DIY Probiotic Soda with Ginger Bug

Summary

Discover the DIY process of making probiotic sodas at home without specialized equipment. Start by creating a ginger bug, a mixture of organic ginger, sugar, and water that ferments with natural yeast and bacteria. After a week, use this to inoculate sanitized bottles with juice containing sugar, allowing it to ferment for 2-3 days at room temperature. Watch for bubbles indicating activity, then refrigerate until ready to enjoy your homemade, healthy soda.

Takeaways

• 🍯 To make homemade probiotic sodas, you start by creating a ginger bug, which is similar to a sourdough starter.
• 🌿 The ginger bug is made with organic ginger, sugar, and water, allowing natural yeast and bacteria to ferment the sugar.
• 📅 After several days at room temperature, the ginger bug should be fed with more sugar and ginger daily.
• 🕒 By day two and five, the ginger bug will show signs of fermentation, and after a week, it can be refrigerated or used to make soda.
• 🧼 Before making soda, sanitize your swing top bottles to ensure cleanliness.
• 🌀 Strain the ginger from the ginger bug to use it for the soda-making process.
• 🥤 Pour an ounce or two of the ginger bug into a sanitized bottle and top it off with juice that contains some sugar for fermentation.
• ⏳ Allow the bottles to sit at room temperature for two to three days to ferment, watching for bubble formation as an indicator of activity.
• 🧊 Once fermentation is complete, refrigerate the bottles until you're ready to enjoy your homemade probiotic soda.
• 🍹 Open the bottles and enjoy your homemade, fermented, probiotic soda.

Q & A

What is a ginger bug used for in making probiotic sodas?

A ginger bug is used as a starter culture for fermenting probiotic sodas, similar to a sourdough starter, containing organic ginger, sugar, and water to ferment the sugar with natural yeast and bacteria.

How long does it take for a ginger bug to be ready for making soda?

A ginger bug needs to ferment at room temperature for about a week before it can be used to make soda.

What should you do to maintain the ginger bug during the fermentation process?

During fermentation, you should feed the ginger bug mixture with more sugar and ginger every day.

Why is it important to use juice with some sugar in it when making soda with a ginger bug?

Using juice with sugar is important because the sugar is necessary for the fermentation process to occur and create the fizz in the soda.

How can you tell if the soda is fermenting properly?

You can tell if the soda is fermenting properly by observing the presence of bubbles after letting the bottles sit at room temperature for two to three days.

What type of bottles are recommended for making probiotic sodas at home?

Sanitized swing top bottles are recommended for making probiotic sodas at home as they allow for the release of built-up carbonation pressure.

How long should you let the soda sit at room temperature before refrigerating?

You should let the soda sit at room temperature for two to three days to allow for proper fermentation before refrigerating.

What is the purpose of refrigerating the soda after fermentation?

Refrigerating the soda after fermentation slows down the fermentation process, halting it and preserving the soda's carbonation and flavor until it's ready to be consumed.

Why is it necessary to strain the ginger from the ginger bug before making soda?

Straining the ginger from the ginger bug is necessary to separate the solid ginger pieces and ensure a clear soda without any large particles.

How much ginger bug should you add to each bottle when making soda?

You should add an ounce or two of the ginger bug to each sanitized swing top bottle when making soda.

What is the final step before enjoying the homemade probiotic soda?

The final step before enjoying the homemade probiotic soda is to pop open the refrigerated bottles and pour the soda into a glass.