When is the best time to collect chaga? Proper storage and processing of chaga before use. How to collect and store chaga

Those who have never seen a chaga mushroom may mistake it for a strange, painful growth on a tree, when in fact it is a treasure trove useful substances. Since ancient times, the mushroom has been used in folk healing to treat the most various diseases, but you need to know when to collect chaga so that it brings maximum benefits.

The peculiarity of the fruit is that it grows in natural conditions all year round, even in winter, unlike most other representatives of its family.

Where does chaga mushroom grow?

The mushroom looks like a dark brown or even black growth. The inside of the fruit body is light brown. Chaga can grow for a long time - up to 10 years. All this time, the body feeds on the sap of the tree, gradually destroying its trunk in the area of ​​its settlement. When a tree dies, the mushroom gradually ceases to exist along with it.

The habitat of chaga in our area is quite wide. The fungus is found in almost all natural areas inhabited by trees. It is most common in the Urals, Siberia, Far East, in the Caucasus.

It is thanks to the amazing symbiosis of two completely different plants that chaga has unique medicinal properties. The fruit is used in medicine and cosmetology. Traditional healers they cure even the most complex diseases. The plant is widely used in pharmacology - medicines are made from it.

What time of year is best to collect chaga?

The mushroom grows on a tree trunk for many years. But when asked when is the best time to collect chaga, experts answer that in the spring. It is during this period of the year that the maximum concentration of nutrients accumulates in the fruiting body.

If suddenly it was not possible to collect chaga in the spring, you can collect it in the fall, after the leaves fall. At this time, the circulation of sap inside the tree trunk slows down and the mushroom also tries to accumulate the maximum nutrients.

In winter, it is extremely difficult to wander through forest snowdrifts in search of medicinal plant. And in the summer chaga is sometimes not visible due to thick green foliage.

There are some collection rules medicinal mushroom, which should be known to everyone who is planning to go in search of him:

• The mushroom is very hard and difficult to separate from the trunk. You must have a sharp knife or hatchet with you, as well as gloves.
• IN medicinal purposes Chaga is collected only from birch trees. The fruit growing on other trees does not have the necessary properties.
• You should look for growths that are higher from the ground. Those that grow at the very foot of the trunk are not suitable.
• You cannot collect mushrooms from drying out or already destroyed trees. If the tree is dead, then the mushroom itself is dead. Although he is still for a long time may remain on the trunk.
• If, when cutting, you find that the growth inside is black, it means it is too old and will no longer be able to provide the desired effect. therapeutic effect. The same applies to highly crumbling chaga.

How to cut a mushroom

To prevent the mushroom from falling apart, it is cut parallel to the trunk. It is not necessary to separate the chaga directly from the tree bark. Although it is in this place that the fruit is softest and easier to cut.

The edges of the mushroom are of greatest value, and the part adjacent to the trunk contains the lowest concentration of medicinal substances.

If you have cut all the mushroom from the tree, cover the remaining area with soil. This will allow the bark to grow back faster.

Post-processing of chaga

Not all parts of the mushroom are equally beneficial. The loose light part that was adjacent to the bark is of least benefit. It needs to be cut off and thrown away.

Using a brush, chaga is cleaned of dust, husks, and other natural debris.

Further processing:

• The mushroom is chopped into small pieces(about 5-6 cm).
• The chopped pieces are laid out on a flat surface, covered with gauze and taken out to dry in the open air. You cannot leave the chaga in the sun; you need to find a shady but well-ventilated place.
• You can speed up the sushi process by using an oven. The chaga is laid out on a baking sheet and placed in the oven, preheated to 40 degrees for 7-8 hours.
• Well-dried mushroom is stored in a dry, dark place, in breathable packaging (paper bags, cloth bags, jars with mesh lids).

Chaga can be stored in this way for up to 2 years without losing its healing properties.

This was basic information about when to harvest chaga and how to dry it properly. The mushroom is used to prepare tinctures, decoctions, extracts, oils, and teas. Recipes traditional medicine using chaga a lot. But when serious illness It is better not to self-medicate, but to seek help from specialists.

There are certain rules like collect, dry and store chaga.

