Can Kombucha Grow in a Plastic Bottle?

It is difficult to find a Soviet family in the middle of the twentieth century, in whose kitchen there would not be a jar of tea in which a jellyfish-like substance was floating. She was carefully "fed" by adding strong tea, they talked to her, and many believed that this kitchen inhabitant fulfills their cherished desires. Few people know that in a scientific way "jellyfish" is called "medusomycete", but the people have stuck with a more familiar name - kombucha. Why is the jellyfish so fond of us? How to care for and use kombucha?

How is kombucha useful for the body?

Where did you first start using kombucha? It has not been established exactly, however, it is mentioned in the records of the ancient Chinese Han dynasty (250 BC). But some researchers believe that the mushroom was actively used by the ancient Greeks. In Russia, it appeared in the 19th century.

Medusomycetes have little resemblance to a mushroom, at least in the "classical" sense. He does not have a hat and legs, it cannot be pickled or fried. Slippery and dense from above, the body of the mushroom is covered with hanging threads on the inside. The filaments are colonies of living acetic acid bacteria, and the upper fungal part is formed by the same bacteria and yeast. The composition of the fungus can vary depending on the predominant strain of microorganisms. The mushroom itself does not go for food, the liquid in which it is contained and which is processed into a special drink called mushroom (tea) kvass is valuable.

How is kvass made? Sweet tea is a breeding ground for a colony of microorganisms that form a fungus. By feeding on sugar, yeast ferments it, releasing acid and alcohol. Alcohol is oxidized by bacteria to acetic acid. It turns out a slightly carbonated sweetish-sour drink. The main components of the infusion are acids - gluconic and kojic, lactic, acetic, malic, citric and coal, as well as caffeine, sugars, ethanol and useful enzymes. The combined action of these substances helps to regulate the digestive tract, increase immunity, and prevent certain diseases.

How to grow kombucha at home from scratch - recipe

Where do they get kombucha? Basically - from "good hands".It grows quickly, and the owners give it in pieces to those who wish. However, if there is no one to take the "mushroom baby", you can get yourself a medusomycete on your own. It is enough to know how to grow kombucha from scratch, and soon a real micro-plant for the production of tea kvass will appear in your kitchen.

The ideal "living space" for a mushroom is a glass jar. Remembering that jellyfish grows quickly, it is better to take a three-liter container. The bank must be sterilized.

To create a nutrient medium, only three components are needed:

• water (preferably spring water);
• regular sugar;
• tea leaves (black).

From these products you need to make tea. At first, it takes a little - about a liter. The brewing is made a little stronger than ordinary tea, but you cannot spare sugar - 100 grams of sand is taken per liter of liquid. Pour the tea into a jar, and tie the neck with gauze. We remove the container in a darkened place where the temperature does not go beyond the room temperature. After a few days, a thin film will appear on the surface of the tea: this is a fungus. In a few weeks, a full-fledged kombucha will grow from the film. To nourish it, you must regularly add freshly cooled tea to the jar: strong and sweet (for a liter of water - 3 tablespoons of tea leaves and half a glass of sugar).

How to care for kombucha so it doesn't darken

Like any domestic "pet", the jellyfish needs care and respect. It is worth noting that caring for kombucha at home is not difficult.

It is enough to remember a few rules:

1. It is important to add tea to the mushroom only when it has cooled down, otherwise the surface of the mushroom will get burned.
2. The jar with the mushroom must be covered with gauze - this will protect it from clogging. You cannot use the lid - the mushroom will suffocate.
3. In a jar, the liquid should occupy from 2/3 of the volume.
4. The fungus needs regular flushing. Obvious signs that the fungus is dying are its sinking to the bottom, darkening, the appearance of holes in the body. Boiled cooled water is suitable for washing.
5. After washing, the mushroom is dipped in a fresh brew! The jar is washed before this.

If it becomes noticeable that the mushroom has peeled off and let the "baby" go, it is recommended to use the "young" for further preparation of kvass. Why is it worth doing? The drink will be healthier from a young mushroom, since the old one releases too much acetic acid.

How and why to use kombucha:

The beneficial properties of medusomycete make it possible to use its infusion as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent for a number of diseases.

