A ginger bug is a really cool ferment with a fun name. It is essentially a starter culture, much like a sourdough starter is to bread, or a SCOBY is to kombucha. With a ginger bug, you can naturally ferment homemade soda, healthy ginger ale, root beer, and other healthy soda alternatives.
Using three simple ingredients—organic ginger root, sugar, and water—a ginger bug will “capture” wild yeasts and bacteria that will eat the sugar and emit carbon dioxide as a “waste” product. Hence the ability to give sodas a natural fizz of bubbles.
It also has a natural kid-appeal because of its name. And the process requires “feeding” your ginger bug each day is much like a pet!
Since it is free from high-fructose corn syrup and other additives, you can feel good about making a sweet fizzy drink for refreshment on hot summer day!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons grated or finely chopped organic ginger root
½ cup sugar
2 cups water
Plus: Additional sugar and ginger for feeding
How to Make a Ginger Bug Starter
1) Place the ginger, sugar, and water in a quart-size wide-mouth mason jar and shake gently to dissolve the sugar.
2) Cover the jar with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and a lid ring or rubber band and set the jar in a warm spot to ferment.
3) Every day for the next week, add one tablespoon each of finely chopped (or grated) ginger and sugar to “feed” the ginger bug.
Toward the end of the week, you should notice some bubbly action in the jar and you may notice a faint yeast smell. These are all signs that fermentation is happening as it should!
If you do not notice any bubbly action after a week, or if mold forms on the surface, you may need to start again.
4) Once bubbles have formed at the top of the ginger bug, it is ready for use in your homemade soda recipe. Pour off the amount that you need for the soda recipe, and replenish it for future use.
5) To keep the ginger bug alive, feed it daily as above. If you will not be using it for a while, you can store it in a refrigerator and feed it once a week. When you are ready to use it again, place it in a room temperature location and resume feeding it daily.
Now you’re ready to make some delicious homemade soda that you can feel good about! Here are a few recipes to try:
- Herbal Homemade Soda Recipes
- Dandelion Soda Recipe
Yield: 1 jar
A ginger bug is a natural ferment that can be used as a starter culture for homemade sodas, ginger ale, or root beer. Using just three ingredients - organic ginger, sugar, and water - I'll teach you how to make a ginger bug at home.
Prep Time10 minutes
Additional Time7 days
Total Time7 days 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons grated or finely chopped organic ginger root
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 cups water
- Plus: Additional sugar and ginger for feeding
Instructions
- Place the ginger, sugar, and water in a quart-size wide-mouth mason jar and shake gently to dissolve the sugar.
- Cover the jar with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and a lid ring or rubber band and set the jar in a warm spot to ferment.
- Every day for the next week, add one tablespoon each of finely chopped (or grated) ginger and sugar to “feed” the ginger bug. Toward the end of the week you should notice some bubbly action in the jar and you may notice a faint yeast smell. These are all signs that fermentation is happening as it should! If you do not notice any bubbly action after a week, or if mold forms on the surface, you may need to start again.
- Once bubbles have formed at the top of the ginger bug, it is ready for use in your homemade soda recipe. Pour off the amount that you need for the soda recipe, and replenish the ginger bug for future use.
- To keep the ginger bug alive, feed it daily as above. If you will not be using the ginger bug for a while, you can store it in a refrigerator and feed it once a week. When you are ready to use your ginger bug again, place it in a room temperature location and resume feeding it daily.
Notes
Now you’re ready to make some delicious homemade soda that you can feel good about! Here are a few recipes to try:
Herbal Homemade Soda Recipes
Dandelion Soda Recipe
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More homesteading inspiration!
- Fermented Cranberry Salsa Recipe
- How to Bottle Hard Apple Cider
- Small-Batch Maple Syrup Cider Recipe
- How to Make Kombucha in 3 Simple Steps!
- Dandelion Soda Recipe :: Naturally Fermented with a Ginger Bug!
