Content
- 1 What to do with chaga mushroom after collection
- 2 How to grind chaga at home
- 3 How to brew birch chaga mushroom
- 4 How long to infuse chaga
- 5 How many times can you brew chaga?
- 6 Chaga mushroom recipes
- 7 How to drink chaga correctly
- 8 Is it possible to drink chaga every day?
- 9 How long can you drink chaga?
- 10 Conclusion
It is necessary to brew chaga correctly in order to get the maximum benefit from its use. The birch polypore fungus has numerous medicinal properties and significantly improves well-being when used correctly.
What to do with chaga mushroom after collection
The chaga mushroom, or tinder fungus, grows on many deciduous trees. However, in folk medicine only birch chaga is used; it is the one that has the most useful composition and valuable medicinal properties.
Chaga mushroom is usually harvested in early spring, in March, or in autumn in October. During these periods it contains the greatest amount of useful substances.The tinder fungus is removed from the birch trunk using an ax, cutting off the middle part of the growth.
Freshly harvested chaga must be processed immediately, since the mushroom quickly becomes hard and is difficult to influence in the future. As a rule, chaga mushroom is dried after collection - first cut into cubes or strips using a sharp knife, and then laid out in the air.
You can also use an oven or electric dryer - the temperature should not exceed 40 °C.
The processed raw materials are placed in dry jars and stored for long-term storage.
Chaga collected from birch trees is beneficial both in treatment and prevention
How to grind chaga at home
Birch chaga does not need to be brewed immediately after collection - it retains its medicinal properties for 2 years. However, sooner or later it becomes necessary to brew a decoction or tincture based on the mushroom, and for this the raw material must first be crushed:
- Even pre-cut mushrooms become very tough over time. It is recommended to grind chaga into powder after preliminary soaking; this allows you to spend much less effort.
- A small amount of dried tinder fungus is washed in cool water, and then poured with warm, clean water so that it completely covers the dry raw material. The mushroom is left in the water for 6-8 hours, during which time it should be thoroughly soaked.
- After the specified time, the birch tinder fungus is removed from the water and lightly squeezed by hand - its structure becomes quite soft. The soaked mushroom is passed through a meat grinder, loaded into a blender or simply grated by hand, and then used to prepare a chaga infusion.
How to brew birch chaga mushroom
There are several basic ways to brew chaga mushroom to its advantage. The difference lies not only in the duration, but also in the medicinal value of the finished decoction - for some teas it is higher, for others it is lower.
How to brew birch chaga for prevention
It is recommended to brew chaga tea not only for existing diseases. Infusions and decoctions of birch polypore are taken for preventive purposes for general strengthening of the body.
A video on how to prepare chaga at home offers a simple and quick way to create a drink for such cases. The recipe looks like this:
- about 200 g of dried tinder fungus is soaked and crushed according to the standard algorithm;
- the resulting raw material is poured into 1 liter of boiling water and simmered over low heat for 20 minutes;
- After the time has passed, the chaga decoction is removed from the stove, the drink is allowed to cool slightly and it is filtered to remove any remaining raw materials.
It takes little time to prepare tea, the finished drink has a pleasant taste and is beneficial for weakened immunity, inflammation and digestive disorders. However, the healing properties of such tea are reduced. If you brew tinder fungus in a quick way, then some of the beneficial substances are simply destroyed.
Therefore, it is recommended to brew quick chaga tea only for preventive purposes. The drink raises the tone of the body, strengthens the defenses, prevents the development of bacterial diseases, but cannot give a serious effect in case of existing diseases.
In prophylactic remedies, weak and quick chaga tea is prepared
How to brew chaga correctly for treatment
If you plan to brew chaga tea not for preventive purposes, but to treat a serious illness, then you need to use a different recipe. In this case, brewing tinder fungus takes longer, but the medicinal value of the finished infusion is much higher.
Recipe:
- The dried raw materials are placed in a glass or ceramic container and filled with water in a ratio of 1 to 5. The water should be warm, about 50 °C, and it should cover the raw materials entirely.
- The birch polypore is left to soak in water for 6-8 hours, then removed and crushed using a grater, meat grinder or blender.
- After grinding the raw materials, the water remaining after soaking is again slightly heated to 50 ° C and the crushed mushroom is again immersed in it for 5 hours.
You can also brew birch chaga in a thermos, in which case the water will cool more slowly, and the medicinal value of the infusion will be higher.
After prolonged infusion, the raw material can be used for medicinal purposes; it must first be filtered. If you brew a drink from birch mushroom according to a “slow” recipe, it will benefit a wide range of diseases and retain the maximum of valuable substances.
How long to infuse chaga
There are 2 methods of preparing chaga - cold and hot. When boiling the mushroom over a fire, the cooking process takes only about 20 minutes, but in this case the chaga loses a significant part of its beneficial properties.
Correctly infusing chaga in water during “cold” brewing requires using a liquid with a temperature of no more than 50-60 °C.In order for the product to fully impart its valuable properties, it needs to be brewed for at least 2 hours, and preferably from 5 to 8 hours, so that the infusion becomes highly concentrated.
How many times can you brew chaga?
Unlike regular tea, chaga raw materials are suitable for repeated use. Herbalists agree that you can prepare a drink from chaga using the same raw materials up to 5 times in a row. Each time the chaga infusion will have the same value.
