Mango Ginger Bug Soda - Sweet, Delicious and Bubbly Fermented Drink

Summary

In this episode of 'Fermented Homestead,' Anna shares the process of making a naturally fermented mango soda using a homemade ginger bug. She starts by pureeing organic mangoes, adds filtered water and sugar, and simmers the mixture. After cooling, she strains it and combines it with the ginger bug, fermenting the mixture for varying durations to compare results. The final step involves bottling and tasting the soda, revealing a fizzy, sweet drink that can be adjusted for sweetness and fermentation time. The video offers a simple and delicious approach to homemade fermented beverages.

Takeaways

• 🏡 The video is from 'Fermented Homestead', a channel focused on homesteading and fermentation.
• 🥭 The main topic of the video is making a naturally fermented mango soda using a ginger bug.
• 🔗 A link to a previous video on making a ginger bug is provided for viewers interested in that process.
• 📝 The recipe for mango soda is from 'Fearless Eating' and requires specific ingredients like filtered water, organic mangoes, organic sugar, and ginger bug.
• 🍹 The process involves peeling and pureeing mangoes, adding water and sugar, and simmering the mixture.
• 🌡️ It's important to let the mango puree cool completely before proceeding with fermentation.
• 🍯 The sugar in the recipe serves as fuel for the fermentation process, feeding the bacteria that contribute to gut health.
• 🕒 The fermentation process takes several days, with the video showing a six-day wait before the next step.
• 🍾 After fermentation, the mango soda is bottled and allowed to carbonate for a few more days.
• 🧊 Refrigeration can affect carbonation levels, with non-refrigerated sodas being more bubbly.
• 📈 The video demonstrates that fermentation time impacts the sweetness and flavor of the final product, with longer fermentation times resulting in less sweetness.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is making naturally fermented mango soda using a ginger bug.

Who is the host of the 'Fermented Homestead' channel?

The host of the 'Fermented Homestead' channel is Anna.

What is a ginger bug and how is it used in the video?

A ginger bug is a fermented mixture of ginger, sugar, and water that serves as a starter culture for fermenting beverages. In the video, it is used as a starter for the mango soda.

What are the main ingredients for making the mango soda as per the recipe from 'Fearless Eating'?

The main ingredients are two quarts of filtered water, four to five organic mangoes, three to three and three-quarters of a cup of organic sugar, and a half of a cup of ginger bug.

How many mangoes does Anna plan to use per jar in the video?

Anna plans to use three to four mangoes per jar.

Why does Anna decide to make a double batch of the mango soda?

Anna decides to make a double batch of the mango soda because she believes she will enjoy it and wants to have enough to last.

What is the purpose of adding sugar to the mango soda during the fermentation process?

The sugar serves as fuel for the bacteria in the ginger bug, allowing them to multiply and become strong, which is beneficial for gut health.

How long does Anna let the mango puree and water mixture simmer after it comes to a boil?

Anna lets the mixture simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.

What is the significance of straining the mango puree through a mesh strainer and muslin cloth?

Straining the mango puree helps to remove the fine particles that could clog the cloth and ensures a smoother texture for the soda.

What type of airlock system does Anna recommend for fermenting the mango soda?

Anna recommends using an airlock system or a regular mason jar lid to prevent oxygen from getting in, which could turn the soda more vinegary.

How long does the ginger bug infused mango soda need to ferment before bottling?

The ginger bug infused mango soda needs to ferment for about six days before bottling.

What does Anna do to differentiate the bottles that fermented for different lengths of time?

Anna uses rubber bands to mark the bottles that fermented for one day less, to compare the taste and carbonation levels.

What is the final step in the process of making mango gingerbug fermented soda?

The final step is to open the bottles, strain off any remaining sediment, and taste test the soda to evaluate the fermentation results.

What does Anna suggest regarding the fermentation time and sweetness of the mango soda?

Anna suggests that fermentation time affects the sweetness of the soda, with longer fermentation times resulting in less sweetness as the bacteria consume more sugar.

What is the importance of refrigeration in the final stages of the mango soda fermentation process?

Refrigeration slows down the fermentation process and reduces the bubbliness or carbonation, which can be desirable for some tastes.

What safety tip does Anna provide when opening fermented bottles?

Anna advises to be careful when opening the bottles, especially glass flip top bottles, to avoid any potential for explosion or excessive gas release.

What does Anna suggest for those interested in making different flavors of ginger bug sodas?

Anna encourages viewers to share their ideas for different flavors of ginger bug sodas in the comment section.