Kombucha with the normalization of the gastrointestinal tract

The acids in the tea kvass help regulate the activity of the gastrointestinal tract. To do this, take half a glass of the drink half an hour before meals for at least a week. At the same time, digestion improves, problems with stool disappear, and bloating and gas formation cease to pester. This regimen allows you to quickly forget colitis, pain in the lumbar region due to the kidneys, and in the right hypochondrium due to the liver.

Do not forget! Kombucha is not a panacea for gastrointestinal problems, and in some cases it may even be contraindicated. Consult a specialist before using tea kvass!

Help with colds

Tea kvass is considered a good way to increase the body's defenses, and in order to strengthen the immune system, it is indicated for both adults and children, especially in the autumn-winter time, when viruses and bacteria literally attack. A couple of glasses of a pleasant drink a day makes the body more resilient.

If you still get a cold, you can use a weekly infusion of the mushroom - natural antibiotic substances are formed in it. And with angina and to relieve inflammation, it is recommended to gargle with kvass every 2-3 hours.

Kombucha treatment of hypertension and atherosclerosis

If a kombucha lives in the house, on its basis you can prepare a unique drink against hypertension.

High blood pressure is gradually normalized if the following medicine is prepared:

• on a tablespoon of dried rhizomes of Eleutherococcus prickly and Leuzea safflower, mix with a teaspoon of St.
• fill the raw material with a liter of boiling water, darken it in a water bath for 1/4 hour, and cool the broth;
• mix the filtered broth with tea kvass 1: 1, leave in the refrigerator for three days.

It is necessary to apply the medicine three times a day, 50 milliliters before meals.

With such a disease as atherosclerosis, the drink is used according to the scheme:

1. week one: half a glass before going to bed at night;
2. 2-3 weeks: at night - a glass of kvass, in the morning on an empty stomach - half a glass;
3. break in treatment - a month;
4. repetition of the course.

Treatment of anemia

Kombucha drink is good for anemia. Anemia or anemia occurs due to a deficiency of iron in the body.

Treatment is carried out as follows:

• the morning begins with a portion of grated raw carrots (100 grams), seasoned with olive oil;
• 45-60 minutes before lunch, drink a glass of tea kvass;
• after an hour after lunch, they drink juice from vegetables: carrot, cucumber, beetroot (proportions 3: 1: 1, respectively);
• in the evening, an hour before going to bed - a glass of mushroom drink.

Is it possible to lose weight by eating kombucha?

If you want to lose a couple of extra pounds in a short time, you can include tea kvass in the diet. The result will not be long in coming without strict dietary restrictions. Of course, it is advisable to exclude sweets and flour products. The enzymes that make up the drink activate metabolic mechanisms in the body, promote the breakdown of fats. To lose weight, you need to drink a glass of kvass in the morning, and only then have breakfast. Taking a drink between meals can significantly reduce hunger, which will lead to a decrease in the portion eaten and faster satiety.

How to cure nail fungus?

Treat a fungus with a fungus? Traditional medicine assures: it is effective! To get rid of mycosis, it is necessary to carry out such compresses for several days in a row: apply a piece of kombucha to the affected nail and fix it with a bandage. It is more convenient to do this at night. In the morning, the bandage is removed, the nail is washed, and keratinized particles are removed. This method of combating mycosis gives a positive effect with regular use.

Treatment of skin lesions, cellulite

Mushroom in the kitchen can be an effective remedy for minor skin lesions. To prevent a cut or wound from becoming inflamed, you can use kombucha kvass instead of hydrogen peroxide.

The use of tea kvass is also known as an anti-cellulite agent. Its action is similar to apple cider vinegar. The mushroom infusion is kept for 1.5 weeks. Then a large lemon and 2 leaves of a golden mustache plant are crushed with a meat grinder. A glass of kvass is heated and the lemon-leafy gruel is poured with liquid. After an hour, the mixture can be used: a compress from the mixture is applied to the problem area of ​​the skin steamed in a bath or hot bath, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and for a thermal effect - with a towel. The wrap is left for an hour and a half.

