This is for
@NYC Gardener and everyone else who is interested. (Soviet way of growing tea fungus' scoby at home). + A bonus.
Unfortunately, it appeared to be, that even this "rose shrub fungus" i was talking about is not tea-free. But i have to say, that the fungus devours tea substance while growing, so nothing of tea is left after the fungus digests it, so it shouldn't be poisonous for people with tea intolerance (but i remind that it's still basidiomycetae, so it can cause other nasty reactions in people who are exposed to that). If you're ok with eating mushrooms - it has to be fine to drink "tea fungus". The only inconvenience is the necessity to take its poop away (yes, it poops).
When i say "rose shrub berries" i mean these ones:
View attachment 21220
The video itself. Something is shown here, but not very distinctively, so i made a translation (below).
My pathetic translation of the video:
<<"Tea fungus" can also be grown out of rose shrub berries. If your goal is not only beating thirst, but getting health benefits,- it'll be better to prefer rose berry fungus over ordinary tea fungus. This kind of fungus beverage is a real treasure in winter, in the season of flu and hypovitaminosis. The basics of growing rose fungus is quite similar to the basics of an ordinary tea fungus, but there are some details that need to be discussed.
To begin with, we'll need to prepare rose tincture (you can use either fresh berries, or dried ones which can be bought in any pharmacy shop). Put 4 tbsp of berries into a vacuum flask (thermos) and pour 0.5 liters of hot boiling water (100°C). Screw the lid of the flask, and let your tincture "rest" (steep) for 5 full days (120 hours). After the tincture is ready, you can go directly to the step 2 (growing the scoby)... Take a 3-liter glass jar, wash it thoroughly, pour the ready tincture into this jar, plus a pre-made tea infusion. (Proportion for the tea infusion: 1 tbsp of leafy black tea for a glass of hot boiling water). Add 5 tbsp of sugar into the jar (with rose tincture and tea infusion) and stir it up thoroughly. Leave it all to "rest" (steep) for 24 hours. Then sieve it with a few-layer gauze, wash the [initial 3-liter] jar, and pour the tincture back into it. Cover the jar with a few-layer new and dry gauze cloth, having fixed it with an elastic band around the jar's neck. Put the jar into a dark place... In about 2 weeks a strong vinegar odour will appear. This stinky odour will disappear soon, and the scoby itself will get formed in about 1.5 - 2 months.>> (end of the video).
P.S. We had a long experience in growing "tea mushrooms" and i have to point at some rules. Keep in mind that the fungus is alive and needs to be fed and cleaned. Never pour hot water onto the fungus,- he will die (the water has to be of room temperature). Time after time add a few tbsp of sugar - he loves sugar, and the taste of the beverage will be better. And, of course, time after time, you'll need to make a thick tea infusion and add it to the jar. (After you add the tea, you'll have to wait ~a day until the fungus digests the tea and it becomes safe to drink). The jar needs to be washed, like every few days, because the fungus' poop can cause erosive processes in its body. You'll be able to use it (drink the beverage) when a solid layer of the fungus' body gets formed. Then it will grow bigger and thicker. You need to remove old dark and corrupt layers without damaging the younger ones. Wash it under the tap water, and remove its poop that is stuck between the layers. Don't cut it with scissors or a knife. As soon as it's alive and it has a collective mind,- the way it's treated by his human, influences his behaviour (a.k.a. life span, taste and health benefits). He appreciates talking to him and praising him (that's the truth),- we know it, because that's the way it has been done by multiple generations of russians (and not only, i guess).
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This is a video in English about making hibiscus kombucha (i hope it will be helpful too). It's explained in a very weird way, and it's definitely not our (soviet) way of making kombucha, but if it works and if it's beneficial - then why not. ...I wouldn't boil the sugar though...
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317 years since its foundation. No parades or fireworks are scheduled, for obvious reasons. The city mayor, Alexander Beglov, said that "the percentage of contaminated is still too high every day, so it's too early to speak about taking away the restrictions". The annual parade will be online, though it's barely can be called a parade, i guess.
This fragment is called "Flowers and orchestras".
And that's a huge relief that your husband is ok! (((more hugs)))
