Tea mushroom - Kombucha

    Yeasts are very widespread micro-fungi, they belong to different genera and families, and they are characterized by a common feature - the beginning of their growth is budding.
In symbiosis with various types of bacteria, they are able to cause certain fermentation of liquids, i.e. sugar from the liquid and thereby create drinks with a slightly sharp taste with the presence of a small amount of alcohol in them. Many centuries ago, people noticed these properties and began to grow these unusual colonies of organisms whose products are beneficial for our body. These are kvass, kefir, boza and kombucha. The first two come from the Russian tradition, the other two come to us from the East. They have in common that they are rich in B-complex vitamins and that they work to cleanse the body of various toxins.

    Tea mushroom is widely known in the world. They call it Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Indian tea mushroom. The very name kombucha is of Japanese origin. Tea mushroom is actually a symbiosis of two types of organisms: a fungus (yeast) and a vinegar-fermenting bacterium. Yeasts create alcohol from sugar, and bacteria use that alcohol as a source of energy and turn it into acetic acid. In doing so, the yeasts convert sucrose into glucose and fructose and thus enable the bacteria to create gluconic acid, which protects the yeasts from competing microorganisms. The type of yeast that participates in this symbiosis depends on the geographical area where the tea mushroom is grown. Kombucha is the name given to the thick, slimy, brown coating of a pasty consistency that floats on the surface of the sweetened liquid, which after fermentation we use as a tea drink, but also as an acid that can be used as a spice instead of vinegar.

       The whole process takes place in a glass jar. It can be put in plain, sweetened water and then it tastes like plain vinegar. It got its name precisely because it is used in chilled tea drinks made from various medicinal herbs. It is kept in the liquid for several days, tightly closed, until the desired acidity is reached, which is measured with litmus paper. It is extremely important that the drink be mild, since it contains gluconic acid, which is normally produced by the human liver under normal metabolic conditions. This acid goes directly into the blood and has a protective role for the human body. An increase in the percentage of this acid in the blood leads to excessive acidification of the blood, which can disturb the balance of the body in many ways, and in severe cases can even cause death.
Moderate consumption of the drink produced by the tea mushroom provides protection against various types of pollution that enter our body through the respiratory organs and otherwise and can cause the appearance of cancerous diseases. The Russians proved that it especially helped the miners in the Urals in cleaning the organism and preventing premature death due to inhalation of coal dust. You can make kombucha yourself. After the fermentation and straining of the wine, a certain amount of water and a little sugar should be added to the chamber, and the vessel should then be left exposed to the air. After just 7 days, the wine yeasts from the pomace will combine with the vinegar bacteria from the air and you will get a brown, slimy covering that acts like a plug and covers the wine vinegar.
    Kombucha, or, as it is also called, Japanese mushroom, kombuku, mushroom for longevity, kargaok tea, cembuja orientalis, although the word mushroom is in its name, it is not only that.
        Namely, it is a mixture of different organisms, including lichen, yeast and some bacteria (bacterium džylinum, bacterium gluconicum, acetobacter ketogenum), as well as pichie fermentantsa. It is built in the form of a multi-layered membrane, grayish in color and is not edible. Kombucha tea has been used for centuries in Russia and Asia and is believed to promote longevity. This tea contains concentrated high-quality proteins that the body can immediately use. The fungus must be grown in a solution of black or green tea and sugar in water, with the addition of apple cider vinegar or a previous culture of the same tea, and, at the right temperature, it will multiply continuously (it needs a week to reproduce itself), producing glucuronic, lactic and acetic acids. our cartilages, mucoitin-sulphate acid, essential for our mucus and the vitreous body of the eye, as well as heparin, while lactic acid is extremely useful for the large intestine. Kombucha also produces several vitamins and enzymes that are beneficial to the human body. It also acts as a natural antibiotic. However, it is also interesting to note that people who drink two and a half deciliters of kombucha tea every day do not have wrinkles on their faces or other visible signs of aging, such as gray hair or age spots on their hands. It has also been established that this drink lowers blood pressure, stimulates the work of the glands, stimulates metabolism, i.e. helps burn fat, thus reducing body weight, lowers urea, sugar and cholesterol in the blood, helps with rheumatic and arthritic disorders (increases the mobility of joints and elasticity of the spine and lower back), irregularities in the work of the stomach, liver and kidneys, bone pain, arteriosclerosis, skin diseases. It also restores the intestinal flora, thus helping with constipation and speeding up circulation, and it also helps people under stress.
In addition, kombucha prevents certain types of cancer, increasing the body's immunity, and during menopause it reduces hot flashes. It also helps asthmatics and those suffering from bronchitis, as well as coughs, cleans the gallbladder, helps with colitis, stops infectious diarrhea, helps with insomnia, and is also claimed to restore hair growth.