Outlines

00:00

🍹 Introduction to Making Mango Soda

Anna from the Fermented Homestead channel introduces the process of making naturally fermented mango soda using a ginger bug. She references a previous video on making a ginger bug and provides a recipe from 'Fearless Eating' that requires filtered water, organic mangoes, organic sugar, and ginger bug. The recipe is adjusted to make a double batch, and viewers are guided through peeling and pureeing the mangoes, adding water and sugar, and bringing the mixture to a boil before letting it simmer.

05:00

🔑 Fermentation and Sugar's Role

Anna explains the importance of sugar in the fermentation process, emphasizing that it serves as fuel for bacteria to multiply and become robust, which is beneficial for gut health. She clarifies that while a lot of sugar is added, much of it will be consumed during fermentation, leaving less than expected and contributing to the health benefits of the drink. The video then transitions to the next day, showing the straining of the mango puree through a mesh strainer and muslin cloth to prepare for the fermentation process.

10:01

🍾 Fermenting the Mango Soda

The video continues with the fermentation process, where Anna adds the ginger bug to the mango juice and explains the need for an airlock system to prevent oxygen from turning the drink vinegary. She uses mason jar lids and places the jars in a slightly cool, dark place to ferment. Six days later, she returns to show the next steps, which involve straining the fermented mango soda into bottles and comparing the taste and fizz levels of different batches that fermented for varying lengths of time.

15:01

🎉 Tasting and Comparing Fermented Mango Soda

Anna conducts a taste test of the fermented mango soda, comparing batches that were fermented for different durations and whether they were refrigerated or not. She notes the differences in sweetness, fizz, and sediment levels, and shares her preference for a less sweet, longer-fermented drink. She also provides tips on using glass flip top bottles for fermentation and invites viewers to share ideas for different flavors of ginger bug sodas in the comments section. The video concludes with an invitation to subscribe and a promise to see viewers in the next video.

Keywords

💡Fermented Homestead

The term 'Fermented Homestead' refers to a lifestyle and process of creating a self-sufficient home where food is produced and preserved through natural fermentation. In the video, Anna shares her journey of turning her home into such a homestead, focusing on making naturally fermented mango soda, which is a part of the broader theme of home fermentation.

💡Mango Soda

Mango Soda is a beverage made from mangoes, sugar, and water, fermented to create a fizzy, sweet drink. In the script, Anna is making a 'naturally fermented mango soda' using a ginger bug, which is a type of fermentation starter. The process involves peeling and pureeing mangoes, adding sugar and water, and fermenting the mixture to create a refreshing drink.

💡Ginger Bug

A Ginger Bug is a symbiotic culture of yeast and lactic acid bacteria used as a starter for fermenting beverages like soda. In the video, Anna mentions using her recently made ginger bug to ferment the mango soda. It's an essential component in the fermentation process, providing the necessary bacteria to convert the sugar into carbon dioxide and alcohol, which gives the soda its fizz.

💡Organic Sugar

Organic sugar refers to sugar that is produced without the use of synthetic chemicals, fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms. In the script, Anna specifies using 'organic sugar' in her recipe, which indicates her preference for natural ingredients and aligns with the homesteading philosophy of using wholesome, chemical-free products.

💡Filtration

Filtration is the process of separating solids from liquids by passing the mixture through a filter. In the context of the video, Anna uses a mesh strainer and muslin cloth to filter the mango puree to remove the solid particles before combining it with the sugar and water mixture. This step is crucial for achieving a clear mango soda.

💡Fermentation

Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces energy by breaking down carbohydrates into simpler compounds like alcohol and carbon dioxide. In the script, Anna discusses the fermentation process, explaining how the sugar in the mango soda serves as fuel for the bacteria in the ginger bug, which then ferments the sugar, creating a healthy and fizzy drink.

💡Airlock System

An airlock system is a device that allows gases to escape from a fermentation vessel while preventing outside air from entering. Anna mentions using an airlock system to seal the jars during the fermentation of the mango soda. This is important to create an anaerobic environment that encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria and prevents the drink from turning vinegary.

💡Carbonation

Carbonation refers to the process of dissolving carbon dioxide in a liquid, which creates bubbles and gives the liquid a fizzy texture. In the video, Anna talks about the carbonation of the mango soda, noting that refrigeration can reduce the bubbliness. The carbonation is a result of the fermentation process where the bacteria produce CO2.

