Kombucha has many health benefits. You can grow it at home absolutely from scratch, or you can use a small piece of an adult mushroom.
Composition and benefits of kombucha
Kombucha is a mixture of bacteria and yeast-like fungi. Together, these microorganisms produce a large number of substances useful for the human body: vitamins C, B, PP, tannins, organic acids and enzymes.
Kombucha drink is often used for various inflammatory diseases, especially in gastrointestinal pathology. However, it should be remembered that in case of peptic ulcer disease, on the contrary, it is not worth taking it. Peptic ulcer disease is often accompanied by increased acidity of the stomach, which the drink can only increase.
Other contraindications include diabetes mellitus and overweight. This is due to the rather high sugar content in the drink. The calorie content of 100 grams of the product is 15-30 kcal, depending on the amount of carbohydrates. The number of calories is not so high, however, with diabetes and obesity, you should still refrain from eating kombucha.
Growing on tea leaves
The classic way to make a delicious kombucha drink is based on the use of tea leaves. Both black and green tea can be used.
To grow a mushroom in such conditions, you need to prepare the following:
- natural, unpackaged infusion of any tea - 5 teaspoons;
- loose sugar - 6-7 tablespoons;
- glass container with a volume of 2-3 liters - 1 piece;
- boiling water - 500-1000 ml;
- a teapot with a volume of at least 500-1000 ml, depending on the amount of boiling water - 1 piece;
- bandage or gauze larger than the neck of the prepared container;
- bandage, gauze or sieve for straining the tea leaves;
- an elastic band or a strip of fabric for fixing the bandage on the neck of the container - 1 piece.
After preparing everything you need, you need to follow the following step-by-step scheme:
- Wash the selected container thoroughly. If the container is not clean enough, this can lead to the death of the fungus. When washing, do not use synthetic detergents. Regular baking soda is best for this. Finally, rinse the container thoroughly with hot water to remove excess baking soda.
- Brew tea in a teapot. Pour the prepared tea leaves into the kettle and pour boiling water over it. The tea should be infused for at least 15 minutes.
- Add 6-7 tablespoons of sugar to this brew. Mix thoroughly so that all sugar is completely dissolved.
- Strain the resulting sweet brew with a bandage or sieve and pour into a glass container.
- Cover the neck of the container with two-layer gauze or a bandage and fix with an elastic band or a piece of fabric. It is important not to use a lid, as due to lack of access to fresh air, the mushroom will die.
- Place the container in a dark and warm place.
The mushroom will grow in about 40 to 45 days. After this time, the entire surface of the infusion will be occupied by a rounded formation with a slimy top. This is kombucha.
Now it needs to be moved to another similar container with a new brew. After removing the mushroom from the old container, it must first be carefully rinsed under boiled water at room temperature and then placed in a clean container with renewed tea leaves.
Growing on rose hips
A kombucha recipe can be based on more than just regular leaf tea. To prepare this healthy product, in addition to brewing, you can put several rose hips in boiling water. It is especially good in this case to cook rosehip infusion in a thermos.
To do this, you need to prepare the following:
- natural, unpackaged infusion of any tea - 1 tablespoon;
- rose hips - 4 tablespoons;
- loose sugar - 5-6 tablespoons;
- glass container with a volume of 2-3 liters - 1 piece;
- boiling water - 250 ml (1 glass);
- a teapot with a volume of at least 250 ml or a glass - 1 piece;
- thermos with a volume of 500-1000 ml - 1 piece;
- bandage or gauze larger than the neck of the prepared container;
- bandage, gauze or sieve for straining the tea leaves;
- an elastic band or a strip of fabric for fixing the bandage on the neck of the container - 1 piece.
The step-by-step scheme for cooking the mushroom is as follows:
- First you need to prepare the rosehip infusion. To do this, pour 4 tablespoons of rose hips into a thermos and pour 500 ml of boiling water. The thermos should be infused for 5 days.
- After 5 days, it is good to clean the selected glass container with baking soda, rinse thoroughly so that the container is completely clean.
- Next, you need to prepare the tea leaves with the calculation of 1 tablespoon of tea per 250 ml of boiling water. After infusing the tea leaves, add sugar to it, mix thoroughly until it is completely dissolved.
- Strain the tea leaves with cheesecloth or a sieve.
- Mix sweet tea leaves with rosehip infusion in a glass container.
- Close the container with a bandage or gauze, secure with an elastic band or a piece of fabric. Place in a dark, warm place.
In this case, kombucha needs a longer time to grow - about 2 months. Together with the rosehip infusion, which is a storehouse of vitamins, the kombucha drink will benefit the immune system and help support the body.
Growing from a piece
You can go for the trick and make a drink by getting a piece of kombucha. You can ask your friends or even buy it on the Internet.
In this case, the mushroom will grow in just 5-7 days. Because the basis for obtaining a full-fledged kombucha is already available, it is necessary to prepare only a container with tea leaves according to the above scheme.
After preparing the nutrient medium, the piece must be placed in a container. The container still needs to be covered with a bandage or gauze and left in a dark, warm place for about a week. During this time, the mushroom will have time to grow and the drink will be ready for consumption.