Who shouldn't eat kombucha: harm and contraindications

Despite its usefulness, medusomycete may have contraindications for use. Who shouldn't drink a drink based on it?

Primarily:

• persons with increased acidity of the stomach;
• those with diabetes;
• children under 3 years of age due to a tendency to allergies;
• pregnant women;
• with thrush in women.

Kombucha does not take up much space in the house, it is rather unpretentious to the content, and in response to the care it will thank the whole family with health, longevity and beauty.

For more than a hundred years in Russia, a popular drink of the eastern peoples has been known - kombucha. It is also called Japanese or jellyfish. It really looks like a jellyfish.And the liquid in which he lives becomes a delicious carbonated drink like kvass and acquires medicinal properties. For this, many people love kombucha. How to care for and use it? Previously, this information was passed on to each other orally. But now you can independently find a lot of information about this amazing mushroom.

general characteristics

This product has long been known in the East. In China, it was called the elixir of health and immortality. They believed that this drink aids digestion and tones the body. But for this you need to know how to care for and consume kombucha. Some people may not like the photo of this substrate. After all, it resembles a jellyfish, for which it is called jellyfish. Its upper surface is smooth, and underneath there are many filaments containing yeast bacteria. It is they, as well as acetic acid bacteria, that turn the solution into a healthy carbonated drink.

The color of the mushroom can be whitish-yellow, with a brown tint, or pinkish. With age, it becomes thicker, if not separated, it can grow up to 100 kg over time. But at home, the medusomycete is a layered cake, most often living in a three-liter jar. It is used to make a delicious tonic drink called kvass or kombucha.

How to care for a mushroom?

Medusomycetes can be purchased online or asked from a friend. People who breed it will gladly share. The fact is that with proper care, it grows quickly, and if you do not separate the lower part, it can fill the entire jar. Therefore, now there are no problems in purchasing kombucha. How to care for, brew and use it is also easy to learn. Moreover, there is nothing difficult in this.

Kombucha needs a nutrient medium for its life. Most often it is placed in a sweet tea solution. The mushroom itself uses sugars, but many of the tea substances remain and give the drink a specific taste and aroma. To get such kvass, you need to place the acquired young mushroom in a clean three-liter jar, best of all, if it is combined with a ready-made drink. To it you need to add about 2 liters of cooled sweet weak tea, you can brew drunk tea. The jar needs to be covered with gauze so that the mushroom can breathe, and put in a warm, bright place, but away from sunlight and heating appliances.

How to Grow Kombucha from Scratch?

If you could not find a plate of the mushroom, you can dilute it yourself. To do this, you only need a little ready-made tea kvass. It must be poured into a glass jar, covered with gauze and allowed to stand at room temperature. After 1-2 weeks, a film will begin to form on the surface, which will eventually transform into a new mushroom. You need to take care of him in the same way as for the old one, only the drink that he will produce at the initial stages will not have its properties.

This is often required also if the mushroom has died due to improper care. It happens that people get bored with this drink, but after a while they want to try it again. In this case, in order not to grow a new mushroom, you can store the old one in the refrigerator in a small amount of solution.

Mushroom keeping rules

Before you start preparing this healing drink, you need to learn how to care for and consume kombucha. There are some rules, if you do not follow them, the fungus can get sick or die.

• The optimum temperature for the life of the fungus is 24-25 degrees. Therefore, it is undesirable to put it in a cool room, as well as near heating devices.
• It is necessary to protect the jar with the mushroom from direct sunlight.
• It is necessary to drain the resulting solution every 5-6 days, and even more often in the summer. If the mushroom grows old, there will be a lot of vinegar in the drink, and it will no longer be so tasty and healthy.
• Every 3-4 weeks, the mushroom should be rinsed with clean cool water, inspected for damage and separated if it becomes too thick.
• Pour the mushroom only with a cooled solution. Best at room temperature. Too hot can destroy the body, and cold can slow down its vital functions.
• The solution that is added to the jar with the mushroom must be well filtered. Sugar must be dissolved in it. Grains of sugar and tea leaves can burn the surface of the jellyfish.

In order for the mushroom to be beneficial and produce a delicious, healing drink, it is important to follow these rules. It is a living organism, and it also needs to be loved. Therefore, it is recommended to study well how to care for and consume kombucha.

