinking kombucha is allowed, and in some it is strictly contraindicated. But about whether it is possible to drink it with diabetes, in each individual case, you need to consult a doctor.

Is it possible to drink kombucha with pancreatitis?

Pancreatitis is a rather serious disease. Many people therefore wonder if it is possible to drink an infusion of kombucha with this disease. But in this case, it all depends on the phase of the disease.

During remissions you can drink the infusion, while, during an exacerbation or in acute phase is strictly prohibited. But even during the period of remission, you do not need to drink more than half a liter a day.

Is it possible to drink kombucha with oncology?

Experts say that taking kombucha will useful in cancer. After all, it has a beneficial effect on the body, helps to increase immunity, the body's resistance to pathogenic cells, and also has a cleansing effect. In addition, there is also an opinion that this drink prevents the formation of cancer cells and can even prevent the development of the disease in the early stages.

Properties of kombucha for liver disease

With liver disease, you can take kombucha and this will have a positive effect, thanks to those cleansing properties that help strengthen the immune system and get rid of toxins and everything that clogs the body. But before you start taking the drink, be sure to consult your doctor.

Kombucha for kidney stones

Due to the many beneficial properties that kombucha has, it should be used for various kinds of diseases. With kidney stones, it can be used as a therapeutic adjunct. The intake of this drink helps to get rid of such an ailment. And all thanks to its rich composition of useful elements.

What happens if you swallow kombucha, can it grow in the stomach?

We hasten to reassure you, if by chance for some reason it turned out that you swallowed a piece of mushroom, then it will not grow in the stomach. But still, you should not experiment and try what it tastes like.

How to divide, how to propagate kombucha?

Quite often, housewives manage to grow a tea jellyfish, but they do not know how to propagate it. There are 3 main methods. All of them are quite simple:

• The point of the first method is to separate the layer from the fungus. This must be done carefully so as not to injure the body of the tea jellyfish.
• The essence of the second method is insistence. To do this, you need to leave Kombucha alone for several weeks and after this time you will see a film of a transparent color, which needs to be transplanted into another container.
• And the third way is mushroom rebirth. To do this, you need not to get it out of the jar for a long time and then it will fall. After that, you can see how a thin film has separated from the old mushroom. This is the new tea jellyfish. You can just throw away the old one.

Video: Reproduction and maintenance of kombucha

How to save kombucha while on vacation?

If it so happens that you have to leave home for a long time - on vacation, for example, and you want to save kombucha with all your might, then you can place it into the refrigerator. He will not function, because there will be an unfavorable environment for him, but in this case he will not die. And upon your return, provide normal conditions and it will again begin to grow and multiply.

Can you drink kombucha while driving?

A drink with kombucha is very difficult to call an alcoholic drink, but still it has a small percentage of alcohol, about 3%. So, if you have to go somewhere, it is better not to drink this drink before the trip.

Can kombucha be stored in the refrigerator?

Kombucha can be stored in the refrigerator only if you need to stop its functioning for a while. After all in the refrigerator due to a sufficiently low temperature, it will stop all its vital activity. And it will resume it only after it is placed in a favorable environment.

Kombucha diseases and their treatment

In case of poor care of kombucha, the development of various diseases can be provoked. For example, often it can be damaged by various kinds of cuts, punctures, if it is incorrect and not carefully to change the tea leaves of the fungus.

If the kombucha turned brown, then this may indicate that in the process of replacing the tea infusion, tea leaves or grains of sugar got on the body of the fungus, which did not have time to dissolve. The damaged layer, in this case, must be removed.

In addition, if the norms of its content are violated - the wrong temperature, direct sunlight, then seaweed. In such a situation, the mushroom must be washed under running water and the jar will also need to be washed.

What else can bother the tea jellyfish is mold. It can appear if the environment in which the fungus lives is not acidic enough. And its peculiarity is that the mold affects only the side that enters into interaction with air.

If possible, it is advisable to simply change the mushroom. Well, or you can try to save him. To do this, it is necessary to rinse the mushroom body under running water, and also treat it with a solution of vinegar that has been boiled. The container in which the mushroom was stored also needs to be processed.

Why doesn't kombucha float up and sink?

Sometimes it happens that when you separate the kombucha, wash it, or just don't like it, it can sink. The reason he lies at the bottom of the jar is that he sick. If you know that you have recently changed tea leaves or propagated it, then give it a little time, it will move away and pop up.

There are worms in kombucha, what should I do?

If one fine day you see that worms have appeared on the surface of the fungus, this indicates that fruit flies managed to lay eggs on it and these are their larvae. In this case, you can't do anything.

The use of such a mushroom is strictly prohibited. In general, so that this does not happen, carefully close the jar with gauze so that neither flies nor midges have access to the fungus. This is especially true in the summer season.

