Re: Lacto-Fermented Ginger Ale with New Chapter Ginger Wonder Syrup

[Guest guest]

I make the ginger beer, which I love. I use powdered ginger from

Frontier and sugar/radpadura. I've never heard of this ginger

syrup, how does the ingredients list read on the bottle? The ginger

beer is really easy to make once you get your 'bug' started. I keep

it on rotation and have been drinking about a quart everyday.

Robin

> Hi, I'm a newbie - just a few months incorporating Nourishing

> Traditions cooking into my diet and a week lurking on this list.

I

> was wondering if anyone had any thoughts about using Ginger Wonder

> Syrup instead of fresh ginger and sweetener to make lacto-

fermented

> gingerale. I know you can use the syrup to mix with sparkling

water

> to make a simple gingerale, but I was wondering how one might

improve

> it through lacto-fermentation. It would seem to me that you would

> definitely need to add salt and whey and then let it sit for a few

> days. Would it be important to add additional sweetener (sugar,

> honey, whatever) to give the friendly bacteria more to feed on?

The

> syrup already contains some honey.

>

> Anyone have any opinions or thoughts on a recipe?

>

> Thanks.

>

> Joan

[Guest guest]

>I know you can use the syrup to mix with sparkling water

>to make a simple gingerale, but I was wondering how one might improve

>it through lacto-fermentation. It would seem to me that you would

>definitely need to add salt and whey and then let it sit for a few

>days. Would it be important to add additional sweetener (sugar,

>honey, whatever) to give the friendly bacteria more to feed on? The

>syrup already contains some honey.

>

>Anyone have any opinions or thoughts on a recipe?

>

>Thanks.

>

>Joan

Joan:

I have not heard of " wonder syrup " but really, if you watch

cooking shows or read cookbooks or talk to cooks ... the secret

of GREAT food is FRESH. There is no comparison. And I might also

add that fresh is usually cheaper. Ginger costs very little in

the produce dept. I wrap it in a towel and it keeps for months

in the fridge. (you can also immerse it in vodka!).

That said, I use jelly often to make kefir beer, because it

is easier than straining the seeds out. Basically any sugary

anything plus lactobacilli creates a nice drink. They will feed

on honey, but they digest it soooo slowly.

Also, in general the rule is: experiment and let us know

what works! I'm pretty addicted to kefir-beer and make that

the most ... I have not tried it with ginger root yet because

I'm in a " berry " phase (using up 100 lbs or so of berries before

the new crop comes in, which promises to be the best yet). I think

it may be time to get back into winemaking ...

-- Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

>

> >I know you can use the syrup to mix with sparkling water

> >to make a simple gingerale, but I was wondering how one might

improve

> >it through lacto-fermentation. It would seem to me that you would

> >definitely need to add salt and whey and then let it sit for a few

> >days. Would it be important to add additional sweetener (sugar,

> >honey, whatever) to give the friendly bacteria more to feed on?

The

> >syrup already contains some honey.

> >

> >Anyone have any opinions or thoughts on a recipe?

> >

> >Thanks.

> >

> >Joan

>

> Joan:

>

> I have not heard of " wonder syrup " but really, if you watch

> cooking shows or read cookbooks or talk to cooks ... the secret

> of GREAT food is FRESH. There is no comparison. And I might also

> add that fresh is usually cheaper. Ginger costs very little in

> the produce dept. I wrap it in a towel and it keeps for months

> in the fridge. (you can also immerse it in vodka!).

>

> That said, I use jelly often to make kefir beer, because it

> is easier than straining the seeds out. Basically any sugary

> anything plus lactobacilli creates a nice drink. They will feed

> on honey, but they digest it soooo slowly.

>

> Also, in general the rule is: experiment and let us know

> what works! I'm pretty addicted to kefir-beer and make that

> the most ... I have not tried it with ginger root yet because

> I'm in a " berry " phase (using up 100 lbs or so of berries before

> the new crop comes in, which promises to be the best yet). I think

> it may be time to get back into winemaking ...

>

> -- Heidi Jean

I think you've got a good answer, Heidi Jean. There is something

called water kefir or kefir d'acqua that would make a nice fermented

sparkling ginger drink. Take a look at this website for more

information:

http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html#alternativekefir

The problem is obtaining the kefir grains. If anyone has some to

spare I would be very thankful if you could send me some. I've had a

lot of luck with the milk kefir grains.

Hope that helps,

Taotun

[Guest guest]

>The problem is obtaining the kefir grains. If anyone has some to

>spare I would be very thankful if you could send me some. I've had a

>lot of luck with the milk kefir grains.

>

>Hope that helps,

>

>Taotun

I got some once, but they didn't work as well as using an

" extra " milk kefir grain. They just wouldn't grow. I heard

that from other people: for some folks they work great,

for others they just kept shrinking. But we never could

figure out WHY.

Also, the milk kefir grains produced a better tasting

product, IMO. If you bottle the kefir-beer in ezcap

bottles it will get a nice fizz (too much fizz, if you

leave it too long!)

-- Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

>

> >The problem is obtaining the kefir grains. If anyone has some to

> >spare I would be very thankful if you could send me some. I've

had a

> >lot of luck with the milk kefir grains.

> >

> >Hope that helps,

> >

> >Taotun

>

> I got some once, but they didn't work as well as using an

> " extra " milk kefir grain. They just wouldn't grow. I heard

> that from other people: for some folks they work great,

> for others they just kept shrinking. But we never could

> figure out WHY.

>

> Also, the milk kefir grains produced a better tasting

> product, IMO. If you bottle the kefir-beer in ezcap

> bottles it will get a nice fizz (too much fizz, if you

> leave it too long!)

>

> -- Heidi Jean

That's a great piece of advice Heidi Jean. I've got some extra milk

kefir grains that I'll give it a try with. In the website I cited

they added malt to the liquid made with milk kefir grains. Did you

do this or just rinse the milk off and add them to the liquid that

you made kefir with?

Thanks,

Taotun

[Guest guest]

>That's a great piece of advice Heidi Jean. I've got some extra milk

>kefir grains that I'll give it a try with. In the website I cited

>they added malt to the liquid made with milk kefir grains. Did you

>do this or just rinse the milk off and add them to the liquid that

>you made kefir with?

>

>Thanks,

>

>Taotun

Malt is usually made from barley, so I can't eat it. Otherwise,

I would! I love the stuff. I'd like to use sorghum syrup (when

I get some) and once or twice I've used molasses. Or just plain

sugar. The liquid you use has to have *some* sort of sugar ...

the tastiest seems to be apple juice. But the kefir will eat

any sugar. I'm going to try sprouting buckwheat and see if I can

make malt from that!

I didn't add them to the liquid I made kefir with. I washed off

a grain and threw it in a container of apple juice. Actually

my first batch I used a gallon apple-cider jug, tossed the grain

in and inserted a water-lock on top (to keep the bugs out). Now I

use a container with a plastic lid that lets the gas out (just

because it is easier to clean). I also use a mix of water, berry

juice, and sugar, or water mixed with jam.

-- Heidi Jean