Probiotic Soda: Ginger Ale

In the series of healthy, probiotic sodas, here is a really simple but-oh-so yummy one: Ginger Ale!

 

Water Kefir - First Ferment

4 cups of structured, Prill water or living water (or bottled water)

1/4 cup of organic evaporated cane sugar

10 organic raisins or so

1 organic lemon wedge (1/4 of a small lemon)

1.5 tbsp. water Kefir Grains

In a mason jar, combine sugar and water and stir with a non metal spoon to dissolve sugar partially . It doesn’t have to be dissolved all the way, the kefir grains will do the rest.

Add the kefir grains, lemon wedge and raisins.

Tighten lid on the jar and let the water kefir grains do their thing for 24 to 36 hours.

When all the raisins are at the top and are staying at the top or coming right back up when you move the jar, you’re kefir is ready.

Remove the raisins and lemon wedge, strain out the water kefir grains.

Rinse the kefir grains for our next batch.

Combining The Two - Second Ferment

4 cups of water kefir (grains strained out)

1/2 small organic lemon (you can reuse the one you had in the first ferment too)

1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled, chopped/grated or finely sliced

1.5  tbsp. organic evaporated cane sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla emulsion/extract

 

Combine all the above in a large jar, squeeze 1/4 of the lemon for juice, then add the lemon back in,  screw down the lid tight (it needs to be a tight lid as this will build quite some carbonation) and let it steep for 12 -18 hrs. You probably need to burp the liquid several times a day to release some of the carbonation build-up.

Strain the solids out and decant the ginger ale into flip top bottles. Refrigerate the ginger ale.

 

 

This recipe is very adjustable to your own tastes.

Use more ginger, use more vanilla, less of anything, use real vanilla, use extract, add something else - the possibilities are endless.

For example, my daughter’s favorite way is to add 2 tbsp. of fresh pineapple juice per bottle when I decant it. The gingery pineapple soda is delightful!

There will likely be a little sediment at the bottom of the bottles - that’s from the ginger and lemon. Don’t worry about that, it’s perfectly normal and you can drink it just fine!

 

Next up in the series of healthy “sodas” - probiotic, natural, gluten-free root beer!