Preparation of a healing drink

It seems to many that it is very difficult to make such kvass. But it doesn't really take long. There are many tips about kombucha: how to care and consume. The preparation of the drink is recommended on the basis of black tea. It is its constituent components that the mushroom uses for the production of ascorbic acid and other useful substances. The most common recipe for making a tea solution is this: a three-liter jar needs 2 liters of water. 4-5 tablespoons of leaf tea are brewed in it and a glass of sugar is dissolved. Do not make too strong tea, this can slow down the vital activity of the mushroom.

But you can also pour jellyfish with a solution of green tea, and even decoctions of medicinal herbs. From this, it acquires additional healing properties. Most often, nettle herb, linden flowers, rose hips, birch leaves, plantains, blackberries are used for this. It is not recommended to use herbs containing a lot of essential oils. When processed, they can greatly change the properties of the drink, and it is not known how this will affect human health. These are chamomile, sage, currants. The same applies to the advice to insist the mushroom in juice or decoctions of fruit, to use honey or jam instead of sugar. It is best to add the required ingredients to the finished drink.

Pour the mushroom with a new solution immediately, as soon as the ready-made infusion is drained. It is recommended to leave a little in the jar, this will speed up the maturation of the drink. Ready kvass must be poured into bottles, but not to the brim, as it can still ripen and foam. You need to store it in the refrigerator for no more than 1-2 months. For the habitat of the mushroom, you need to use glassware. You can store the drink in any container, just not in a metal one.

Beneficial features

We've covered how to care for and consume kombucha. Its benefits and harms have long been known in the countries of the East. It was drunk by Japanese geisha, in order not to gain weight, used as an antidote, and warts were removed with its help. Modern scientists have studied the drink made by kombucha and determined why it is so beneficial.

The infusion contains organic acids, polysaccharides, sugars, proteins, essential oils, vitamins, enzymes and valuable trace elements. It also contains substances with antibacterial properties. The presence of a large amount of biologically active substances explains the medicinal qualities and benefits of kombucha. Caring for it may seem difficult to many, but it is worth it. After all, the resulting drink turns out to be not only tasty, but also healing. It has the following properties:

• relieves headache and toothache;
• reduces inflammation;
• destroys bacteria, viruses and fungal organisms;
• lowers blood pressure;
• has a diuretic effect;
• calms the nervous system;
• strengthens the immune system;
• cleanses the body of toxins and toxins;
• increases efficiency and brain activity;
• improves the condition of the skin, nails and hair.

What pathologies is it used for

Most often, it is recommended to drink the kombucha drink simply as a refreshing and tonic. But it turns out to be very useful when:

• atherosclerosis and hypertension;
• sore throat, tonsillitis, pharyngitis;
• dysentery;
• insomnia;
• pain in the heart;
• sunburn;
• hair loss;
• hangover.

How to use it correctly?

Tea kvass is good for adults and children. This is a favorite refreshing drink for many. But you need to know how to care for and consume kombucha in order to benefit from it. It is recommended to drink kvass separately from meals. It is advisable that 2-3 hours pass after eating. Or drink it an hour before meals. In folk medicine, it is recommended to drink a glass of the drink 2-3 times a day. Drank on an empty stomach, it will improve digestion and cleanse the body, and before going to bed - it will calm the nervous system and help you fall asleep quickly.

Kombucha treatment recipes

In folk medicine, jellyfish has long been used to treat various diseases. It can be taken orally, used to rinse hair, mouth, lotions and compresses. The beneficial properties of this drink help with many pathologies. But it is imperative to follow all the rules for the care, preparation and use of kombucha. You can use ready-made recipes or try your own methods of treatment with such a remedy.

• Applying a piece of kombucha helps to quickly get rid of an ingrown toenail. Such a compress removes inflammation and suppuration.
• To preserve the color of the hair and to improve its condition, you need to rinse your head with infusion of the mushroom after each wash.
• If hair falls out, you need to rub this drink into the scalp and roots. This procedure also helps to get rid of dandruff.
• By tying pieces of the mushroom to your nails at night, you can get rid of the fungus.
• Infusion of the mushroom mixed with honey helps against gastritis. This drink should be consumed 3 times a day, 100 ml.
• Tea kvass will help you lose weight if you consume 6 glasses of it daily along with proper nutrition.

