A fairly simple organism, which appeared as a result of the antagonistic relationship of yeast with acetic acid bacteria, is one of the most popular and strange "creatures" grown at home. The appearance of zoogley (Kombucha) is the most unsightly and even frightening, but the tasteful, light-carbonated drink formed as a result of its activity has no analogues in terms of its rich vitamin composition and a huge range of healing properties.
Where to get Kombucha and how to use it correctly? All answers on the topic - next.
What is a jellyfish?
Kombucha (in other words, medusomycete) is a constantly functioning symbiote, the body of which is formed due to the unique and mutually beneficial relationship of the two types of bacteria. Even by the appearance of the liquid floating on the surface of the liquid in a can of Kombucha, two main components can be determined:
- The upper, mucous part - looks slightly convex or dome-shaped, to the touch - smooth, slippery and homogeneous, resembling a jellyfish body. Formed from a colony of yeast microorganisms.
- The lower, fibrous part - does not have a dense structure, easily detaches and moves freely around the bank. These are acetic acid bacteria, which could be called parasitic on the body of a yeast fungus, if the unique environment created by them did not nourish the host organism as well.
Through the continuous operation of acid bacteria, the primary nutrient liquid - sweet tea in a jar - is gradually transformed into a complex enzyme composition containing, among other things, a minimal amount of ethyl alcohol. The action is possible thanks to the main catalyst - sugar, so replacing the traditional sweetener with any analogs, including honey, is not recommended. How much sugar is Kombucha needed for catalysis? In fact, the process starts already with one tablespoon, but to improve fermentation and get a pleasant taste, you will have to put at least five tablespoons.
The composition of the "kvass" jellyfish
The only environment in which the jellyfish feels most comfortable is a moderately strong tea brewing, combining such important and necessary elements for the growth of the fungus as vitamin C and caffeine. Only by receiving sufficient nourishment and the ability to produce new fibers of the lower productive layer, Kombucha can synthesize a valuable drink, the benefits of which were known several decades ago.
The composition of the finished product obtained as a result of the vital activity of zoogley:
- organic acids: Kojic, citric, malic, oxalic, acetic;
- vitamins: C, D, B;
- ethanol;
- enzymes: zymase, lipase, carbohydrase, levansaccharase, catalase;
- lipid complex: fatty acids, sterols, foefatidy;
- mono-poly- and disaccharides;
- pigment substances: chlorophyll and xanthophyll;
- tannin;
- natural antibiotics.
It should be noted that the beneficial properties of Kombucha and the amount of valuable substances in the drink are unstable. They depend on the quality of care, the location of the container with the medusomycete (temperature and light conditions) and a properly prepared nutrient medium (tea). How to care for kombucha in order to get the maximum benefit from its use and what is the benefit expressed?
Benefits of Kombucha
To obtain a positive result, kombucha (mushroom kvass) should be consumed regularly and at least 100 ml per day. It is precisely this amount of the drink drunk by an adult that will be sufficient to maintain a good tone of the walls of the vessels and prevent the formation of atherosclerotic growths in them.
In addition to the strengthening and supporting effect on the cardiovascular system, the beneficial properties of Kombucha extend to other pathological conditions of the human body:
- defeat Staphylococcus aureus;
- intestinal disorders, dysbiosis, toxic poisoning;
- metabolic disturbance (including at the cellular level);
- reduced immunity;
- weakness of the nervous system;
- low hemoglobin;
- colds.
Enzymes and antioxidants in the drink will help to cope with migraines, the negative effects of radiation therapy, diseases of the genitourinary and pulmonary systems. They recommend drinking kombucha with tuberculosis, chronic otitis media and laryngitis, inflammation of the maxillary sinuses and joint diseases.
Outwardly, the infusion is used for compresses and rinses for barley and conjunctivitis, hemorrhoid cones and non-healing ulcers, for stomatitis and after complex tooth extraction. Drinking the infusion in a heated form is recommended before bedtime for those who suffer from insomnia or neurosis.