It is believed that birch mushroom can be harvested all year round, regardless of the season. At first glance, this is true, because chaga is a perennial mushroom, long-growing and well protected from all kinds of external weather influences. But popular experience suggests that it is best to collect spring and autumn mushrooms, since they accumulate in them during spring sap flow and autumn preparation for harsh winter days greatest number useful substances.

There are other features regarding the collection of chaga. So, for example, you cannot collect birch mushroom from dry trees, the fact is that as soon as the tree dies, the chaga on it begins to die off, giving way to another form of this mushroom - the fruit one. Also, you should not collect chaga near the ground - here, as a rule, old, decaying growths are found. It is easy to distinguish such growths unsuitable as medicine - they are looser, crumbling and black throughout their entire thickness. There are other subtleties that need to be taken into account when collecting chaga.

Rules for collecting chaga

• Chaga can be collected all year round, but it is best to do it in the spring, in April, or in the fall, from September to November.
• When going into the forest for chaga, you need to stock up on an ax or, in as a last resort, - with a large and sharp knife, since it is very, very difficult to separate the growths from the trunk.
• You should collect chaga that grows only on birch trees, and it is believed that the chaga mushrooms that live on the trees of a birch grove have a large amount of useful substances, and less useful substances in the birch mushroom growing on a separate tree.
• You cannot collect chaga from dry, fallen or overly old trees.
• You cannot take growths that are located near the ground. The higher the birch growth is, the better.
• Old, crumbling growths and growths that are completely black inside are not suitable as a medicine.
• It is most convenient to cut chaga vertically, near the trunk itself, parallel to it.

Processing of collected chaga

After the chaga growths are separated from the trunk, they should be processed in a certain way. The fact is that not all parts of the birch mushroom are equally suitable as medicine. And if in one part of the mushroom there are a lot of useful substances, then in others there are practically none at all. How can this be determined? It turns out that the light and loose part of the mushroom adjacent to the trunk is of least benefit. This is what you should get rid of, as well as all kinds of chips and pieces of birch bark right on the spot, in the forest.

You only need to leave the hard parts of the mushroom - the outer and middle ones. It is best to chop the collected raw materials into small pieces right next to the tree.

Next, fresh chaga should be dried, but there are also certain subtleties here. The fact is that fresh mushroom Chaga is easily susceptible to mold, so it should not be dried in an area that is too damp, cold, or poorly ventilated. But under no circumstances should chaga be sent into a hot oven for quick drying, otherwise most of it will be lost biologically. active substances. Therefore, you need to find a middle ground - choose a dry, warm and well-ventilated place. In this case, fresh chaga must be cut into pieces no larger than 3-6 cm and dried until the pieces become hard and crumbly. Well-dried birch mushroom should be placed in glass jars with tight-fitting lids; it can also be packed in airtight paper or linen bags. Properly collected, prepared and stored mushroom retains all its medicinal properties for 2 years.

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Chaga tea recipes

Birch mushroom teas can be brewed in several ways. To do this, freshly cut mushrooms are crushed; dry mushrooms need to be soaked in water for some time. You can infuse the mushroom by closing the container with a lid, or you can steam it in a thermos.

Chaga goes well with other medicinal herbs. For example, with yarrow, licorice root or pine buds. As a rule, chaga tea is taken half an hour before meals, unless otherwise indicated.

Tea for weight loss

20 g of crushed birch mushroom should be poured into a glass of boiled water at a temperature of 50 degrees. Add a small ball of propolis and 2 teaspoons of honey. Take in the morning before meals. At the same time, stick to a plant-based diet.

Tea for gastritis

Pour a spoonful of chaga warm water. Leave for 6 hours. Take half an hour before meals, three times a day.

Tea for adenoma

Take a tablespoon of ground for 2 glasses of water. Cook for 3 minutes. Let it brew for 3 hours. Strain. Combine the decoction with 50 ml of chaga infusion. Drink for 21 days, a tablespoon 30 minutes before meals.

Recipes for chaga infusions and decoctions

For preparing infusions and decoctions it is important the right dishes. Under no circumstances should it be aluminum. In general, in order to preserve as many useful substances as possible in the mushroom, metal utensils should be avoided. Birch mushroom does not interact very well with wood either. The ideal option for preparing infusions would be glass and ceramic containers, or, in extreme cases, enamel dishes.

Most often, chaga is poured with water whose temperature does not exceed 50 degrees. This allows you to save most of the nutrients. For the same reason, the mushroom is not boiled, but simmered in a water bath.