Could there be harm from the drink?

If you know how to care for kombucha and use it correctly, it will only benefit the body. Still, not all people are advised to drink this drink. Due to the presence of a large amount of organic acids, yeast, tonic substances, and also because of its ability to lower blood pressure, it is contraindicated to use tea kvass in such cases:

• with gastritis with increased acidity of gastric juice;
• with peptic ulcer;
• diabetes mellitus;
• gout;
• fungal diseases;
• hypotension;
• children under 12 years old.

In addition, it is not recommended to consume a strongly fermented drink, as well as an infusion of a mushroom that is affected by any disease. In order not to harm your health, you should not drink too much of this kvass, it still contains alcohol, albeit in insignificant quantities. In addition, the presence of acids in the composition of the infusion can damage sensitive tooth enamel and aggravate existing diseases of the oral cavity.

Kombucha disease

This is a living organism, so it can also get sick and even die. And most often this happens due to the fact that people do not know how to care for kombucha and use it correctly. First of all, when shifting the jellyfish, washing it and separating it, it can be physically damaged. Such damage does not affect the quality of the drink, but it is still better to wait for the mushroom to recover by placing it in a small amount of nutrient solution for a while.

But there are other diseases that make the drink unusable. Most often, the upper surface of the fungus turns brown. This is due to a violation of the rules of care and the use of kombucha. Grains of sugar or tea, too hot or cold water, etc., lead to damage to the surface of the jellyfish.

Sometimes blue-green algae grow in a jar with a mushroom. The solution then becomes cloudy and unusable. Algae can form when the room temperature is too low, if the sun shines on the mushroom.If the temperature regime is violated, mold may also form on the surface of the medusomycete. In addition, midges can sneak into the jar in the summer and lay eggs in the mushroom.

All these problems lead to the death of the body. Sometimes you can try to save the mushroom, for example, to separate the brown top. But it's best to study well everything about kombucha: how to care for and use it. Then there will be no problem.

Kombucha: how to care and use - reviews

Most of the responses from people who have kombucha live at home are positive. People love the pleasant refreshing taste of this drink. Many are so used to it that caring for the mushroom does not cause them any problems. He lives in people for many years, and the infusion is used not only as a drink, but also as a remedy. Many people note that kvass helped them improve digestion, strengthen immunity, and normalize blood pressure. And recently, this drink has become very popular abroad. It is sold in glass bottles and is called "kombucha".

The layered slippery substance of bacteria and yeast in a cloudy jar has frightened more than one generation of our compatriots. This drink was considered incredibly healthy.

Today it has become very popular in America. Here it is known as kombucha and has become a healthy substitute for sugary drinks. In 2017, the US kombucha market grew 37.4% to $ 556 million. And by the way, like any overseas fashion, it is from overseas that he returns to Russia.

Mushroom and Booth

The first mentions of this healing drink are found in ancient Chinese writings. And he came to Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, he was brought by officers who participated in the Russian-Japanese war of 1905. The war was ingloriously lost, but the slimy trophy was taken from Asia. So he lived his happy life on the tsarist-revolutionary-Soviet windows, until he was expelled from the kitchens by overseas soda. By the way, the mushroom was very popular among Soviet prisoners: in the absence of normal medical care, they treated each other and themselves with them.

And in the United States, the kombuche added fame, as legend says, our citizen Victor Bout, also, as it was called in the USSR, "a sedentary". In 2015, a container with a kombucha was found in the cell of Booth, who is serving a 25-year sentence in the United States on charges of attempting to sell weapons to the FARC (in the United States, the organization is classified as a terrorist one). The administration was sure that he was making an alcoholic drink like moonshine, and took away the container. As the wife of the prisoner told about this Alla, Victor grew a mushroom on sleeping tea, treated his cellmates and even the guards to it. Kombucha was found again in 2017. This time, the prisoner was even punished: they added 40 days to the term and deprived of the indulgences received for exemplary behavior. Now Bout seems to have been allowed to cultivate the drink. Moreover, in fact, kombucha began conquering the American market much earlier than our Bout's "landing" in the US prison.

