Chaga is a tree mushroom that is used as a folk remedy and also for preventive purposes. It is precisely due to the high content of beneficial microelements that this product is in particular demand . Polypore can be used not only for personal purposes, but also to develop a successful business based on it. However, in order for the medicinal mushroom to have the desired effect and bring the expected profit, it is necessary to ensure optimal storage conditions for this product.
How to store chaga at home
Before storing mushrooms, you must do the following:
- Cut the product into small pieces (3-6 cm each) or chop it completely.
- Dry . Since chaga is susceptible to mold, it should never be dried in damp or poorly ventilated areas. You should also protect the workpieces from direct sunlight. The room should have good ventilation and sufficiently dry air.
- Prepare the container . Plastic and iron spoil the quality of medicinal mushrooms, so containers made of such material are not suitable. It is best to use glass containers that have a mesh lid. Storage in linen or paper bags or cardboard boxes is also allowed. However, in the latter case, the product will be especially susceptible to temperature changes and moisture. The container must be clean and dry
- When the drying process is completed, you need to check the raw materials to ensure they are ready for long-term storage. The main sign is hardness : if the mushroom has hardened enough, it can be placed in a previously prepared container.
Raw materials are kept in a dark and dry place that is well ventilated. In this case, the following conditions must be met:
- The optimal temperature should be 12-15 degrees (high temperatures negatively affect the quality of the product - the mushroom loses nutrients).
- Humidity level is approximately 14% or lower .
Since it is difficult to control the level of air humidity at home, it is recommended to check the workpieces manually - it is important that they are dry to the touch.
Time to gather on the birches
This detailed question worries many who have decided to try collecting chaga. For some, this activity is a profitable business, but for others, it is another chance given by nature, perhaps the last, to support the body in the fight against illness. The most optimal months when the mushroom has a full range of beneficial medicinal substances are April, September, October and November. You can collect chaga all year round, but it is absolutely clear that these actions will be a waste of effort, money and time.
To follow the technology for collecting mushrooms, an ax is used. You can also use a sharp knife, which is extremely impractical, since it will make it difficult and prolong the time it takes to separate the chaga from the tree trunk in the place where it is located.
Chaga grows on alder, willow, rowan, but most often on birch trees. Chaga, which has unique medicinal properties, can only be collected from birch trunks. The most optimal place to collect the mushroom is not where lonely birch trees grow, but in a birch grove. Chaga, located on a separate tree, contains significantly less biologically active substances, for which it is so highly valued.
Chaga is not collected from fallen trees, since the mushroom on them will not have the necessary healing properties. If it has old, crumbling growths, it is absolutely unsuitable for medicinal use. It cannot be collected or stored in this condition. It is correct to cut chaga vertically, separating the mushroom from the tree as close to its trunk as possible. This operation can be performed parallel to the direction of its growth.
Tips and recommendations for storage and use
Here are some useful tips on how to properly store birch mushroom:
- Before drying, it is necessary to remove dust and birch bark from the product.
- The product should not be prepared in large quantities, as over time it loses its healing properties.
- It is important to remember that unsuitable utensil material reduces the shelf life of the mushroom.
- It is not recommended to procure raw materials purchased in stores or from hand, since it is not known in which places they were collected.
- It is not necessary to chop or cut the mushroom into pieces - you can store it whole , but this will require much more time.
- You can divide the raw materials into parts by any means - with a knife, an ax, passing through a meat grinder, etc.
- When preparing for storage, do not throw away the black peel , since this part can be used for medicinal purposes.
- Do not dry raw materials in the oven.
- Many people are interested in the question of whether it is possible to pour boiling water over a mushroom; Chaga can be brewed at 100 degrees - even under such conditions, the beneficial qualities of the product will be preserved (the mushroom must be infused for 20 minutes - you will get a real medicinal infusion).
- The tinder fungus can be infused not only in boiling water, but also in vodka (the powder obtained from the dried mushroom is placed in vodka and kept for 2-3 weeks).
- Containers for workpieces should not be airtight - constant air circulation is required.
- Dried product should not be stored in the refrigerator . It is necessary that the containers with chaga are located in a dark, dry place and not exposed to direct sunlight and moisture. If chaga gets damp, it will quickly become moldy.
- The raw materials must be dried immediately after collection, and cut or crushed immediately after drying, before the product hardens too much.
More information about storing chaga
This product is best dried naturally and should not be exposed to direct sunlight. The process takes two weeks. In addition, you can dry the raw materials in the oven, but the temperature should not exceed 50 degrees. The product needs air, so chaga should not be placed in sealed packaging. It is not recommended to use electric dryers. The bottom line is that this method destroys the beneficial properties of the product.
Attention! Raw mushrooms quickly deteriorate and become moldy!