Universal infusion

This remedy can be used to prevent stomach diseases, increase efficiency and gain strength. It can also be mixed with other herbal decoctions.

Wash a piece of mushroom well, pour filtered or boiled cool water and leave to soak for about 7 hours. After this time, remove the mushroom from the water, squeeze it into the same container (do not pour out the water) and grate it. Separately heat the water in which the mushroom was to a temperature of about 40-50 degrees. You need to pour the crushed chaga with water, for one part of the mushroom - 5 parts of water. Leave for two days in a cool place. Strain, cover tightly and keep in the refrigerator.

Drink a glass 30 minutes before meals three times a day. The glass is not drunk at once, but in several stages.

This infusion will retain its medicinal properties for four days. You can't drink it after.

General strengthening infusion

This remedy used to support immunity.

Take 250 g of chaga, 0.5 liters of honey, 200 g of leaves kept in the refrigerator for a week, 2 tablespoons of fresh chaga.

Grind the aloe leaves, squeeze the juice through cheesecloth and mix it with honey. Pour a liter of boiled water over the viburnum berries and simmer for half an hour in a water bath. Leave to cool. Grind the chaga, pour a liter of boiling water and also put on water bath for 30 minutes. Mix the cooled decoctions with aloe and honey, cover with a lid and leave to infuse for a week. The temperature should be 20-23 degrees. When foam appears on the infusion, stir. On the eighth day, the infusion must be strained.

Take three times a day, one spoon before meals.

Infusion to strengthen gums

Take a teaspoon of dried and ground chaga. Pour two cups of boiling water. Leave covered for 4 hours, strain. The resulting decoction is used to rinse the gums after brushing your teeth. The course of treatment is a week.

Infusion for gastritis

Take a tablespoon of chopped dried mushroom, pour a glass of hot (50 degrees) water. Leave for 6 hours. Strain. Divide the infusion into three parts and drink 30 minutes before meals, 3 times a day for 6 months.

Chaga tincture recipes

It is best to infuse birch mushroom with vodka. Moreover, the drink should be very good quality. Alcohol is not suitable for these purposes because it does not soften the raw material well enough. But if there is no good vodka, then the alcohol is diluted clean water to the concentration of vodka.

Tincture for cancer

This tincture is used in folk medicine to treat cancer.

Pour 125 grams of chaga powder with a liter of good vodka. Infuse in a cool and dark place for 14 days. Drink a dessert spoon three times a day before meals.

Tincture for fungal skin diseases

Place 150 grams of chaga in a dark bowl, pour 2 glasses of vodka. Keep in a dark place for two weeks, shaking occasionally.

Contraindications and precautions

Birch chaga mushroom, according to the instructions, should never be taken for dysentery and colitis. Chaga treatment is prohibited for pregnant and nursing mothers.

Children under the age of 18 should consult a doctor before taking the mushroom.

People suffering from allergies should first drink a small dose of tea or tincture and monitor the reaction.

To protect your body from side effects and not to cause damage to health instead of treatment, you need to take chaga correctly. To do this, you must follow not only the instructions for taking medications, but also certain rules:

• Birch mushroom does not combine with antibiotics, especially the penicillin group. So you can’t use them at the same time.
• It is forbidden to drink chaga if you are injecting glucose intravenously.
• When treating with wood fungus, it is necessary to follow a dairy-vegetable diet. Avoid spicy, smoked, and fatty foods. Meat, spicy food Canned food should also not be consumed.
• Preparations containing chaga should not be taken for a long time. This can cause increased nervous irritability, stomach and digestive problems, and allergies.

But the most useful is the mushroom growing on the birch tree. Please note that only chaga that is cut from live birches. If the mushroom crumbles and collapses, it is useless in the area.

Chaga mushroom - medicinal properties

The pulp of the mushroom contains: anti-inflammatory, metabolic, antispasmodic, immunostimulating, minerals and amino acids. Due to them, by cooking the mushroom you can fight the following diseases:

• In the fight against gastrointestinal diseases;
• With high blood pressure;
• For oncology of the intestines and stomach.

