Homemade kombucha. Where can I get kombucha? Preparation of a healing drink

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

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

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

tea mushroom(another name for Japanese mushroom, sea mushroom) consists of different types of yeast fungi and bacteria of acetic acid 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 growing your own kombucha.

Recipe No. 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 the kombucha. After a month and a half, when the membrane has become stronger, it must be transferred to a new jar and filled with cooled, weak, sweetened tea at the rate of 5 teaspoons of sugar per 2 liters of tea. Water for tea must be boiled, since raw water contains a lot of potassium salts, which can destroy the mushroom. Do not seal the jar with the mushroom, but simply cover it with a napkin. Keep away from windows as cold and direct sunlight will stunt the development of kombucha. The mushroom will grow, acquiring its familiar dense consistency and shape. According to some recommendations, a young embryo should be placed in a weak solution of apple cider vinegar for several minutes. And after that he can be sent to a permanent place of residence. As a rule, kombucha lives in a fairly spacious container (for example, a three-liter jar) with a wide neck, filled with sweetened tea; the neck of the jar is always covered with gauze.

Recipe No. 2

Another way to get kombucha is to use apple juice. To do this, you need to leave the apple juice at the bottom of the container for 1.5–2 months. The resulting substance on the surface of the juice should be placed in a nutrient medium of slightly sweetened tea leaves until the subsequent formation of kombucha. The neck of the jar must be covered with two layers of gauze.

Recipe No. 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 place it in a warm place. Do not close the lid, as free air access must be ensured. Within 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. Due to this, the fermentation process may slow down. To prevent this from happening, you need to carefully bend the edges of the mushroom, letting air inside. After a few days, the embryo will turn a little white and become more visible against the background of the drink. Now you can transplant the young kombucha to a permanent place in a jar of sweetened tea.

Recipe No. 4

Pour 100 g of live unpasteurized beer into a jar, add 1 teaspoon of sugar and pour in 2 teaspoons of sour wine. Mix 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 and sugar.

Recipe No. 5

Kombucha can be obtained by making homemade apple cider vinegar. Take apples, without wormholes or rot, and grate them together with the core on a coarse grater. Place in a glass bowl and pour in warm boiled 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. Store the container with the mixture open in a dark place at room temperature for 10 days. The contents must be carefully mixed with a wooden spoon 2-3 times a day. Then transfer the mixture into a gauze bag and strain. Pour the liquid into a new glass container, cover with gauze and leave so to continue the fermentation process. Apple cider vinegar matures within 40–60 days. By this time, the liquid calms down and becomes transparent. And on the surface a so-called vinegar queen is formed - a dense jellyfish, which is nothing more than a young kombucha. Next, it needs to be placed in a pre-prepared nutrient medium of sweet tea and infused.

The jellyfish-like zooglea living in a tea jar surprises with its white-yellow and brown-pink palette of shades in various photos. Scientists call this symbiotic organism, combining acetic acid bacteria and several types of yeast, a medusomycete. Find out the main secret about kombucha: how to grow it from scratch in your kitchen. Medusomycetes are acquired for the production of kombucha. This is a pleasant, sweet and sour drink that tastes like kvass from tea and has a healing effect.

How to grow kombucha at home

Housewives who are thinking about how to make kombucha a permanent resident of the house are advised to acquire a glass vessel with a wide neck. You won't find a better three-liter jar here. Wash it with baking soda and rinse well. Procedure:

The water for the nutrient liquid is boiled to avoid sediment. Let it cool.
Brew black tea and filter the tea leaves.
Stir the sugar thoroughly. For 1 liter of boiling water take 2 tsp. tea, 50-100 g granulated sugar.
The vessel is filled with liquid to the narrowing part.
Cover with gauze to allow air to pass through, put in a secluded corner at room temperature.
It is unacceptable for tea leaves or granulated sugar to stick to the body of the kombucha, otherwise rotting will begin.
The jar with zooglea is carefully protected from sunlight.