You can prepare chaga yourself; the shelf life is two years. The water infusion should be stored for 3-4 days. The tincture should be used before meals, 200 ml 3-4 times a day. Between courses there is a break of 1 to 2 weeks, the duration of treatment for therapeutic purposes is from 14 to 21 days.
In addition, you can brew healing tea. In this case, one part of chaga is required for five parts of boiling water. It should be borne in mind that when tea is brewed again, the medicinal properties are lost. The drink itself must be used within 12 hours, but it is best immediately. Ready-made chaga drinks cannot be stored for a long time, as this leads to the proliferation of harmful microorganisms.
The answer to the question of how long dried chaga can be stored depends on many factors, including the characteristics of the room, the preparation of the raw materials, and the containers used. The finished raw material hardens and crumbles easily.
Chaga contraindications
Despite its many beneficial properties, improper use of chaga can cause harm to the body. As a rule, this is manifested by allergic reactions with rashes, redness and irritation of the skin.
You cannot use birch mushroom:
- for colitis;
- for dysentery;
- if you are allergic to chaga components;
- along with antibiotics;
- with intravenous glucose;
- during pregnancy and lactation;
- for neurological diseases.
When preparing infusions and decoctions from chaga, dosages, technology and rules of administration must not be violated.
Before starting treatment with chaga preparations, you should consult your doctor.
Chaga infusions and tea can be given to children after consultation with a pediatrician no earlier than 3 years of age in reduced quantities so as not to provoke an allergic reaction.
Application of chaga
In herbal medicine, chaga is used as a general tonic and anti-inflammatory agent for gastrointestinal diseases, as a symptomatic remedy for tumors of various locations. When treating with chaga, patients are advised to give up junk food.
Women
Birch mushroom is a very useful remedy for the female body. In folk medicine, chaga is used to treat endometriosis, fibroids and uterine erosions. According to one version, infusions from the mushroom can relieve infertility. Chaga infusion is taken in the same way as for gastrointestinal diseases; tampons soaked in it are also inserted into the vagina at night.
For men
It has been proven that the substances and trace elements contained in chaga have a positive effect on potency and prolong men's health. The mushroom regulates hormone levels, increases libido and increases endurance during physical activity.
Tea
Chop fresh or dried and pre-soaked mushroom with a knife and pour into a teapot or cup. Pour the mushroom powder with boiled water no higher than 60 °C in a ratio of 1:5 and brew for 2 hours with the lid closed, then strain. Store the tea for no more than a day and drink it half an hour before meals.
show more
For gastritis and ulcers
Chaga relieves pain and heaviness in the stomach and intestines, normalizing their functions and increasing overall tone. The positive effect of chaga on patients with gastrointestinal diseases is confirmed by x-rays.
Universal infusion
Rinse the mushroom thoroughly and soak in boiled water. After 5 hours, remove and grind, and leave the water for infusion. Pour some of the crushed mushroom into the infusion in a ratio of 1:5, heated to 50 °C and leave for another 2 days. Then drain the liquid and squeeze out the sediment. Add boiled water to the resulting infusion to the initial amount.
The infusion can be stored for several days. For stomach and duodenal ulcers, take the infusion 1 tbsp. spoon three times a day half an hour before meals.
In dentistry
Chaga preparations are also used to treat diseases of the oral cavity, placed in gum pockets or taken orally. The use of chaga is combined with rinsing problem areas. For gingivitis and periodontal disease, cotton swabs are moistened in a warm decoction of birch mushroom and applied to the gums for 10 minutes.
Infusion
1 tbsp. Pour a spoonful of crushed chaga into 2 cups of warm boiled water and let it brew for 2 hours.
show more
Decoction
1 tbsp. Pour a spoonful of crushed chaga into 5 cups of boiling water and simmer over low heat or in a steam bath for about 7 minutes.
For skin diseases
Chaga gives results in the treatment of psoriasis, eczema and other skin diseases; it is especially effective if skin pathologies are combined with inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and biliary system. Chaga preparations are also used to combat herpes, papillomas, condylomas, chlamydia and mycoplasmas.
Therapeutic bath
Pour 1 cup of powdered chaga into 1.5 liters of warm boiled water, cover and leave for 2 hours. Pour the infusion into a bath of water. You need to swim in such a bath for no more than 20 minutes. At the same time, you need to take chaga infusions orally.
In cosmetology
Chaga is also used in cosmetics to maintain the beauty of hair and skin. When applied externally, ointments, creams and infusions of birch mushroom provide a rejuvenating effect - facial skin is tightened and small wrinkles are smoothed out.
Mask for dry skin
Mix 1 teaspoon of olive oil with 2 tbsp. spoons of chaga, add a third of a glass of water, one yolk, pour boiling water and leave for an hour.
Mask for oily skin
Mix 1 teaspoon of rye flour with 1 teaspoon of honey, yolk, and 1 teaspoon of Befungin. Apply the mixture to your face for 15 minutes.
