Fermented lemonades and water kefir

My very first ferment was a ginger beer cultivated with a ginger starter. It was so good that from then on I could not keep my hands off fermenting. The result is obvious, as you can see.

Make your own lactofermented probiotic soda pop

On this page you will find information about ginger bug, ginger ale / ginger beer, lactofermented probiotic soda and water kefir. Kombucha has a seperate article.

To make lemonade with wonderful bubbles from tea, fruit juice or other liquids yourself, all you need is a starter and enough sugar, which this starter can eat and convert into carbon dioxide.

Ginger bug and ginger beer

The classic fermented drink is certainly ginger ale or ginger beer made from a homemade ginger beer starter, also called ginger bug. I have dedicated a separate article to both recipes:

Ginger Bug for ginger beer and other fermented drinks

Ginger Bug for ginger beer and other fermented drinks

It all began with a turmeric ginger bug and the ginger beer fermented from it in May 2015. Seven years later, it's really about time that I share the recipe and a few tips and tricks with you. The ginger turmeric beer in the next photo is, by the way:

more… Ginger Bug for ginger beer and other fermented drinks

Make probiotic lemonade with whey

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp. lemon or lime juice
• 2 tbsp. sweetener (honey, maple syrup, raw cane sugar, sugar beet syrup...)
• 1 tbsp. whey
• 450 ml water

1. Mix all the ingredients and fill into swing-top bottles.
2. Leave for 2-4 days at approx. 20° C. During this time, burp daily, i.e. slightly open the swing top to release pressure.
3. When enough carbon dioxide has developed, place in the refrigerator and enjoy.
4. ATTENTION - even in the refrigerator the fermentation continues, so always make sure to burp the bottles!

The whey, which is left from my cream cheese making lasts 4-5 weeks in a swing-top bottle in the refrigerator. I open the bottle every few days because the whey continues to produce carbon dioxide and I don't want the bottle to explode.

Water kefir

Water kefir is the culture with the probably least positive effects on your well-being. It is nevertheless much fun to watch the transparent grains at work, and everything is better than storebought soda aka sugar water with added carbonic acid.

With the help of yeasts and bacteria, the crystals transform the water into lemonade by adding sugar, lemon and dried fruit to it. The sparkling aroma is reminiscent of bitter lemon soda. By the way, the majority of the sugar is processed into lactic acid by the microorganisms.

INGREDIENTS

• 2-3 tbsp water kefir crystals
• 1 liter water
• 5 tbsp. white sugar
• a few dried fruits (figs, raisins, plums, ...)
• 1-2 lemon slices
• Flip-top glass, min. 1l
• Swing top bottles for bottling

PREPARATION

1. Dissolve sugar in water in the flip-top glass
2. Add crystals
3. Add a ½ handful of raisins or 2-3 figs
4. Add the lemon slices

Close the lid of the flip-top glass, but do not use a rubber seal. Place in a warm place. After 1-3 days the water kefir is ready. Remove the dried fruits and the lemon slices and fill the lemonade into swing top bottles. Cold storage.

The water kefir crystals keep in a water-sugar solution in the refrigerator when they are not in use. I have been storing my crystals this way for months. Every few weeks I give them a fresh sugar solution.

When I then go back into water kefir production, I need 1-2 approaches, which are not drinkable until the crystals are reactivated.