After 7 days, the grown mushroom already reigns on the surface. It's time to pour the kombucha into a separate jar. The drink is also filtered through several layers of gauze, but covered with a lid. Then the vessel is hidden in the refrigerator for storage. The mushroom that continues to produce kvass is protected from mold and washed with warm boiled water once a week. They also worry about the level of liquid in the jar when adding nutritious sweet tea. A drink that has stood to a high concentration of acetic acid is not suitable for consumption.

Breeding kombucha: how to grow it yourself from scratch:

How to grow your own kombucha from almost nothing? Prepare the tea leaves (5 tablespoons of black tea per 0.5 liters of boiling water). Allow to cool, filter through a gauze filter into a clean three-liter jar, add granulated sugar - no more than 7 tbsp. l.
The mixture is covered with a couple of layers of gauze, placed in a dark place in the kitchen and “forgotten” for a month and a half.
The vessel with the infusion will remind you of itself after about 10 days with a pungent vinegar smell, which soon disappears. After another 5-6 days, a mushroom film will appear on the surface. Over time, it will become a multi-layered “jellyfish”.

How to grow kombucha from rose hips:

It’s useful to know another secret about kombucha: how to grow it from scratch using rosehip infusion. Kombucha made from it is rich in vitamins. For infusion, measure dried fruits or collected directly from the bush. Brew (0.5 liters of boiling water for 4 tablespoons of rose hips), cover with a lid.
After 5 days, pour into a jar, add strong tea leaves (1 tablespoon of black tea per glass of boiling water). Dissolve 5 tbsp. sugar and again leave for one day.
Then the strained infusion is covered with dry gauze and put in a dark place. If everything is done correctly, after two weeks the mixture also begins to smell like vinegar. The film of the fungus will become visible to the human eye after 1.5-2 months.
The new mushroom is then grown like an ordinary medusomycete. Rosehip decoction is again added to the jar with tea leaves.

Video: how to grow homemade kombucha

Medusomycete is an example of vitality and productivity: it grows a new layer every 10 days. It’s interesting to see how to grow kombucha at home. One or two films, or even a small part of the body, are enough to breed zooglea. The “shoot” is removed into a separate vessel with liquid. If a submerged mushroom suddenly subsides at the bottom of the jar, then it produces a translucent “daughter”. Newborn film is also infused. Only the darkened body of the zooglea is thrown away, but the dried body quickly comes to life in nutritious tea.

The way grow kombucha at home depends on what kind of drink you are expecting. If you just need a refreshing, tasty drink with a general strengthening effect, then grow kombucha at home Can be based on black tea.

In what way you decide to help your body with the help of kombucha or dietary supplements, it is better to consult a doctor.

How to grow kombucha at home from black tea

Take a 3-liter jar, gauze-based fabric (gauze), a teapot, sugar, large-leaf black tea without additives, boiling water.

Rinse the 3 liter jar very thoroughly.

Kombucha is picky about its “living conditions” and loves clean dishes. Otherwise, it will not grow, but will simply sour and die.

When cleaning the jar, use baking soda rather than synthetic detergents. Rinse the jar well after washing.

Put 5 tablespoons of tea leaves into a teapot and pour 05.0 liters of boiling water.

Then leave the tea leaves to cool completely in the kettle.

When the tea leaves cool, add 7 tablespoons of granulated sugar to the kettle. Mix well and strain the resulting sweet, strong brew through gauze.

Then you need to pour the resulting sweet brew into a 3-liter jar, cover the top with gauze and place in a warm place for about 6 weeks.

After a week or a week and a half, you will feel that the jar smells like vinegar - this is a normal oxidation process. When another 5 or 6 days have passed, the smell of vinegar will almost disappear, and you will find a thin film on the surface of the broth.

This film is the nascent kombucha. Every day the layers of the mushroom will increase, and this will continue throughout its “mushroom” life. This is how you can grow kombucha at home yourself from black tea.

How to grow kombucha at home from rose hips

A drink made from kombucha based on rose hips has an excellent supply of microelements that are useful during the cold and ARVI season and will become a real helper for your body and the health of your loved ones.
The principle of growing kombucha at home using rose hips is the same as the principle of growing kombucha at home using black tea. However, there are some important nuances here, which we will tell you about now.