💡Sediment

Sediment in the context of fermentation refers to the solid residue that settles at the bottom of the fermentation vessel. Anna discusses the presence of sediment in the mango soda, which is a result of not straining the mango puree through a fine cloth. The sediment can affect the clarity and taste of the final product.

💡Fermentation Time

Fermentation time refers to the duration for which a substance is left to ferment. In the script, Anna experiments with different fermentation times to see how it affects the taste and fizz level of the mango soda. She notes that a longer fermentation time results in a less sweet beverage as more sugar is consumed by the bacteria.

Highlights

Introduction to the channel 'Fermented Homestead' and the host Anna.

Making naturally fermented mango soda using a ginger bug.

Link to the ginger bug making video provided.

Recipe from 'Fearless Eating' used as a reference.

Ingredients list: filtered water, organic mangoes, organic sugar, and ginger bug.

Making a double batch of mango soda to enjoy and use up mangoes.

Peeling and pureeing the mangoes for the soda.

Adding water, sugar, and bringing the mixture to a boil.

Explanation of sugar's role in fermentation as a food for bacteria.

Straining the mango puree through a mesh and muslin cloth.

Adding the ginger bug to the mango juice mixture.

Using an airlock system to ferment the soda without oxygen.

Fermentation process taking place over six days.

Straining the fermented mango soda into bottles.

Comparison of different fermentation times on taste and fizz.

Taste test of the mango gingerbug fermented soda.

Preference for less sweet soda due to longer fermentation.

Safety tips when using glass flip top bottles for fermentation.

Invitation for viewers to share ideas for different flavors of fermented ginger bug sodas.

Closing remarks and a call to subscribe to the channel.

Transcripts

welcome to the fermented homestead if

you're new here my name is anna and on

this channel i'm sharing our journey of

learning how to turn our home into a

homestead

today we're going to be making mango

soda we're going to be doing a naturally

fermented mango soda

and we're going to be using our ginger

bug that we made recently

i'll go ahead and link to that video i

think it's on this side

well i'll link to that video so you can

check that one out if you're interested

but we're gonna go ahead and get started

i'm using a recipe from fearless eating

and her recipe calls for uh two quarts

of filtered water

four to five organic mangoes three to

three quarters of a cup of organic sugar

and a half of a cup of

ginger bug so we're gonna go ahead and

we're gonna get started i'm definitely

gonna go on the lower side of those

mangoes we're gonna go

probably three to four mangoes per jar

and we're gonna make a double batch of

it because i have a feeling

i'm going to enjoy this so i want to

make sure i have enough and i have a lot

of mangoes that i need to go through so

we're going to get started we're just

going to go ahead and peel all of these

and i'm the basically i'm going to

we're going to puree these and i'm going

to measure them

and kind of get roughly about a quarter

of it is going to be the

mangoes and then whatever's left over we

just probably won't put in the jar

[Music]