White coating on kombucha, kombucha covered with mold: what to do?

If you see a white fluffy coating on the surface of the fungus, this is mold. It occurs, in principle, quite rarely. But still, there are such cases. Therefore, you need to thoroughly wash the tea jellyfish and, if you need to rid the fungus of this scourge, running water and boiled vinegar will help you.

How do you know if kombucha has gone bad?

Well, if you do not have any problems with the maintenance and care of kombucha. But there are times when it gets corrupted. How to understand this?

If your kombucha lies at the bottom of the jar, then it can get sick and in this case it must be saved, otherwise it will die. If you transplanted him into a new solution, then for the first days he may be at the bottom, because he experienced stress, but if after a week he is still there, then something is wrong with him.

If the kombucha is at the bottom, it means it is sick or spoiled

In addition, in the event of infection with fly larvae, it is already completely spoiled. Therefore, in any case, you need to carefully monitor his behavior and his environment.

Kombucha dies: how to cure if it gets sick?

If you see that something is wrong with your wonderful mushroom, this may mean that he is sick. In this case, it is necessary to take measures and in any way try to cure it. For this rinse it under running water, clean the container in which it lives and provide favorable conditions for its development.

Kombucha is a natural healer: myths and reality

Kombucha is a natural healer: myths and reality is an interesting book, authored by Ivan Neumyvakin. In it, he tried to describe everything he knows about this mushroom. Therefore, if anyone is interested in learning new, previously unknown facts about this miracle of nature, be sure to read this book.

Neumyvakin about kombucha

Neumyvakin I.P. created an amazing book in which he describes not only the beneficial properties of sea kvass, but also talks about its history and presents many interesting, and most importantly, useful recipes with it, which will help in the cure and prevention of many diseases.

We hope this article was useful to you and you were able to learn a lot of interesting things about such an amazing organism as kombucha.

Video: The healing properties of kombucha

Few people know about kombucha now. And by the way, back in the eighties, he was in almost every home. Mothers and grandmothers kept something resembling a jellyfish in three-liter jars, looked after it, fed it with tea and sugar, and distributed the grown layers to friends. And it was not for nothing that many people then grew kombucha from scratch. After all, he has always been considered the elixir of health and immortality. It is used for the prevention and treatment of many diseases. It also has excellent taste qualities, and with its help you can quench your thirst even in the hottest time.

How to grow kombucha from scratch by accident

After the 1980s, the fashion for it passed, and this mushroom was forgotten for a while. But now they remembered him again, and people are interested, at home. And it turns out that this is not at all difficult to do! After all, one has only to forget about tea brewing for a while, as a slippery coating forms on its surface. And in a couple of months, a dense mushroom will grow from this plaque.

How to purposefully grow kombucha

But if you always wash the dishes, and you don’t have used tea leaves for months, then you need to grow the mushroom purposefully. To do this, you will need a clean three-liter jar, gauze and 0.5 liters of strong sweetened tea. This tea must be poured into a jar, and covered with gauze. Then the bank is placed in a warm place, it remains only to wait. And after a certain time, a film forms on the tea, which will “get fat” every day. And in a few months, you will learn how to grow kombucha from scratch. During this time, it will get stronger enough, and then it will be possible to make a miraculous drink from it.

Kombucha from a piece of layer

But how to grow kombucha from scratch and not wait several months? The most impatient are interested in this question. And it can be solved if you get a piece of the kombucha layer somewhere. It should be placed in weak tea, add sugar to it, leave to infuse for a week. And the mushroom will gradually grow, and new layers will appear on it. In this case, the level of the drink in the container will fall. Therefore, you need to watch and, when necessary, add sweet tea. Also, from time to time, you should wash the jar in which the mushroom “lives” and change the tea in it. The mushroom itself should be washed every 2-3 weeks with warm running water.

Kombucha infusion

But it’s not enough to know how to grow kombucha from scratch. You also need to be able to make a useful infusion out of it. And for this, a solution is first prepared. It will require a liter of water, 2 tsp. tea leaves and 100 g of sugar. First, tea is brewed, for 15-20 minutes, and then sugar is added to it. After that, the solution should cool to room temperature. Then it must be poured into a clean bowl. Then the mushroom is taken, gently washed in clean water and placed in a bowl with a solution. As such dishes, it is best to use a glass jar. Then this jar, covered with gauze, is placed in a warm place. In the summer after 4 days you will get a wonderful infusion. In winter, you will have to wait a little longer - up to 7 days.

