If you, like me, want to avoid high fructose corn syrup, artificial coloring, and an excess of phosphoric acid, give this homemade ginger ale a try. Kristi is a master at making delicious ferments even the kids will love.
Ginger ale is something that people have used for many years to help upset tummies. Making ginger ale at home with wholesome ingredients is better than the store bought versions. Ginger ale is a fermented flavored soda. It is surprising how easy it is to make a carbonated beverage right at home. You may already have all of the ingredients to make it!
How to Make Homemade Ginger Ale
Fermented Ginger Ale
Equipment:
To make homemade ginger ale, you will need a half-gallon, wide mouth glass jar, and at least a starter set of Fermentools, but having a set of 6 or 12 is even better. That way you can ferment multiple items at once. It is also nice to have a gallon beverage dispenser. This will keep nicely in the fridge and can be easily dispensed. You will need a wooden spoon to stir with, and a fine mesh sieve to remove the ginger bits from the ginger ale.
This ginger ale requires a starter that you will have to make ahead of time. You will need to make either ginger bug or water kefir.
Ingredients:
- 6 cups of filtered water
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice and/or lime juice
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan medium course sea salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1-2 inch piece of ginger
- ½-1 cup of ginger bug or water kefir
Directions:
- Add 2 cups of the filtered water, ginger, sugar, and salt to a saucepan. Boil for approximately 3 minutes, or until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Add the remaining amount of filtered water to pan. Allow this mixture to cool to room temperature before proceeding.
- Now add the lemon or lime juice and the ginger bug or water kefir. Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly.
- Place the mixture in a wide mouth glass jar. Secure the Fermentools onto the jar and allow to ferment for 2-3 days. Keep away from direct sunlight. The temperature should be around room temperature (68º – 78ºF.)
- If is it not fizzy enough, you can ferment it for another day or two. Although, if you do give it more time it can produce more alcohol in the fermented beverage. Be careful giving it to children or others who are susceptible to alcohol. Or if you are worried about the extra alcohol but you would like more fizz, you could add some seltzer water.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, remove the ginger from the liquid.
- When fermenting is completed, refrigerate and served chilled.
I like to store my ginger ale in a beverage dispenser in the fridge. We tend to drink ours fairly quickly. Many people like using Grolsh style bottles. These bottles will help to keep it carbonated and not allow it to go flat. You could also store it in a glass jar if you do not own either one of those.
You can add lime juice instead of lemon if you prefer. Or you could try half lemon and half lime. It is fun playing around with the flavor until you find the your favorite flavor! You can also try adding a teaspoon or two of molasses along with the sugar. It will add just a bit of depth to the taste.
If you want to check another awesome recipe for fermented beverages check out:
Enjoy your homemade fermented probiotic fizzy beverage!
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Kristi is the blog owner of HomesteadWishing.com She is a wife and mother of three wonderful boys. She loves to write about food, children & parenting, tips and tricks, and survival information.