Chaga is convenient because it is suitable for repeated brewing.
However, after 5 uses, it is better to dispose of the used chaga and brew new raw materials. Otherwise, the fresh infusion will no longer bring much benefit.
Chaga mushroom recipes
A traditional simple infusion based on birch polypore has a beneficial effect on most diseases. But it can be used not only in its pure form; the tinder fungus is often combined with other medicinal ingredients, which only increases the value of the birch mushroom.
Chaga with medicinal herbs
For inflammatory processes, digestive disorders and nervous disorders, it is useful to brew chaga mushroom in combination with medicinal herbs. You can prepare medicine from chaga with the addition of herbal tea according to your own taste. Chamomile and plantain, oak bark and rose hips, yarrow and wormwood are brewed together with tinder fungus. The recipe looks like this:
- the ingredients for preparing a healthy drink are taken in equal proportions and mixed together;
- measure out 2 large spoons of herbal mixture mixed with chopped chaga mushroom and pour the raw material into a thermos;
- pour boiling water over the tinder fungus and herbs in a ratio of 1 to 5, and then close the thermos with a lid.
You need to infuse the product for about 8 hours. The finished drink is filtered and taken in a volume of 1 glass three times a day, preferably on an empty stomach. If you wish, you can brew chaga tea with honey, this will make the drink even healthier.
Chaga with honey and propolis
Among the recipes and methods for preparing chaga, an infusion of birch mushroom for inflammation and colds is popular:
- 20 g of crushed birch mushroom is poured into a glass of warm water at about 50 ° C;
- add 2 small spoons of natural honey and 1 ball of propolis to the composition;
- insist for 30-40 minutes.
Drink the product in the amount of one glass on an empty stomach; beekeeping products and chaga effectively help fight inflammatory and bacterial processes. The infusion can also be brewed to cleanse the body when losing weight; in this case, you should drink it with honey and propolis in the morning on an empty stomach.
Chaga tea with honey has pronounced cleansing and antibacterial properties
Chaga with burdock root
For adenoma in men and other diseases of the reproductive system, an infusion of chaga with burdock root is beneficial. You can prepare chaga for treatment like this:
- 1 large spoon of dried burdock root is poured with 2 glasses of water and boiled for 3 minutes;
- the broth is infused for another 4 hours;
- After the expiration date, 50 ml of classic chaga infusion is added to the burdock-based product.
To brew and drink a healing remedy for the treatment of adenoma and other ailments, you only need 2 large spoons three times a day. The infusion should be taken on an empty stomach, and the course of treatment is continued for 3 weeks.
How to drink chaga correctly
It is customary to distinguish not only different ways of brewing birch tinder fungus, but also methods of using it.The frequency and duration of use depend on whether the drug is taken for preventive purposes or for targeted treatment.
How to take chaga for prevention
Chaga drink brings great benefits if you brew it prophylactically, even before serious illnesses appear. It is recommended to take it for gastritis and reduced immunity, to prevent ulcers in the stomach and to protect against cancer, with a tendency to constant colds.
They usually drink weakly brewed birch chaga three times a day - no more than 1 glass per dose. Drinking chaga before or after meals is not particularly important. The main thing is that eating food is separated from taking the medicine by 1.5 hours.
In total, the preventive course should take a month. Then they take a break from use for the same period, and then, if necessary, take the course again.
How to take chaga decoction for treatment
Methods for using chaga decoction for existing diseases differ little from using chaga for prevention. The main difference is in the concentration of the medicinal product - for treatment it is customary to brew a stronger and richer drink from birch tinder fungus.
The remedy is usually taken three times a day - 1 glass at a time, preferably on an empty stomach, about an hour before eating.
Simultaneously with the internal use of chaga decoction, you can use the product externally. Depending on the disease, compresses, rubbing, rinsing and inhalation with chaga medicine are used. Whenever used, birch tinder fungus is beneficial.
The general course of treatment depends on the specific ailment.But on average, chaga mushroom is taken for the treatment of existing diseases for about 5 months, after which you need to take a break for at least a week.
For medicinal purposes, chaga tea is often consumed in combination with other medicinal products. For example, you can mix a decoction of birch tinder fungus with natural honey and medicinal herbs; additional ingredients increase the benefits of the infusion.
You can be treated with chaga for several months in a row without side effects due to its cleansing and antibacterial properties.
Is it possible to drink chaga every day?
Tea based on birch tinder fungus, prepared in a weak concentration, is suitable for daily use and brings considerable benefits. It can replace regular tea; a drink made from tree fungus will have a pronounced beneficial effect on the body and increase the defenses.
How long can you drink chaga?
Typically, chaga drinks are consumed for medicinal purposes in long courses. Their duration is 5-7 months, sometimes longer depending on the disease.
Between individual courses you need to take a break of 2 weeks. With long-term continuous use, chaga tea can negatively affect the functioning of the nervous system.
Conclusion
It is necessary to brew chaga correctly in order for the drink to bring maximum benefits in the treatment of ailments.Both for therapeutic purposes and for prevention, chaga is used very widely in home medicine - preparing the decoction looks simple, and the effect of chaga on health is very positive.