PREPARATION OF KOMBUH TEA

• Kombucha culture - yeast fungus
• Approximately 70-100 grams of refined white sugar per liter of water
• 2 teaspoons of black or green tea per liter of water

CASE AND MATERIAL

• One 2-4 liter container for boiling water
• One 2-4 liter glass or porcelain container
• Eraser
• Linen or cotton towel, i.e. tissue paper
• Bottles where Kombucha will be poured

    It is best to start by preparing 2 liters of tea. When your Kombucha culture grows sufficiently and begins to multiply, you will be able to prepare larger quantities of the drink.

1. - Prepare the tea in the usual way. Add 2 teaspoons of black or green tea (approximately 5 grams) to a liter of freshly boiled water. You can use tea bags. Let the tea leaves or bags soak for 15 minutes. Green tea comes from the same plantations as black tea, and differs from it mainly in the way it is processed: it is not fermented. Japanese doctors have found that green tea prevents the growth of cancer. Green tea is recommended for the Kombucha drink. If you don't want to use either green or black tea, you can also use some other herbal tea.

2. - Strain the tea leaves through a strainer, that is, remove the tea bag from the water.

3. - Add approximately 70-100 grams of white sugar per liter of tea before it cools. Stir the tea so that the sugar is completely dissolved. One spoonful of sugar has approximately 20 grams.

4. - Cool the tea to a temperature of 20° - 25° degrees Celsius (to be lukewarm). The culture dies if it is placed in too hot tea.

5. - When the tea has cooled to room temperature, pour it into a glass, porcelain, glazed clay pot. A glass container is best. Metal containers other than stainless steel are not suitable and should never be used, as the acids created can react with the metal. You can also use a container made of high-quality synthetic material of the polyolefin group, e.g. polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene. Avoid using containers made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polystyrene.

6. - If you are making a Kombucha drink for the first time, add the liquid you received with the culture to the tea. For all subsequent preparations, always save enough Kombucha drink to add about 10% of the amount to your new product as 'starter liquid'.
7. - Put the live Kombucha culture into the liquid.

8. - Cover the opening of the fermentation vessel with a linen or cotton towel or handkerchief, paper towel or similar light fabric to protect the brew from fruit flies, dust, plant spores and other contaminants. Secure it with a rubber band to ensure that fruit flies cannot enter. The fabric must be porous enough to allow air to circulate, so the culture can breathe, but not so porous that tiny fruit flies can get in and lay their eggs.

9. - Fermentation should last 8-12 days, depending on the temperature. The higher the room temperature, the faster the fermentation. The period of 8-12 days is only indicative.
Kombucha culture needs a warm and quiet place and never move it. The temperature of the tea must not fall below 20° C or rise above 30° C. The ideal temperature is between 23° and 27° C. Light is not required for fermentation. Culture also thrives in the dark. The culture can be damaged by exposure to strong sunlight. Half hay is better.
    During the fermentation process, yeast breaks down sugar and turns it into gas (CO2) and various organic acids and other ingredients. The combination of these processes gives the Kombucha drink its characteristic taste.
The drink is initially sweet, but this sweetness is lost as the sugar breaks down. At the same time, a sour taste begins to develop as a result of bacterial activity, so there is a transition from sweetness to acidity. If you prefer a slightly sweet drink, fermentation should be stopped earlier. For a dry or slightly sour taste, let the fermentation last longer.