How to cook chaga - a quick recipe

1. Wash the chaga, chop it into medium pieces, put it in a container (you can use a liter jar).
2. Pour purified, still boiling water (for 250 grams of chaga, 1 liter of water).
3. Infuse for 7 hours (the more, the richer).
4. Filter the finished infusion and consume it over a couple of days (you can do it right away).

Chaga mushroom - tea recipe

Freshly picked chaga tea in no way inferior to infusions in its properties. Just keep in mind that it is better not to use aluminum cookware. Preparing this tea is quite simple, it can be said in 2 steps. So, how to brew chaga correctly:

1. Place the mushroom pieces into slightly boiling water (the proportions in tea are the same as in accelerated recipe infusion);
2. Cool, squeeze hard and drink.

How to prepare chaga for problems with the digestive tract:

100 g of mushroom pour 250 ml boiled water, leave for 6 hours. Grind the softened mushroom and soak in a liter warm water, place in a dark room for a day. After this, strain using gauze, trying to squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the mushroom.

Now you have a question - how to take chaga correctly? It's simple - three times a third of a glass before meals for 15 days in a row.

Attention! The infusion should not be kept for more than 4 days. As for the water with which chaga was first poured, it can be added to drinks, which will improve digestion.

Pour 50 g of dried finely chopped birch chaga into a third liter of vodka and leave for 3 weeks in a dark, preferably cool place. After this time, strain and pour into a dark glass bottle. Do not keep in a warm place.

If it hurts gastritis– grind and dry the lower (softer) layer of chaga. Then make a powder that can be consumed a pinch twice a day (when you wake up and before going to bed).

For intestinal diseases (or other stomach diseases), combine 50 g of dried yarrow, the same amount of rose hips and 100 g of chaga. But keep in mind that before this, the herbs need to be soaked and infused in one liter of water for a couple of hours, and then heated, brought to a boil and kept in a water bath for another couple of hours. Add 200 ml of honey and 100 ml of aloe juice to the mixture of herbs, berries and mushrooms. Stir and then strain. Store in a cool place, protected from light. Take a quarter spoon a month and a half before meals (half an hour).

Even for gastrointestinal disorders(for constipation, for example) will help birch mushroom. How to prepare chaga in this case:

• Place 50 g of chaga in 200 ml of warm water and leave for 6 hours.
• Drain the water, crumble the mushroom and place in the same water.
• Heat it all in a water bath for 3-4 hours.

This decoction is stored no more than two days. Before using the composition, slightly warm up the amount you need.

Can be prepared in several ways:

Basic recipe for chaga infusion

This method of preparing an infusion of birch chaga mushroom is the most optimal, it retains the greatest amount useful compounds And medicinal properties. It is recommended as the main method of preparing an infusion for the treatment of various diseases:

A piece of chaga should be washed, poured with boiled or purified water at room temperature and left in the water for 6-7 hours until it completely softens. In this case, you should not use metal or wooden utensils; glass or ceramics are best suited for such purposes.

The soaked mushroom should be removed and squeezed out, leaving the water in place and not pouring it out. After this, the mushroom needs to be chopped; you can do this by grating it or passing it through a meat grinder. Then the water in which the mushroom was soaked must be heated to 40-50 ° C, and pour it over the chaga at the rate of 1 part mushroom to 5 parts water. It is very important not to overheat the water, otherwise the mushroom may lose its useful qualities. Next, the mushroom should be infused for two days. Moreover, it is better to do this not at room temperature, but to put the infusion in a cool place so that the mushroom does not accidentally ferment.

The finished infusion must be carefully strained and stored covered in a cool, dark place. The infusion is good for the next 4 days.

There are no contraindications for using the infusion.

Quick recipe for making chaga

Place chaga, washed and chopped into small pieces, into a jar; Pour boiling water over chaga at the rate of 1 liter of water per 250 grams. chagi; Let the chaga brew for 5-7 hours (more can be done to obtain a richer infusion); The resulting and filtered infusion can be consumed immediately or over the next three days.

Making chaga tea

If you do not have the opportunity or desire to devote a lot of time to preparing the infusion, you can brew chaga simply as tea. This option can be used, for example, in hiking conditions or if you want to drink tea in the forest from freshly collected chaga. In terms of its healing properties, this drink is inferior to the first two.

Video recipe for preparing chaga infusion

In conclusion, I suggest watching a short video from ORT in which, in addition to the description healing properties, given method of preparing chaga infusion.