Proper care of tea mushroom

If mishandled, kombucha can lose its healing properties. Therefore, you need to follow a few basic rules for caring for him:

1. The mushroom should be stored in a dark, warm place.
2. He needs to breathe, so the jar does not close tightly.
3. Tea leaves and grains of sugar should not fall on it.
4. The mushroom cannot be poured with a hot solution.
5. It should be washed with warm water only.
6. It should also be washed before preparing a fresh infusion.
7. Twice a week, the mushroom should be fed with sweet tea.

If these rules are observed, then the mushroom will be healthy and useful.

In the late 80s, kombucha lived in almost every home. Resembling both a jellyfish and a multi-layer pancake pie, he ate scarce tea and sugar, got fat and was considered a panacea for most diseases. Kombucha infusion is a wonderful drink that gives strength, quenches thirst and allows you to set the tone for the body for the whole day. It was willingly distributed to relatives, friends and complete strangers, carefully separating the top layer.

Today, the forgotten kombucha is once again becoming extremely popular. However, it is not easy to get it: it is sold on various Internet forums, sent from other countries across the ocean, and they are very distressed when the mushroom dies.

But it is quite possible to grow kombucha at home “out of nothing”. However, you need to be patient, because the process of growing kombucha is long.

tea mushroom(another name is Japanese mushroom, sea mushroom) consists of different types of yeast fungi and bacteria of acetic fermentation. It is the symbiosis of these cultures that allows Kombucha to process sweetened tea into a healthy and tasty drink.

There are several recipes for how to grow kombucha on your own.

Recipe #1

Brew fresh strong tea, add 1 teaspoon of sugar and leave for three days in a warm place. A thin oily film will begin to form on the surface. This is the germ of Kombucha. After a month and a half, when the membrane gets stronger, it must be transferred to a new jar and poured with cooled weak sweetened tea at the rate of 5 teaspoons of sugar per 2 liters of tea. Water for tea must be boiled, because raw water contains a lot of potassium salts, which can kill the fungus. Do not cork the jar with the mushroom, but simply cover it with a napkin. Keep away from a window as cold and direct sunlight inhibit the development of kombucha. The fungus will grow into a familiar firm texture and shape. According to some recommendations, the young embryo should be placed for several minutes in a weak solution of apple cider vinegar. And after that it can be sent to a permanent place of residence. As a rule, kombucha lives in a fairly spacious container (for example, in a three-liter jar) with a wide mouth, filled with sweetened tea, the neck of the jar is necessarily covered with gauze.

Recipe number 2

Another way to get kombucha is to use apple juice. To do this, leave apple juice at the bottom of the container for 1.5–2 months. The substance formed as a result on the surface of the juice should be placed in a nutrient medium from a slightly sweetened tea leaves before the subsequent formation of Kombucha. The neck of the jar must be covered with a two-layer gauze.

Recipe number 3

According to another recipe, kombucha can be grown from homemade kvass. To do this, pour freshly prepared homemade kvass without filtration into a small container and put it in a warm place. Do not close the lid, as free air access must be ensured. In a few days, a thin film forms on the surface. The young mushroom will grow and try to occupy the entire surface of the liquid, thereby blocking the access of air to the solution in which it grows. In this regard, the fermentation process may slow down. To prevent this from happening, you need to carefully bend the edges of the mushroom, letting air in. After a few days, the embryo will turn white a little and become more noticeable against the background of the drink. Now you can transplant the young kombucha to a permanent place in a jar of sweetened tea.

Recipe number 4

Pour 100 g of live unpasteurized beer into a jar, add 1 teaspoon of sugar and pour in 2 teaspoons of sour wine. Stir and place in a warm and preferably dark place. After a few days, the surface of the mixture will be covered with a thin film - the embryo of the future fungus. It should be carefully removed and transferred to a jar with a pre-prepared solution of tea with sugar.

Recipe number 5

Kombucha can be obtained from the process of making homemade apple cider vinegar. Take apples, without wormholes and rot, and grate with a core on a coarse grater. Put in a glass dish and pour boiled warm water at the rate of 1.5 liters of water for every 400 g of grated apples. Add 10 g of yeast and 100 g of honey for each liter of water. Yeast can be replaced with a piece of dry bread, and sugar can be used instead of honey. Keep the container with the mixture open in a dark place at room temperature for 10 days. The contents must be gently mixed with a wooden spoon 2-3 times a day. Then transfer the mass into a gauze bag and strain. Pour the liquid into a new glass dish, cover with gauze and leave it like that to continue the fermentation process. Apple cider vinegar ripens within 40-60 days. By this time, the liquid calms down and becomes transparent. And on the surface, the so-called vinegar uterus is formed - a dense jellyfish, which is nothing more than a young kombucha. Next, it must be placed in a pre-prepared nutrient medium from sweet tea and insist.