10. - When the tea reaches the desired correct degree of acidity (pH 2.7-3.2 depending on individual taste), remove the culture from the container with clean hands. Wash the culture with cold or lukewarm water. Pour the new tea into the container and immediately add the culture. Make sure the tea is at the right temperature.
Pour the drink into the jars, which should be filled to the top. Save approximately 10% for crafting a new culture. Close the jars well. It is not necessary to strain the fermented drink through a cloth. A certain amount of sediment is normal. This is due to the growth of yeast, which produces gas that carbonates the drink. Kvass is believed to have some positive effects on the human body.

11. - In order to achieve the ultimate satisfaction in this drink, it should be allowed to mature for several days (at least 5 days), after being bottled.
The activity of bacteria is stopped because bottling excludes access to air, while the kvass continues to work. If the jars are tightly closed, the gas created by the activity of the yeast cannot escape. In this way, a sparkling drink is obtained. For this purpose, those few days in the jar are usually enough; The kombucha drink stays good for months. Don't worry: at some point the yeast will stop producing gas. It is recommended to keep the jars in a cool place.

12. - The drink has a pleasant taste. It is sparkling, slightly acidic and refreshing. It is normal to drink three glasses a day; one glass (0.1 liter or more) on an empty stomach in the morning, another glass after lunch, and the last glass shortly before going to bed. Enjoy!

13. - When you start a new fermentation process, never forget to add at least 10% of the liquid of the already fermented drink to the new tea.

USING KOMBUHA

IMPORTANT WARNINGS

    Sometimes culture floats on the surface, sometimes it sinks to the bottom. Both are fine. When the culture sinks to the bottom, a new culture (young culture) begins to grow on the surface of the tea. Kombucha culture takes some time to reproduce. It begins to grow as a thin layer. The longer you let it grow in peace, the thicker the new culture will be.
    If you have any problem with the new young Kombucha growing, which can sometimes be expected when it is too cold, e.g. in winter, you can try the following: Since the growth of a new culture requires more time, separate it from the preparation of the drink you want to drink. Allow the new culture on the surface of the liquid to grow for 3 to 5 weeks.
    The kombucha culture grows and completely covers the surface of the tea. The culture during growth on the surface of the tea thickens considerably. A thickened culture is composed of easily separable layers. The layers can be easily separated from each other and each can be used as an independent culture for the production of Kombucha drink. If the culture sinks to the bottom of the container, a new culture will begin to form on top.
    In this way, each culture continues to reproduce itself until it turns dark brown. When it turns dark and dirty brown, throw it away and replace it with one of its offspring. Thus, this unique culture will ensure you, your family and your friends a permanent supply of Kombucha tea at a very low cost. In addition to its use as a refreshing drink, almost all reports can also read about its use as a medicine. Reports from ancient as well as modern times mention a large number of ailments for which Kombucha tea was used and praised. The palette ranges from the most harmless indisposition to the most serious illnesses.
    Many doctors and scientists have focused on the effects of the Kombucha drink as a home remedy. There are many scientific papers related to Kombucha. They talk about its therapeutic effectiveness, which is based on gluconic acid, glucuronic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, as well as vitally important vitamins C and group B. As proven, especially by Russian researchers, many of its components have antibiotic and detoxifying properties that play a crucial role in biochemical processes in the body.
    In contrast to many pharmaceutical products with unwanted side effects, the active substances of Kombucha they affect the entire body system. Thanks to its friendly metabolic properties, it can restore the normal state of cell membranes without harmful side effects and thus help the individual to improve the quality of his life. We can use this natural power to maintain our vitality, activity, as well as our mental and psychic abilities!
    Enjoy this miraculous drink that nature has given us!