First of all, you need to buy rose hips, which are probably available in every pharmacy. Take a thermos and pour half a liter of boiling water over 4 tablespoons of rose hips. Close the thermos tightly with a lid and leave for five days.

Then prepare the tea leaves: 1 tablespoon of large-leaf black tea per 1 tbsp. boiling water + 5 tbsp. spoons of granulated sugar - mix everything thoroughly until the sugar dissolves and pour into a jar with rose hips - mix again. Next, leave the resulting infusion alone for a day in a warm place, covered with gauze, so that debris does not accidentally get there.

When the day has passed, strain the infusion through cheesecloth, rinse the jar with boiled water and pour the infusion back into it.

Cover the jar with a clean gauze cloth, which you have previously folded in several layers. Leave in a warm, dark place.

Next, everything will happen along a well-known chain. After about two weeks, you will notice a strong smell, reminiscent of vinegar, which will soon disappear. And after 1.5-2 months you will see the resulting young kombucha grown at home.

Tips for caring for kombucha

Grow kombucha at home- this is not your whole task. There is an equally important part of this process: proper care of kombucha.
Otherwise, the processes occurring inside the jar may go the wrong way and instead of a tasty, invigorating drink, you will end up with an unpleasant sour liquid. Otherwise, carefully grown kombucha at home may even die.

The most telling indicator of the health of kombucha is its buoyancy.

That is, if the kombucha suddenly begins to sink from the surface to the bottom of the jar, if after you add a new portion of tea leaves it does not want to float to the surface on its own - then this indicates that it “feels” unimportant and it’s time to take action urgent actions to “reanimate” him.
If your kombucha suddenly begins to hurt, this indicates that you are doing something wrong. The only true treatment for kombucha is keeping the “banker” clean and proper aftercare.

Monitor the volume of liquid in the kombucha jar
When your kombucha grows, instead of the initial half liter of liquid, it will need much more, about 3 liters.

In addition, you will pour the drink. Therefore, do not forget to add liquid to the mushroom every time you pour a tea drink from a jar.

For such purposes, you can use tea leaves that have already been consumed. You need to pour boiling water over it, cool and add about two tablespoons of granulated sugar per 1 liter of boiling water - mix very thoroughly so that all the grains of sugar are completely dissolved.

If the sugar does not dissolve completely and gets on the mushroom, it “will not like it very much.”

Water procedures for the “health” of kombucha

Wash the mushroom once every two weeks. Remove it carefully from the jar and place it without deforming it on a plate.

Then rinse "gently" under lukewarm water in the sink. Then carefully place the mushroom on a plate and leave to air bath for about two minutes. Meanwhile, strain all the liquid from the jar through a gauze cloth into a clean container.

Rinse the jar itself well with water. Then pour the strained drink back into the jar and put out the kombucha, “carefully” covering it with a gauze cloth folded in several layers.

The liquid in which the mushroom floats should be transparent, not cloudy. The mushroom should not be brown in color. Otherwise, such a drink may harm your health instead of the expected healing effect. By regularly washing the mushroom, you will keep it healthy and enjoy your kombucha drink for a long time.

How to store a jar of kombucha
While you are growing kombucha, the temperature should be about 22-25 degrees, then, when the mushroom has already “gained weight,” the jar with it should be placed in a place where the temperature will be about 18 degrees, that is, not too hot.

It is important to remember that kombucha needs light to survive. That's why you can't put it in a closet. However, be sure to keep in mind that putting a mushroom on the windowsill is a mistake! In direct sunlight, he will “cook” and get sick.

To grow kombucha at home- you don’t need to do anything extraordinary, everything is quite simple. All that is required is compliance with the recipe and preparation technology, and then proper storage.

Kombucha, or medusomycete, is a combination of organic yeast and bacteria of the acetic acid nature. Externally, it is a substance on the surface of the base for its growth. In other words, it is a thick film that can have different shades, but the predominant colors are white, brown, yellow or even pink. Its structure is layered, and the surface is mucous in nature. Given its characteristics, nature and developmental characteristics, kombucha usually fills the entire surface of the substrate in which it grows, therefore, when grown on a commercial scale, the size can be unlimited.