The benefits of the infusion of jellyfish are undeniable, but where can I get kombucha? It is practically impossible to find it in free sale, except perhaps “by hand”, from people specially engaged in its breeding. Is it possible to make kombucha from scratch and how to start the process?
How to grow zooglia yourself
A universal 3-liter jar of clear glass is considered a universal container for growing kombucha at home, which should be washed well before use. After the container is prepared, proceed directly to brewing tea infusion, in which the mushroom will form.
How to cook Kombucha:
- take 3 liters of water: 5 tbsp. tablespoons large tea and 5-7 tbsp. tablespoons of sugar;
- make strong tea, insist it for 15 minutes;
- strain the finished solution through three layers of gauze;
- fill the jar with sweet tea just below the level of the “shoulders” and wrap gauze around the neck so that air can freely penetrate inside.
How to care for kombucha? Capacity is placed in the kitchen separately from other products and out of the sunlit places. Normal - on day 9-11, the appearance of a jar of an unpleasant, sour smell that lasts 2-3 days. On the 15-17th day from the moment of pouring the nutrient base on the surface of the liquid, it will be possible to see a thickened muddy layer - this will be a young mushroom, which in no case can be disturbed. Zooglia should be allowed to grow for at least another 30 days, and preferably a month and a half, and only then for the first time to remove it from the can and change the nutrient medium to a new one.
It is impossible to use the drained liquid obtained during a long time of formation of a medusomycete.
Proper Care for Kombucha
Periodic care of the medusomycete consists in washing the fungus body once a week under running water and replacing the prepared slightly carbonated drink with a fresh tea solution. It is very important not to forget to filter the tea and completely dissolve the sugar grains in the hot liquid. Zoogley adhering to a delicate substance or unmixed sweet crystals can provoke a burn of the mucous surface of the yeast body and even lead to the death of the fungus.
It is not necessary to cook a strong brew each time - it is enough that they insist on for ordinary tea drinking. The only condition is that the tea substrate should not be placed in disposable bags. The amount of sugar is also adjusted to taste, starting from an absolute minimum of 1 tbsp. 0.5 liter spoon tea solution.
Before transferring the fungus to the updated nutrient medium, it is allowed to cool to 20-25 ° C, and the mushroom itself is washed under a stream of slightly warm running water from plaque and excess mucus. In winter, the “bathing” procedure is carried out less frequently than in the warm season - on average once every three weeks.
The jar is kept in a shaded place, controlling that the ambient temperature does not fall below 20 ° C comfortable for the jellyfish . In such conditions, the period of "maturation" of kvass will be 3-4 days. Without fail, at least once a week, it is necessary to update the filling of the can, adding at least a third of the volume of fresh liquid, otherwise the mushroom will recover by its own decay products.
Kombucha on rose hips and medicinal herbs
How to grow directed fungus and is it possible? In some cases, people have to apply decoctions of medicinal fruits for a long time, the effect of which on the body is gradually decreasing. The concentrated acidic environment of the medusomycete is able to stimulate the usual infusion, bringing a large amount of its own benefits to it and significantly enhancing the healing properties of the plant substance.
For a tasty and rich vitamin drink use the fruits of hawthorn, rose hip or honeysuckle. From 2/3 cups of the selected fruits, a liter of broth is prepared. For a day, the liquid is infused under the lid, then filtered and poured into a 3-liter jar, where about 1.7 liters of sweetened tea leaves are added. The can neck is tied with gauze, and the mushroom, as in the recipe with ordinary tea, forms for about two months.
Take care of the tea mushroom as in the first case - periodically draining the spent infusion and replacing it with fresh tea solution, with the only difference that 30% of the filtered liquid will constitute a decoction of the selected fruits.
Mushroom propagation
Along with the question of how to grow Kombucha, many people ask - how to correctly divide it into several independent medusomycetes so as not to damage the main body? You need to remove the entire top layer and only with your hands, without the help of a knife or other devices. If you tear the plate of the fungus, it will die, and the same thing, if you try to separate the still-young, not ready for division zooglia.
