According to wikipedia Ginger beer is a carbonated drink that is flavored primarily with ginger and sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Basically it is a ginger flavored soda.
We love Ginger Beer and would like to share our recipe we received from a friend with you.
Ginger Beer
TO START PLANT:
Mix together in a screw top jar:
2 cups water
juice 1 lemon
2 tspns lemon pulp
4 tspns sugar
2 tspns ground ginger or 4 tspns fresh ginger
8 sultanas (raisins)
Leave 2-3 days until it starts to ferment.
THEN FOR ONE WEEK:
Each day add:
4 tspns sugar
2 tspns ground ginger or 4 tspns fresh ginger
TO MAKE UP:
Dissolve:
4 cups sugar
in 4 cups water
Add (not while hot):
juice of 4 lemons
liquid from plant strained through muslin (handkerchief okay, cheesecloth)
28 cups of water
TO CONTINUE:
Put half the plant residue from the muslin back in the screw top jar with 2 cups water (throw the rest
away or give to a friend)
Add each day for a week (as before):
4 tspns sugar
2 tspns ground ginger or 4 tspns fresh ginger
ETC.
It is easier to make with out the extra water (unless you have a very large bucket!) Set out the bottles (they need to be able to withstand the pressure from the carbonation) required for the quantity being made, and pour the proportionate amount of (strong) solutions into each bottle. Top with water and seal.
Don't screw the plant jar lid too tightly - especially in hot weather. (It has been known for the plant to 'blow up'.)
(makes 9 litres - 12 750 ml bottles)
(halve quantities for 4 1/2 litres)
This is what it will look like after it has set for over a week.
My water and sugar mixture dissolving.
Juicing my lemons.
I put my cheesecloth into a fine strainer and on a bowl. I then strained the lemon juice,
I poured the plant from the jar through the cheesecloth and squeezed out all of the liquid.
While strained the juice and plant, my little helper measured the water and added it to the sugar/water.
I divided my plant in two, place half back in the jar and threw the rest away.
I poured all the strained liquid into the pot of sugar water.
Then poured it into my bottles and dropped a raisin in each bottle before sealing them tightly. This will take out some of the yeasty flavor.
It is better if you let them pressurize at room temp, it will happen faster.
Over time the taste will get better, there is a point where it starts to go flat.
The yeast from the fermentaion feeds off the sugar, so as time goes on the so does the sugar but not the flavor of being sweetened with sugar.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do.