Kombucha is popular due to its rich content of beneficial microelements and vitamins. Its tincture contains the following beneficial microelements:

Sugar;
Caffeine;
Various enzymes;
Ethanol;
Vitamins of groups B, C and PP;
Acids - lactic, gluconic, citric, acetic, malic.

Benefits, contraindications and applications of kombucha

Due to its unique organic composition, kombucha has a number of advantages and quality indicators that have a positive effect on human health.

Kombucha, in addition to its main use, can also be successfully used as a means for weight loss and for cosmetic purposes. In order to properly prepare the base for the mentioned purposes, there are a lot of recipes and methods, and strict adherence to proportions helps make this tincture truly effective.

The most significant merits and beneficial qualities of kombucha should be noted, first of all, the restoration of normal intestinal microflora, improvement of the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, brain and nervous system, normalization of blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the human body. Kombucha can with absolute confidence be classified as an effective universal medicine; on its basis, the production of antibiotics and immune-stimulating drugs has been successfully established.

The use of tincture is not recommended for persons who are obese or have diabetes. This is primarily due to the significant sugar content in its composition. Also, consuming the tincture will harm people suffering from fungal diseases or high acidity of gastric juice.

Take special care when consuming homemade kombucha tincture. Do not overuse it, carefully study the body’s reaction to the presence of possible side effects or allergic reactions, and most importantly, prepare it correctly at home.

Methods for preparing mushrooms at home

“It is unacceptable to use sweeteners when preparing tea leaves”

In fact, making the base and growing kombucha at home is not particularly difficult. With a competent attitude towards its cultivation, compliance with all necessary conditions and proportions of the necessary components. However, this process can be called long, since it takes a lot of time for a full-fledged mushroom to appear, and in some cases - up to two months. In any case, everything will depend on external factors, conditions, and components used.

Kombucha, in addition to its main use, can be used as a means for weight loss, as well as for cosmetic purposes.

For self-cultivation, it is enough to have in your arsenal several basic components, the presence of which, as well as their characteristics, generally affect the growth rate, its healthy state and basic qualities. These items and substances include:

Sugar;
Tea leaves;
A container (preferably with a large upper surface area, since the size of the future kombucha will depend on this indicator);
Gauze (it is worth considering that the gauze must be folded in several layers to cover the neck of the container).

You should start, of course, with preparing tea leaves. This can be done using loose leaf tea, rather than tea in special tea bags. On average, if a three-liter jar is used as a basis for growing a mushroom, then the amount of tea leaves prepared should be 2 liters. This ratio is determined, first of all, by preventing “close” development and growth, since in order for a healthy mushroom to fully grow, it should be given a certain space. It should be noted that the so-called strength of tea should be quite acceptable for consumption, that is, the tea should not be too strong, but not too weak.

The amount of sugar should correspond to approximately 100 grams per 1 liter of tea leaves. Remember that it is inadmissible to use various sweeteners or their analogues instead of sugar, since in this case all efforts and expectations may be in vain.

The process of creating the necessary basis for growing kombucha should begin with mixing the finished tea leaves with the required amount of sugar. After which the neck of the jar or other container is tied with clean gauze, and then placed in a quiet place. It is necessary to ensure maximum isolation of the container from all kinds of factors, third-party influences and excessive sunlight. The last condition should not be exclusive, but implies avoidance of direct exposure to sunlight.

The optimal temperature for normal development and growth is +25 degrees. Constant temperature fluctuations, both upward and downward, are undesirable. Temperatures of +17 and below are destructive.

Over time, a thin film will form on the surface of the tea solution, which will gradually increase in size.

Signs of relative readiness and maturity are strength and thickness, which in the early stages can be a little more than one millimeter. At the same time, the mushroom has a soft, pleasant vinegar aroma, which confirms its complete readiness for further use and application.

Over time, when the kombucha begins to grow, it may be divided into several separate, so to speak, organisms. In this case, you should not use knives or other cutting tools that can damage the fragile and delicate base of the mushroom. In this case, it is possible to separate some layers, which is harmless and in no way affects the condition or health of the fungus.

