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Kombucha can be grown on the basis of an adult medusomycete, and from scratch from simple ingredients. Despite its name, the mushroom grows not only from the classic brewing - there are quite a few recipes according to which it can actually be created.
Is it possible to grow kombucha from scratch
You can create a tea jellyfish not only from a small piece of an adult mushroom. The product is successfully grown from scratch, although this can take much longer. And, nevertheless, in the absence of a ready-made jellyfish, just a few simple ingredients are enough to grow a full-fledged kombucha with your own hands.
How kombucha is born
Tea jellyfish can be found under many names - it is called mushroom, kombucha, zoogley, meadosumicet, tea kvass or Japanese mushroom. But the essence of the product remains the same.
A fungus is a living organism produced by the fusion of yeast and acetic acid bacteria. It arises independently on the surface of the infusion with the appropriate composition - a moderately sweet drink serves as the basis. Yeast fungi use sucrose as a nutrient substrate for the development of medusomycete - if you make a kombucha at home according to all the rules, it will develop into a substance with pronounced medicinal properties.
Externally, the tea jellyfish is a thin slippery pancake.
How many kombucha grows
If you try to grow a product from a ready-made piece, then very little time will pass before the appearance of an adult organism - only about a week.
However, if the cultivation takes place from scratch, then the wait will take much longer. Kombucha grows in this case for a couple of months. It will take him so long to transform from a thin film on the surface of the liquid into a dense organism resembling a jellyfish.
How to grow kombucha from scratch at home
To create a useful organism in your bank, it is not necessary to look for friends who are also keen on breeding jellyfish. There are several ways to grow Kombucha recipes - you only need a few basic ingredients and a little patience to get the result.
How to grow kombucha from tea leaves
The classic way to grow tea jellyfish is to use regular tea leaves and sugar. The recipe looks like this:
- a large jar is selected for the body, usually 3 liters, and sterilized;
- then tea of very low concentration is brewed - only 2 small spoons of dry tea leaves for a liter of liquid;
- add 3 large tablespoons of sugar to the tea and stir until the grains are completely dissolved.
After that, the infusion is filtered and the jar is filled to 2/3 of its volume, and then removed to a warm, dark place for a week. After this period, a thin film of the future fungus should appear on the surface of the sweet base, and it will take about 1.5 months for the full development of the body.
How to grow rosehip kombucha
The product can be prepared not only with tea, but also based on herbal rosehip infusion. According to the recipe, you must:
- for 5 days soak in a thermos rose hips filled with hot water at the rate of 500 ml for 4 large spoons of berries;
- pour the herbal infusion into a sterile large jar;
- brew 1 small spoonful of black tea in a glass of boiling water and pour the resulting drink over the rose hips;
- add 5 large tablespoons of granulated sugar and mix well.
You need to put the kombucha at home in a warm and dark place, covering the neck of the jar with gauze. After about 1.5 months, you can get a formed organism.
The fungal organism can be grown not only from tea leaves, but also on herbal infusions.
How to Grow Kombucha from Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar can serve as a breeding ground for the mushroom, provided that the product is completely natural. It is quite simple to grow a jellyfish, for this you need:
- for a couple of months, remove the bottle of vinegar in a warm place without direct sunlight;
- after the expiration of the period, make sure that a cloudy sediment has formed at its bottom;
- Strain the vinegar and then mix it with a base of regular sweetened tea.
- for another 2 weeks, remove to a dark place for infusion.
Soon, a young jellyfish will begin to emerge in the infusion, and it will have not only numerous useful properties, but also a pleasant smell.
How to grow a kombucha from a piece
The easiest way is to grow a kombucha from scratch step by step from a ready-made piece - if someone from your friends also grows mushroom jellyfish, then there will be no problems getting a piece.
For a piece, a standard tea solution is prepared - a couple of small spoons of dry tea leaves and 40 g of sweetener are diluted in a liter of hot water. Warm liquid is poured into a clean jar, and then a piece of mushroom is put there and the neck of the container is covered with gauze.
You can grow a tea jellyfish from a piece in just a week. If it is possible to get a piece of jellyfish, then it is recommended to use this particular method.
How to grow kombucha from apple juice or apples at home
In addition to apple cider vinegar, you can make kombucha using apple cider juice - it has similar properties. About 500 ml of juice is poured into a jar and removed under gauze in the dark and warm for 1.5 months. After this time, a thin jellyfish will naturally appear on the surface of the juice, it will need to be carefully removed, washed and placed in a standard nutrient medium from tea leaves.
