Ginger is a powerful plant. The knobby root can be used in so many ways, from stir-fry to tea to kraut ingredient to kombucha or water kefir flavouring. Warm and spicy, lively and earthy, it's a versatile and adaptable culinary ally. It's also strong medicine, used for centuries as an immune booster and digestive aid. It's also delicious! It's hard to pin down just what my favourite way to use it might be. But, probiotic ginger beer might be the winner and on a warm summer's day there is nothing better to drink.
I like my ginger beer throaty with personality over lightly flavoured sugar water. But the good thing is that you don't really have to choose. You can make your ginger beer however you like it. If you like only a touch of ginger and don't want it too fiery just reduce the amount of fresh ginger you add and you can just omit the chillies if you don't want that throaty quality.
Preparation time: 15 minutes plus fermenting time (around 2 weeks depending on temperature).
Ingredients:
- 80g ginger, peeled
- 800ml of liquid decanted from your ginger beer plant.
- 2litres filtered water
- 400-600g of castor or granulated sugar
- 50g of brown sugar
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1-2 small chillies (depending on how hot you want it)
- 1/2 teaspoon champagne or wine yeast (If you want it to be alcoholic, omit if you don't)
- Empty plastic soda bottles for storage (we do not recommend glass for ginger beer due to the risk of explosions, especially if you have added extra yeasts to increase the alcohol).
Method:
- Feed your ginger bug plant as normal for 5 days with 1 teaspoon of ginger powder and 1 teaspoon on sugar.
- After the 5 days feeding decant off the liquid and either store the ginger beer plant in the fridge or add more water and start feeding again.
- Grate the ginger into a large pot and add the water, sugar, lemon zest and chillies. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes without the lid on.
- Cool the mixture down to 15-24C
- Strain the mixture to get rid of the grated bits and then add your decanted ginger beer liquid that you have decanted off.
- Stir well
- use a funnel to pour into two bottles and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of the champagne yeast into each of the bottles if you are adding it and shake gently to distribute.
- Squeeze the bottle and then screw the lid on and keep it at room temperature.
- If the weather is really warm it can be ready to drink in just a few days but in the cooler weather (and if you are looking to make it alcohol) you may need to leave it for a couple of weeks.
- Enjoy over ice