so now that we have all of these cut

peeled we're going to cut them up and

buzz them up in

the food processor

okay so that is all the mangoes

pureed yeah it's probably about 10 cups

maybe a little less

nine and a half nine to ten cups of

puree

okay now we're gonna add a gallon of

water which

i can already see

we'll go with a bigger pot here

there we go okay so i did a gallon and

like a little bit extra

okay so now what we need to do is add in

the sugar and according to this recipe

she said that she used three quarters of

a cup which she felt was perfect per

batch so we're doing a double batch

and a double batch without quite as many

mangoes in it

and so basically what i'm going to do is

i'm going to use the same amount of

sugar so we're going to put a quart

a cup and a half of sugar in here and

then we're gonna bring it up to a boil

and let it simmer for about 10 to 15

minutes

while we have that cooking over there i

just wanted to go ahead and let you guys

know

in case you're kind of new to

fermentation or you're new to any kind

of

you know thing like this with and it

seems like it has so much sugar but it's

supposed to be kind of healthy for you

and basically the sugar is just the fuel

for the

the bacteria and all the things in it

that we're trying to get to kind of

come alive and multiply and things like

that the sugar is what it feeds off of

and then those bacterias will be much

stronger and much

more readily able to be

populating your guts basically and so if

you don't feed them they're not going to

multiply and they're not going to

be as healthy and robust as you want

them to be in order to help

to go within your gut and

do what it needs to do within your gut

so the fuel the sugar

there will be some left but not anywhere

near as much as what we're putting in

there a lot of it is going to be

fermented out

and it's going to be just like i said

just fuel for the bacteria

all right so we are at a boil

so now what we're going to do is it says

to reduce the heat immediately

and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes

so that's what we're gonna do and it's

gonna probably take

several hours for this to cool off it's

the next day and

the mango puree

thing has been able to cool off

completely

you don't have to wait as long as i'm

waiting but you just need to wait until

it has cooled off completely it's

between

room temperature and body temperature

kind of and so that's where we're at

and what we have here is just a pot with

a a mesh strainer and we're going to put

some muslin cloth over the top of it you

can also use like cheesecloth or

anything like that

but this is just kind of just what

you could probably use a coffee filter

all different sorts of things

so we're just going to strain it out

so we're going to strain this through

the mesh and then we'll

i think there's just too much of the

really fine pieces and that's just

clogging up the cloth

well that is straining off we're gonna

go ahead and we're gonna dump this

into here through this second finer mesh

strain and

strainer and hopefully we can get it to

run through this muslin cloth as well

if not we'll just go with the strainer

not a huge deal

so if you have the patience to try and

strain out all of these

fine little mango particles

then make a puree out of it because i do

think that you're going to get

more bang for your buck more return on

the the mangoey

mist but it's a little challenging to

get it straightened out so just bear

that in mind

so i'm pretty sure that i have enough of

the

liquid the mango juice to be able to

make a third jar and i'm going to do

that later but

for now we're just going to go ahead and

move forward with this part of it and

i'm going to show you what i'm going to

do next here

so i have my ginger bug and like i said

earlier i went ahead and i fed this last

night so it should be nice and active

well it is nice and active i popped it

just a little bit ago

so we want a half of a cup per jar

so i have my my glass measuring cup

and i have it's like a nylon i think

kind of a strainer it's

like a plastic kind of one it's not

metal and then a plastic measuring spoon

so all we're going to do with this is

we're going to pour off

some of this ginger bug this is actually

the first time i've used a gingerbug

so i'm not an expert but hopefully we'll

be able to figure this out

there we go okay

so we're gonna put a half a cup in each

jar

so we have the liquid all ready here and

what we're going to do is we're going to

put on top of it some type of an airlock

system

you want to make sure that you're

depriving it of the oxygen from my

understanding if you allow it to breathe

and if you put something like

mesh on top of it it's going to turn

more vinegary

but this way it won't

so you can use an airlock you can also

just use a regular mason jar top

mason jar lid or one of those plastic

lids and just make sure that you come

through and burp it several times a day

i just like these simply because i don't

have to burp them i can just leave them

be

just make sure to check them for any

kind of mold which shouldn't form i

don't have it i haven't had an issue

with that so that's all we're going to

do

in this step i'm going to let the rest

of this just kind of slowly

filter out and we're going to put this

in a cool place

not cool like a warm temperature kind of

place a little bit cooler

and then a warm place kind of cool

sorry it's really late i'm talking

really quietly because my son's sleeping

in the next room

um so anyways basically what we're going

to do with this is we're going to put it

inside of some kind of a dish that will

collect any

anything that might spill out and we're

going to put this

in a dark place that's kind of a little

bit cooler

room temperature maybe like 70 degrees

something like that

and we're just going to let it go for a

little while and i'll bring you back and

show you

basically just the next step it's been

six days since we let our

ginger bug infused mango

soda pop to ferment and so now we're

gonna go ahead and we're gonna take the

next step

and we should have done this several

days ago but life is life and i

didn't do it so we're going to go ahead

and strain it off now and what we're

going to do is we're just going to take

it we're going to pour it into a bottle

and i'm going to pour it up to

roughly the start of the neck here and

strain it one last time

through a nylon strainer you don't use

any metal because this is fermented

so i'm just going to catch anything that

the other strainer might have missed

and so we're just going to pour all of

this off

