a few teaspoons of lemon juice and
some grated ginger. Let it sit on your
counter for another week or so and
then transfer to the fridge. Drink in
small amounts, as it is strong, and just
a little bit goes a long way. You can let
it age in the refrigerator for 3 weeks
or more, if you wish. This adds depth
of flavor and increases the health
benefits.
Ginger Ale / Homemade Soda
You may be imagining the soft
drink that sits on the shelves of your
supermarket alongside Mountain
Dew and Fresca, but this ginger
ale is the real thing. Made, by you,
with real ginger, sugar, and a starter
called a “ginger bug” which is easy
to prepare, it is both healthy and
delicious. It contains probiotics and
enzymes, and it has all the healing
properties of ginger, too. Ginger can
improve absorption and assimilation
of nutrients in the body, and due to
its anti-inflammatory properties,
can bring relief to joint pain. Lactofermented ginger ale is helpful for
soothing upset stomachs, nausea, and
cramping.
Once you make your ginger bug, or
soda culture starter, you can keep it
alive and use it constantly to make new
batches of ginger ale or other sodas.
Ginger Bug/ Homemade Soda
Starter Recipe:
1 liter mason jar or jar with tight lid
2 Tbsp of chopped, fresh ginger
1 Tbsp of organic cane sugar, or
sucanat
2 cups of filtered water
To make the starter:
Add all ingredients to jar and stir
well. Cover. Let it sit on the counter
for 24 hours. Then add 1 tsp. of grated
ginger and 1 tsp. of sugar, and stir.
Cover again for another 24 hours,
and repeat. Do this for 7 days. After a
week, adding sugar and ginger every
day, you have your soda starter. The
water should be a little cloudy and
you’ll see little bubbles. This is a live
bacteria starter culture.
To make Ginger Ale:
In a large pot, add 1/3 cup sliced
or grated ginger in 2 liters of water,
and bring to a boil. Add 1½ cups
organic cane sugar or sucanat, reduce
heat, and let boil gently for about 20
minutes.
Allow mixture to cool completely.
(If it is too hot it can kill the live
bacteria culture.) Add the juice of two
lemons and stir. Now, add one cup
of your ginger bug starter, saving the
rest to be reused for your next starter.
Bottle the ginger ale into airtight
bottles or jars (you can strain out the
ginger pieces first if you‘d like). Leave
in a dark warm place, covered with a
cloth, to ferment and get fizzy. Check
after five to six days, or less in very
warm weather. Refrigerate before
opening, and use extreme caution
when opening. Open slowly over
the sink, and beware of too much
pressure since the carbon dioxide can
build up in the bottle.
To continue your ginger bug, add
more water, and then add a teaspoon of
sugar and ginger daily to keep it alive.
Then you can make soda at any time.
Contact the UPDATE for more
information on how to get Kombucha
SCOBYs, and with any questions you
have about fermenting. Beginning to
ferment your own food and drinks is
a learning process, so reach out for
help when you get stuck and learn
from each experience. Enjoy the
results-- delicious, healing, and fun.
Nechama Wachsman is interested in
learning and teaching about anything
holistic. She is a Health Kinesiology
practitioner. Nechama also does Creative
Journal Expressive Arts work with
individuals and in workshops, helping
people get in touch with their inner selves
and heal both physically and emotionally.
email: [email protected]