You can grow a healthy jellyfish from fresh apples like this:
- a few sour apples are grated along with the core to get 400 g of puree;
- in a glass jar, apple gruel is poured into 1.5 liters of cool clean water;
- add 150 g of high-quality honey, preferably liquid, and 15 g of yeast;
- mix the ingredients and remove for 10 days in a dark place.
Every day, the mixture must be stirred at least once, and after the expiration of the period, the leaven is removed, placed in a clean linen bag and squeezed properly. The resulting juice is poured into another jar, cover its neck with gauze and remove the future mushroom organism to infuse for 2 months.
How to grow kombucha yourself from live beer
A non-standard recipe for growing tea jellyfish suggests using alcoholic beverages instead of tea. The mixture is prepared like this:
- to 100 ml of quality beer that has not undergone the pasteurization process, add 2 small spoons of sour wine;
- dilute 1 small spoonful of sugar in liquid;
- the components are mixed and removed for several days in a dark and warm corner, covering the glass container with gauze.
A film of the future fungus will appear on the surface of the workpiece in a week. After the mushroom grows up, it can be removed and moved to a permanent place in regular tea.
Even beer is allowed to create mushroom jellyfish.
How to grow kombucha in a jar at home
Fans of mushroom kvass will be interested to learn not only unusual recipes for growing a jellyfish, but also the basic rules for keeping a mushroom. Keeping your tea jellyfish healthy is easy - you only need to follow the basic guidelines.
What does a kombucha look like at the beginning of cultivation
At the very beginning of cultivation, homemade tea jellyfish bears little resemblance to the final product that can be seen in photographs. Young medusomycete is just a thin dark film on the surface of the nutrient solution.
It takes about 2-3 months for the growth of the body - towards the end of this period, the mushroom becomes like a thick slimy pancake.
Which side of the kombucha to put in the jar
To successfully start a kombucha, it should be borne in mind that it has an upper and a lower side, and they are not the same. The top of the kombucha is lighter, with a smooth surface, and the bottom is dark, uneven, with processes and bulges.
It is necessary to immerse the mushroom in the nutrient liquid with the lower side. Otherwise, he will not be able to fully grow and develop.
Where should the kombucha stand in the house
Most drinks are usually kept in the refrigerator. However, tea jellyfish is a living developing organism, so cold is most often contraindicated for it. The jar with the mushroom must be kept in a shaded and warm place with a stable temperature not exceeding 25 ° C. Only the ready-made drink obtained from the mushroom is put in the refrigerator, but not the jellyfish itself.
After being removed from the refrigerator in a fresh tea infusion, the mushroom will quickly revive again.
It is not recommended to keep a jar with a mushroom organism in the light.
Several recipes on how to make kombucha
At home, mushroom jellyfish can be grown in many ways. Depending on the recipe chosen, the ready-made mushroom acquires additional valuable properties.
The proportions of the main ingredients, how to put the Kombucha correctly
Almost any recipe for growing mushroom jellyfish suggests using the same proportions. Usually, to create a mushroom, take:
- about 2-2.5 liters of water, initially it is possible to grow zoogley in only 500 ml of liquid, however, the mushroom grows rapidly, therefore, the solution is gradually added to the final volume;
- several tablespoons of sugar, their exact amount varies depending on the volume of liquid, but on average, only 3 large tablespoons of sweetener are added to 1 liter of solution;
- 2 small spoons of dry tea leaves for 1 liter of liquid, mushroom jellyfish prefers weak tea leaves, so there should be a little tea.
Even if it is planned to grow the mushroom immediately in a large 3-liter jar, you need to fill it with water by about 2/3. There should be space between the mushroom and the neck.
Traditional recipe
The basic recipe for growing zooglea suggests using a simple tea solution and sugar. Tea for creating mushroom jellyfish is taken black, without additives and flavors, and the algorithm looks like this:
- the tea leaves are poured with boiling water at the rate of 2 teaspoons of raw materials per liter of liquid;
- sugar is added to the strained solution - 3 large spoons for each liter;
- the liquid is stirred properly, the neck of the container is covered with gauze and removed to a dark place.
It takes about 15 minutes to brew the tea before adding sugar.
On green tea
You can grow a mushroom organism on green tea - many consider such an infusion to be more useful, rich in antioxidants and flavonoids. The growing recipe is very similar to the previous one:
- 2-3 small spoons of green leafy tea are poured with a liter of hot water;
- let the tea brew for about 15 minutes, after which it is filtered from the tea leaves;
- Pour 3-4 large tablespoons of granulated sugar and stir the infusion properly, and then pour it into a glass vessel.