Symbiosis in a bottle

In fact, the mushroom was brought to the United States from Europe in the 20th century, where it most likely came from Russia along with the White Guards fleeing the revolution. In the United States, he got his name "kombucha" from the name of the Japanese seaweed tea kombu. Initially, they were constantly confused, now they are not, but the name stuck. By the way, kombucha is not a mushroom at all, so we also call it incorrectly. In fact, this is a mucous formation that arose from the symbiosis of microorganisms, which has the scientific name of zooglea.

Now this zoogley is bred and sold all over the world. According to the consulting company Zion Market Research, in 2016, global sales of kombucha reached $ 1 billion, and by 2022 this figure will grow to 2.5 billion.And this against the backdrop of falling revenues of all producers of sugary carbonated drinks for several years now.

The rise in popularity of kombuchi is associated with the general enthusiasm for healthy lifestyles.The drink is believed to contain probiotics and help restore intestinal microflora. However, so far 100% proof has not been obtained. But that it is not harmful is unambiguous. Today, the drink can be bought bottled in specialized stores.

The cost of one half-liter bottle of kombucha in Russia is 200 rubles.

How to grow a mushroom

1. Pour 0.5 liters of strong sweet tea into a 3-liter jar, tie the neck with gauze.
2. We put the jar in a warm, dark place for 60 days. Then carefully transfer the mushroom to a deep bowl with cooled boiled water and gently rinse it.
3. We return the mushroom to a clean jar with cool sweet tea.
4. We drink a drink after 3 days.

Adherents of traditional medicine use various healing techniques. One of them is making kombuchi (kombuchi, kombuchi) - tea kvass. It is a complex of microorganisms producing nutrient fluid. Consider the ways and methods of growing kombucha at home.

Description of jellyfish

The Latin name for the formation is Medusomyces gisevi. Consists of acetic acid bacteria and yeast in the form of gelatinous, multilayer plates. They float on the surface of the tea liquid and saturate it with substances (mainly carbohydrates, sugars of various types). If we add ethyl alcohol, yeast-like fungi, we get acetic acid.

The color of the substance is mainly fango - pinkish, smoky brown, dirty yellow. The shade depends on the conditions for caring for the microorganisms and the substrate. For example, in Japan they use seaweed - seaweed.

When mixed with other infusions, medusomycetes will retain their original characteristics, do not absorb extraneous components with tanning or aromatic properties. Additional components allow you to obtain the desired chemical composition due to the fermentation of the mushroom:

• after adding honey, the medusomycete produces malic, gluconic acids, choline, all kinds of alcohols;
• sweet black tea stimulates the production of caffeine, ethanol, vitamins C, D, PP, B, citric and lactic, carbonic and kojic acids.

The principle of fermentation is the production of alcohol by yeast when it interacts with sugar. If, in addition to glucose, "feed" with various substances, on the basis of the resulting liquid, it will be possible to prepare useful tinctures. They have antibacterial, analgesic, anti-inflammatory properties. When taken correctly, the drink:

• relieve symptoms of colds, acute respiratory infections, flu, chronic ENT problems;
• cope with constipation, mild tuberculosis, dysentery;
• improve vision, memory, reduce the concentration of cholesterol in the blood;
• normalizes metabolism, pressure, gastrointestinal tract, hair structure, skin;
• boosts immunity, energizes.

External use is recommended for people with warts, age spots and other neoplasms. On the basis of kvass, ointments are created, lotions are made, and not everyone can dry it for future use in order to use it in winter, without laboratory conditions.

How to grow at home

You will need large leaf black tea or rose hips. The first option involves the cultivation of microorganisms in a glass bottle or jar with a volume of 3 liters. If you do not take care of cleanliness, the jellyfish will not grow, it will hurt or die due to infection with pathogenic microbes. But sterilization is not required: rinse the container thoroughly under running water. It is good to use soda - it is used to wash off the remnants of detergents from the walls.