so now we're going to go ahead and go to

the next one this one i did the next day

because i had to recharge the

ginger bug so i had to wait a day for

this one uh because i didn't have enough

and so this one is gonna be kind of a

bit of a test run i guess you could say

and so i'm going to go ahead and keep it

separate just so that we can see if you

know one

less day is much of a taste difference

so since i want to be able to tell which

one is which i'm gonna go ahead and just

put a rubber band around

each of the three bottles that are

one day less fermenting so i'm gonna go

ahead and

okay so now what we're going to do is

we're just going to go ahead and put it

in our

bottles or in our box here

if you like to do any kind of fermenting

with fermented drinks and things like

that

totally you should pick up these this is

just like an espresso

bottle box and it comes with all of

these little dividers inside

i pick them up for free at cash and

carry or smart food service whatever

they call it these days

and they just work fantastic if there's

any kind of an explosion

it'll generally keep it from spreading

to the other ones

and it just helps to block out the light

like all you have to do is just cover it

with a towel if you need to block out

the light

and that's about all there is to it so

i'm gonna go ahead and set this to

ferment for a couple of days

so this recipe is definitely a winner at

least so far

so i'm gonna bring you back in a couple

of days and tell you how this is once

it's actually carbonated

it's been roughly about a week since we

bottled up

our mango fermented gingerbug soda

and so now we're ready to actually open

these and try them there's three

different ones here

now this is the one that fermented one

day less and i put this in the fridge

about

four days and it was like three and a

half four days and this was

the other one that had fermented a day

longer same thing put it in the same

fridge at the same day

i had planned on filming this but then i

got busy and distracted and never ended

up getting back to it

so it has been a pretty much a week and

so i have this one that has not gone in

the fridge

at all so we're going to be able to have

a little bit of a comparison here

the refrigerated ones naturally are just

going to bubble a little bit less than

non-refrigerated ones

something about the refrigeration

process just kind of

it harnesses some of the the bubbliness

and you can definitely see here

the difference i mean um if we had

strained this through like a muslin

cloth and actually had the patience to

do it

we wouldn't have had nearly as much

sediment in here but you can i mean you

can see the sediment that's here

being very careful and then this one has

almost no sediment at all

and this one is you know something i

guess it's like goldilocks this one has

some

so we're going to start with the one

that i think is going to have the least

reaction to it so

this one was fermented one day less so

this one was fermented one day less than

the rest

the original fermentation so let's see

what we can do here

okay i'm nervous

okay so we got some bubbles here nothing

crazy

okay let's give it a try

it's got some fizz to it

that's really really good

oh my gosh oh

my husband's gonna love that one okay

so this is the one that was for same

thing as this just fermented one day

longer

okay

you can kind of see i don't know if you

can but it's pretty bubbly

i'll try it that's the mango one

see i told you he'd love it okay so now

we're gonna go ahead and try this one

that has fermented

for a full week it might even be eight

days i'm not exactly sure

but it's definitely it hasn't been

refrigerated so it should have a little

bit more fizz to it so let's get on it

i'm nervous about this one because when

you don't from like i said earlier when

you don't refrigerate it

it just it has tends to have more of a

reaction i'm not saying it necessarily

will but

if we had added sugar to this right

after we

when we were bottling it it would have

had probably a bit more phase to it but

i was a little nervous the first time

i've never made an actual gingerbread

soda so

being a little bit safe

so you can see

it went nuts

so we're gonna have to slowly

just kind of wait for that to let the

air out

or let the the gas out so finally got

the lid off

the carbonation has gone so we're going

to go ahead and give this one

a taste test it's been fermenting a week

longer well this one has a lot of

sediment so we're going to go ahead and

filter some of that out

so i'm going to give this one a nice

little taste test

i think that i like this one better but

my husband would like the other ones

better

okay this one is a little bit less sweet

it's been fermented longer

so it does it has the bacteria has eaten

a lot of the

the sweetness out of it it's still very

sweet but if you like things very very

sweet

you're probably going to want to go on

the left side of the

fermentation time and for me i like

things to be

less sweet so i'm going to enjoy the

longer fermentation time

and this was about seven to eight days

i'm not sure the exact number but about

seven or eight days and then

the other ones those ones were i want to

say four days three to

three and a half to four days something

like that so kind of give you a bit of a

time frame as to how long you want to

let these things ferment for

it definitely makes a big difference and

you also want to make sure that you're

being very careful

when you're using these glass flip top

bottles oftentimes

people will use the plastic bottle that

will

you'll ferment right alongside of it and

so that one has the forgiving sides to

it and you can squeeze it and you can

kind of tell when the fermentation

or when it the carbonation is built up

enough because it's really solid

i just didn't have a plastic bottle at

the time but i did save one so the next

time we do one of these recipes i'll be

able to show you what i'm talking about

with that

so this is how i made the mango

gingerbug

fermented soda and it is definitely

something that you want to go ahead and

add to the list of things that you want

to try because this thing is amazing and

it is delicious and you saw everything

that went into it it's pretty simple

process

so i hope that you give it a try and if

you have any other ideas on

different flavors of fermented ginger

bug sodas go and leave in the comment

section below

i would love to hear some different

ideas for that

so thank you so much for watching if you

enjoyed this video give it a thumbs up

subscribe to this channel if you haven't

already and we'll see you next time bye

[Music]

you