It is also possible to grow a full-fledged kombucha from its existing shoot, or layer. We are talking about the case when “seedlings” of kombucha are divided for its further development and cultivation. In this case, the whole procedure is quite similar to growing kombucha from scratch, but does not require such a large amount of time.

When growing a separate element from “seedlings,” you should start by preparing the same tea leaves. However, in this case it can be prepared with a higher degree of concentration, that is, a light brew can be obtained. Then add 2 or 3 tablespoons of sugar and mix them thoroughly. The finished mixture should cool to approximately room temperature, after which the mushroom should be carefully placed into the solution, avoiding excessive force when moving it.

Periodically, you should feed the mushroom with sugar, but this should not be done on the surface of the kombucha, but rather in a liquid solution, since sugar getting directly onto the surface of the mushroom can cause burns and even destroy it.

Features of mushroom care and use of tincture

“Particular attention should be paid to periodically replacing tea leaves”

Feeding and replacing the solution at home should be carried out at regular intervals, preventing it from overstaying. The solution can be replaced once every 4-5 days in the summer, and once every 6-7 days in the winter. The main sign that the kombucha is overexposed in solution is a sharp change in the color of its surface - the top layer of the mushroom becomes bright brown.

When replacing the solution, special attention should be paid to washing the mushroom with fresh, cool and boiled water. This procedure should be carried out with special care, since sudden or slow movements can damage the structure of the mushroom, which will negatively affect its health and may cause its death.

The jar containing kombucha, as noted earlier, should be covered with gauze rather than tightly closed with a lid, which makes air access more efficient. Due to the lack or even limitation of oxygen supply, the mushroom can simply suffocate. However, you should not make too little protection from the outside world, since kombucha is a favorite delicacy of flies due to its excessive sugar content.

It is recommended to consume no more than half a liter of the finished tincture throughout the day. Excessive consumption of this drink can negatively affect the health of the human body and cause its disorders. You should also consider the maximum duration of daily use of the tincture. You should not ignore the fact that the tincture can be consumed for no longer than two months, otherwise the excessive duration of use of the tincture may cause long-term stomach upset.

You should not neglect the characteristics of a particular human body, its functional characteristics and, of course, age.

Kombucha helps normalize metabolism, get rid of excess weight and improve immunity. Outwardly, it resembles a jellyfish and is a collection of microorganisms and yeasts. You can grow it at home, but you need to know what kind of water to fill your kombucha with. How to make your own drink from it?

How to pour kombucha at home and get a healthy drink?

To make a drink at home, you only need to purchase a small piece of this microorganism. Tea and sugar are needed for its growth and reproduction. Without these components, the mushroom will lose all its beneficial properties.

It can be placed in black tea. In this case, you will get a delicious restorative drink. Can kombucha be infused with green tea? Yes. The drink will be much healthier. Green tea contains more vitamins and beneficial microelements than black tea.

You can also pour a herbal decoction over the mushroom. Nettle, coltsfoot, linden or plantain are suitable for this. All these plants have properties valuable for the body.

You should not pour the mushroom with varieties of teas that contain essential oils in large quantities, for example, a decoction of sage or chamomile. It is also better not to use ordinary water, because only tea provides vitamin C.

It is better not to experiment with ingredients. There is no need to add honey instead of sugar.

Preparing the drink

To properly pour kombucha, you need to know the proportions of the main ingredients. To prepare two liters of drink you need to take 2 tsp. black or green leaf tea and 4 tbsp. l. Sahara.

Mushroom growing process:

1. Brew 2 tsp. tea in a small amount of water. Strain after cooling. Do not allow tea leaves to float in the solution.

2. Pour the tea leaves into 2 liters of boiled water at room temperature.

3. Add 4 tbsp. l. Sahara.

4. Pour the liquid into a three-liter jar.

5. Dip the mushroom into the solution.

6. Cover the jar tightly with gauze.

After two weeks, the drink can be consumed. The finished solution is best stored in the refrigerator. The beneficial properties will only improve. Shelf life – 5 months.