A container with a neck covered with gauze is removed in a warm place and in the dark, for example, in a closed kitchen cabinet. After about 25 days, a thin jellyfish-like substance will appear on the surface of the solution. This will be the young mushroom organism.
On herbs
A fungal organism grown on herbal infusion can constantly supply a drink with pronounced soothing, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties at home. The specific characteristics of the mushroom kvass will depend on the herbs chosen. You can grow a mushroom on rose hips and chamomile, linden and St. John's wort, on plantain and on multi-component herbal preparations.
You can dilute kombucha with herbs like this:
- about 200 g of dried herbs are poured into 3 liters of boiled water;
- leave the broth to infuse overnight, and filter in the morning;
- dilute sugar in the resulting infusion in a standard amount - 3 tablespoons per 1 liter of liquid;
- cover the container with permeable gauze and put it away in warmth and darkness for several weeks.
Mushroom jellyfish on herbs are characterized not only by numerous medicinal properties, but also by a very pleasant taste and aroma.
Herbal medusomycete has increased medicinal benefits
On honey
Traditionally, sugar is used to create a sweet solution, however, if desired, it is possible to put kombucha at home with honey. At the same time, the standard recipe changes slightly:
- as usual, 2-2.5 liters of hot water is poured over black or green tea leaves;
- then natural liquid honey is added to the strained tea - only 50 ml per 1 liter of liquid;
- also add granulated sugar to the infusion - no more than 2 large spoons per liter.
The mushroom is grown according to this recipe in the usual way. It is believed that honey enriches the tea jellyfish with biologically active substances and microelements, and the drink from the ready-made jellyfish has strong antibacterial properties.
On hibiscus
Hibiscus tea is appreciated for its wonderful aroma, pleasant refreshing taste and numerous medicinal properties. Hibiscus is well suited for growing zoogley, and the algorithm is as follows:
- half a glass of dry hibiscus tea leaves are poured into a 3 liter jar and pour 2.5 liters of warm, but not hot water;
- the drink is insisted overnight, and in the morning the ready-made ruby-colored infusion is filtered and poured into another jar of the same size;
- add 5-6 large tablespoons of granulated sugar to the infusion and mix until the grains dissolve to the end.
Next, you need to act according to the standard algorithm. The container with the nutrient solution from the hibiscus is closed with gauze so that the infusion can "breathe", and removed to a dark and warm place until the first film of the mushroom appears.
How to grow kombucha at home
It is quite easy to achieve the appearance of a medusomycete in a nutrient solution. However, even after that, you need to follow the rules for growing a mushroom, otherwise it will not be possible to use it to get a healthy drink for long:
- It is necessary to place the kombucha correctly. You need to keep the container in the house in a warm place, but not in the sun.Direct ultraviolet rays are harmful to the body.
- A jar with a mushroom organism cannot be closed with a lid - the mushroom needs oxygen, without which it will stop developing and die.
- From time to time, the solution in the container with the growing fungal organism must be changed. Usually they do it once a week - ready-made "kvass" from under the jellyfish is drained and consumed, and the body itself is poured with fresh solution.
- When changing the solution, the mushroom is washed in clean water - carefully so as not to damage its delicate structure.
Even if mushroom kvass is temporarily not consumed as a drink, it is still necessary to update the solution in the jar. The acidity level of the infusion increases over time, and the solution, if not changed, begins to corrode the very body of the jellyfish.
Mushroom jellyfish in the jar needs to create special conditions
Why Kombucha won't grow and what to do
Sometimes the thin body of the medusomycete does not want to appear on the surface of the nutrient solution, and sometimes it very slowly adds in thickness and practically does not grow. The reasons are in violation of growing conditions. The body will not grow if:
- leave the jar with the infusion in a brightly lit place, in which case, over time, only blue-green algae will appear inside the container;
- clogging the container with a lid - this will block the access of air, and the fungal organism will not be able to develop;
- violate the temperature regime or leave the jar in a room with poor air quality, in which case mold will quickly appear on the surface of the infusion, but it will be difficult to see the tea jellyfish under it.
It is equally harmful to overexpose young jellyfish in an oxidizing infusion, and to change the nutrient medium too often. In the first case, the increasing acidity of the solution will corrode the mushroom itself, and in the second, the medusomycete simply will not have time to take root in the nutrient medium.
Conclusion
You can grow a kombucha with your own hands, even without having a piece of an adult medusomycete. There are many recipes for growing an organism. The main thing is to adhere to the basic rules that ensure fast and healthy growth of the mushroom jellyfish.
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