Cooking steps

Pour 5 tbsp into the infuser. l. tea without a slide and pour 0.5 liters of boiling water. Insist until cool. Add 7 tbsp. l. granulated sugar, stir thoroughly, pass twice through cheesecloth. Pour the solution into the prepared jar, cover with a breathable cloth. Put in a warm place at a temperature not lower than room temperature, for 6-7 weeks. It is not worth looking after the solution, there is no need for courting.

It is not difficult to determine how well the fermentation is going: after 14 days of aging, the container spreads a vinegar smell. Then a film will begin to form on the surface of the liquid - the first layer of kombucha. Gradually, it will increase, and the jellyfish will grow.

Care and maintenance instructions

If the cultivation and preparation of the medusomycete goes wrong, it is not washed, not fed - it will mold, deteriorate, turn into an unsightly mass and become useless. The drink will look like diluted vinegar. Pay attention to the following factors:

• the thickness of the fango is about 1-3 cm;
• location - on the border of liquid and air;
• the volume of water does not change optimally;
• the presence of a substrate - strained tea leaves, sugar (for 1 liter - 2 tbsp. l.);
• accuracy - when feeding from above, sugar does not touch the mushroom, otherwise the integrity of the film will be violated, microorganisms will get sick and die;
• cleanliness - rinse the jar and jellyfish monthly under running warm water.

Fango is propagated by gradually removing the top film. Pull out the formation from the jar, rinse. Transfer the carefully separated layer to another container with warm, clean water, cover with gauze or a thin cloth. It will grow safely on its own if it does not sink to the bottom - a sign of jellyfish disease. It is necessary to feed, add boiled water as consumed, up to the same level. It is better to put the container in a well-defined place.

When moving and changing the container, the layers do not deform, do not tear, do not bend - they are carefully laid on a flat surface. You cannot drag it sideways through the neck, you cannot fold it in half, the "cakes" will break. A full-fledged Japanese uterus can be born from a small piece with proper care and nutrition.

Medusomycete diseases

Mechanical damage is visible to the naked eye. Places where sugar, excessively cold or hot water gets on the "cake", are marked by the appearance of a brown bloom. Then divide the fango and briefly place it in the produced kvass to restore the integrity, cracks and fractures of the thicket. The quality of the medicinal drink will not be affected, since no pathogenic reactions occur.

The solution becomes cloudy in the cold or in direct sunlight. Infection with blue-green algae occurs and the kvass becomes unusable. Sometimes the layers are covered with mold or midges lay eggs on them if the container is poorly covered or the room is dirty. Fango gets sick and is thrown away.

Try to revive - rinse urgently, carefully and carefully separate the spoiled layers, remove pests. Process the jar at the same time. After that, the mushroom floats - the layers rise, lie near the surface and develop normally.

Preparation for use

If you properly care for the medusomycete, there are no special requirements for taking kvass. The only thing is to take it long before or after meals, and also monitor the dosage. Alcohols cause intoxication, although their concentration is low. A drink noticeably fermented or taken from a sick medusomycete is not suitable for the treatment or prevention of diseases. This is determined by an unpleasant odor.

Storage and transportation rules

Fango grows without interruption. In the absence of observation, the "cakes" will gradually fill the entire jar. Peel off and transfer to other containers in time, pour clean water or decoctions of medicinal herbs: nettle, green tea, linden flowers, birch leaves, blackberries, plantains. Kvass will be more nutritious and healthier. But you cannot use plants with essential oils: sage, currants, chamomile. The composition of the liquid will change and be harmful.

For this reason, it is impossible to add compotes, juices, fruit infusions to a container with a jellyfish fungus, replace pure sugar with jam, honey. All this is mixed with kvass already in a cup, immediately before use.

Fresh nutrient solution is supposed to be poured after removing the old one. It is not forbidden to leave a part at the bottom, then a new portion will ripen faster. For ready-made kvass, you need to find a container made of any materials, except metal. It is not filled to the top so that there is room for foaming as the drink continues to ferment and carbonate.

Shelf life is 1-2 months, strictly in the cold. Kombucha has many benefits, and learn how to grow it from scratch, take care of it and take it in advance. Otherwise, there is a risk that the jellyfish will simply die from improper handling.