Fermented Ginger Ale

The following is a wonderful healthy probiotic drink.

Easy to make.

Great for you.

While recovering from a hysterectomy.... I found Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist.  Wonderful site.  Great information.  Lots of yummy recipes.

So far I have made the cream cheese, fermented lemonade, fermented ginger ale, and the fermented pickles.

So here is my fermented ginger ale recipe adapted from Sarah's site.  It has helped me kick my diet soda habit.


REGARDING LIQUID WHEY....
Refer to her video about how to get liquid whey from clabbered milk.  Or strain the whey from yogurt.  OR I just made paneer cheese using the recipe from Journey Kitchen.   This produced a crazy amount of whey.  I'll try it for my next batch of fermented drinks.

First, why fermented?  Well, because they are sssoooo healthy for you.

Learn about fermented foods and their health benefits ... 

here

The Healthy Home Economist

here

Weston A Price Foundation

and here....

Nourished Kitchen

Anyway......

Here's my recipe.... (you can tweak it for your family's taste).

6 small limes
1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar- (I use white sugar for my kombucha and fermented drinks- the 
                 good bacteria eats most of it anyway).
1/4 cup liquid whey
2 tsp ground ginger (you can use fresh ginger.... ground is easier.  I get mine 
                              from EarthFare).

2 quarts (more or less) filter water
big glass jar (at least 2.5 quarts)
     (I use a recycled or re-purposed big apple juice glass jar I bought
                    at EarthFare.  Works great!)

[pretend there is a picture here of my glass jar]


** Using a funnel to pour the ingredients in the glass jar makes it easier.**

1) Put the ground ginger and sugar in first (if using the funnel) then all the rest of the ingredients.  Leave at least an inch of space at the top.  If you don't, mold could form.  It needs the air space.

[pretend there is a picture here of me pouring the ingredients into my glass jar - pretendingly pictured above]

2) Stir with a wooden spoon.  Put the cap on it and leave it on the kitchen counter for two days.  Stir with wooden spoon each day.  I 'burp' it each day by opening the cap.  I got in the habit of 'burping' my flavored kombuchas (during the second ferment). 

3) Put it in the refrigerator for a day or longer.  The taste improves the longer it sits in the fridge.  

I add one pack of stevia to my glass of ice before I pour my fermented ginger ale into it.

ALSO- you can omit the ginger and use 6 lemons and 1 lime (or not) for fermented lemonade.


AND FREEZE THE LEMON/LIME RINDS for ....

**I use a lemon rind for my roasted chicken (post to come later) or I adapted my recipe from Robin at Thank Your Body (search for chicken broth).

**I lay some rinds around my kombucha brewing jars to repel ants and fruit flies (it's just me and my husband- most of the time at our house- if company comes I can quickly throw them away to have a 'clean' counter.  Then get some more lime/lemon rinds out of the freezer again once they leave.

AND

**Here's the best easiest cleaner ever!!!

I let a lemon or lime or both sit in a bowl of filtered water overnight.  I add a sprig of rosemary and oregano from my garden.

The next day I pour that into my spray bottle add some vinegar and shake.  I spray it on my counters, sink etc, sprinkle baking soda and use the lemon (or lime) rind as my scrubber!  Genius!  Thank you!

This kills bacteria, mold, mildew- whoo hoo!

But throw away after a few days and make a new batch.

Linked to .... http://www.aruraljournal.com/, Nourishing Simplicity, The Tip Garden, Tillys Nest, The Thrifty Groove, Living Well Spendingless, A Peek Into My Paradise, The Chicken Chick, All Things With Purpose, Living Well Spendingless

~~~~~~~

I will try to post real pictures later.  I mean well.  BUT really.... the pictures in other's blogs get on my nerves... most the time... I want to see the recipe.  I want to read what to do.  OR better!! I'll watch the video.  But a still shot does nothing for me.

I'm shy- so no video.

And I'm forgetful so probably no pictures.

But I'll try.... if it bothers enough people... I'll try harder.  lol