The readiness of the mushroom for propagation is easy to determine - it will significantly thicken in size and will look like a pie from puff pastry. In this case, the mushroom is removed from the can, washed and the “dome” is carefully separated right under the stream of water. Then the old mushroom is transferred to a fresh tea solution, and the young one is left for one day in a container with clean boiled water. After 24 hours, you can transplant into a separate "tea" environment and it. If everything is done correctly, the young body will greatly expand in the first three days and form a large number of gas bubbles around the forming body.
Mistakes when growing a mushroom
Beginners, who do not yet know all the nuances regarding how to care for kombucha, often make mistakes that lead to illness of the organism grown in the bank or even to its death. Most often, the reason for the oversight is helped by the rapidly changing color of the medusomycete and the violation of its natural structure.
The mushroom has darkened or brown “blots” have appeared on it:
- For a long time, the nutrient fluid was not replaced, and the body began to self-oxidize. Dipping Kombucha to the bottom of the can will also mean that immediate replacement of the tea solution is required.
- It is difficult for Medusomycetus to breathe - maybe the tissue covering the neck of the can is too dense, or the vessel was accidentally closed with a nylon cover.
- Heterogeneous spots at the top of the zoogley often mean burns from adhering tea leaves or sugar grains. The fungus dies from such damage, so the damaged layer will have to be removed and discarded.
- The mushroom "froze" and stopped in development. This happens when the temperature surrounding the jar is kept below 20 ° C. If the fungus is “hot”, it will react in much the same way, but at the same time it will anticipate the disease with violent activity and surround itself with a layer of bubbles.
- Incorrectly selected dishes for storing mushrooms. If metals are present in the container, the fungus will oxidize itself and render the drink unsuitable. An ideal vessel for the life of an acetic acid culture is a glass jar.
- Medusomycetes were “cooked” by pouring on top, directly on the surface of the fungus, too hot a tea solution. If you quickly take measures and exfoliate the mushroom, removing the "dome" affected by burns, you can save the bulk of the body.
For a number of reasons, a jellyfish can “tip over”, turning its smooth side to the bottom of the can. This will not affect the health status of the fungus immediately, but the oxidation of the drink will stop immediately. The fungus should be carefully turned over by hand and carefully examined for damage on the mucous surface.
How to drink "mushroom kvass"
Consume Kombucha, like any other tool that actively affects the body, you need a certain scheme in which only the amount of drink consumed will vary. A person with a healthy stomach can drink up to three glasses of "homemade soda" per day - 200 ml in the morning and another 200-400 ml during the day, splitting the entire volume of therapeutic kvass into 3-4 doses. For children, the elderly or those who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, a single dose should be reduced to 30-50 ml of the drink.
They drink the infusion no earlier than an hour after eating, when the bulk of the food has already been assimilated, or 30-40 minutes before eating. The duration of the course is up to 2 months, after which you need to relax for a couple of weeks and allow the body to "respond" to treatment.
Kombucha in cosmetology
The unique, vitamin-rich acidic environment of Kombuchi acts on the skin in two directions at once:
- as a natural antiseptic - stopping the growth of bacteria in the layers of the epidermis;
- as a natural antioxidant - slowing down the aging process by stimulating blood microcirculation in the upper and middle layers of the skin.
In the first case, it is enough to simply wipe the problem areas of the skin - acne or areas of increased fat formation, in order to notice the result in a week. Large pores will noticeably shrink, microinflammation will go away, and the number of comedones will noticeably shrink. With regular (morning and evening) rubbing the face with chilled kvass, problem skin will cease to show itself as a greasy shine and react with rashes to any changes in the hormonal background or environmental irritants.
To restore the elasticity of the aged or tired face skin, use a slightly warmed drink. A gauze compress is impregnated with a liquid and applied to the entire face, from time to time slightly pressing gauze to the skin. The entire manipulation time is from 10 to 25 minutes, the number of procedures is unlimited.
With severe signs of aging - wrinkles and age spots, it is recommended to use the mycelium of the fungus, that is, the upper removed layer of the substance, which is completely applied to the skin surface and can withstand about 20 minutes. After such a compress, it is recommended to immediately wash with warm boiled water and apply a moisturizer to the skin.