Simple rules for storing kombucha while on vacation

The drink made from kombucha (kombucha) is one of the popular drinks in the summer. It is not at all difficult to prepare, and care is simple and does not take much time.

After the end of summer, you no longer want refreshing drinks, so you should try to preserve the mushroom until the next season. It is quite possible to do this using proven recommendations from experts.

We’ll tell you in this article how to preserve kombucha for the holidays if you don’t use it to make a drink for a long time.

Deadlines

Kombucha is a living organism that contains a combination of bacteria and yeast.. Kombucha used to produce the drink can be used for years with proper care. It develops and grows throughout its life and needs to be divided periodically.

The nutrient solution is drained every few days and a new one is added. This is an endless cycle that allows the medusomycete to exist. If the refreshing drink is not needed yet and you need to take a break, you need to organize proper storage.

Conditions

For the growth and development of the fungus, as well as in order to receive a regularly refreshing drink, it is important to provide it with suitable conditions for its existence. It is especially important to monitor the air temperature, lighting, and not block the access to fresh air.

Temperature

Kombucha requires warmth to live and develop. That's why the jar with kombucha and solution should be kept at room temperature around +23°C.

Reducing the indicator to +17°C and below slows down all processes. This can lead not only to the fact that the drink will take longer to prepare and will not be as tasty.

In addition, there will be a possibility of damage to both the solution and the mushroom. It is also not advisable to allow it to be at too high a temperature, which can also lead to spoilage of the kombucha.

Lighting

Good lighting plays a major role in the production of a drink from the symbiosis of bacteria and yeast. It is in warmth and under the influence of light that the medusomycete develops, its growth and production of substances that make the drink so tasty.

In what container can it be stored?

Kombucha should be kept warm and in the light. The best container for medusomycetes is a 3-liter glass jar. A mushroom is placed in it and 2 liters of nutrient solution is poured.

To ensure air access, do not use a lid. The jar must be covered with gauze, securing it to the neck of the vessel.

It is possible to use jars of non-standard shape, as long as they are clean and have a wide enough neck.

Long-term storage methods

In the case when a kombucha drink is not needed for several weeks or months, the kombucha should be stored according to all the rules.

The video will show you how to store kombucha when not in use:

In a refrigerator

The coolness and absence of light in the refrigerator promotes good storage medusomycete. The mushroom can remain in the refrigerator for up to a month without any effort.

To do this, the kombucha is taken out of the jar, washed and poured with a small amount of a weak, sweet solution. The top of the jar should not be covered with a lid; it is better to use several layers of gauze.

If the product must be stored for longer than 4 weeks, once a month it must be removed from the refrigerator, washed and replaced with a fresh nutrient solution. When the drink is needed again, the jar is moved to the light in its usual place. The first portion of the drink must be drained. Subsequent ones can already be applied.

Dried

Drying the mushroom makes it possible to preserve it until the next season.. The kombucha is taken out of the jar, washed and gently dried with a cotton cloth.

After this, the body of the mushroom is laid out on a flat, dry surface (for example, on a plate) at room conditions. It is better to place the plate itself inside an empty pan, and cover everything on top with gauze.

The mushroom should be turned over periodically to ensure even drying. The completely dry product turns into a thin round plate, which should be stored in a dry place in a polyethylene package. The workpiece can be kept in this form even for several years.

When summer comes again and you need a drink again, it is necessary to prepare a nutrient solution and place the medusomycete in it. After a while he should move away and start working. The first portion is not suitable for food, but starting from the second, it can be used in the usual way.

In solution

It’s just that in a nutritious liquid medium, kombucha in heat and light cannot be stored for longer than 1.5 weeks.Since kombucha is a living organism, it constantly undergoes fermentation processes with the release of acid into the water.

The longer the mushroom is in solution, the more concentrated the liquid becomes. At a very high concentration of acids, such a medium becomes more and more like vinegar, and is no longer suitable for the life of the medusomycete. If this circumstance is ignored, the mushroom may die.

What to do after?

After long-term storage, the mushroom, in most cases, can completely recover and begin to produce substances that give the drink in the jar a pleasant taste.

In all cases, after a long period of rest, The first drink needs to be drained, and the subsequent ones can already be used for food. In the event that the mushroom has not recovered after long-term storage without use, it will have to be replaced with a new one.

Video on the topic of the article

One of the ways to store kombucha for a long time - freezing - is discussed in the video:

Conclusion

If you need a break in the production of a kombucha drink, it is possible to preserve kombucha using one of the following methods.

The least traumatic way for kombucha is to keep it in the refrigerator. with regular infrequent replacement of nutrient fluid. If done correctly, kombucha can live in a family for years.