Recipes Sites Ingredients

Ginger Bug

URL: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/ginger-bug-recipe

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water
  • 3 teaspoons organic sugar
  • 3 teaspoons diced ginger
  • Additional sugar and ginger for maintenance

Method

  • Combine all ingredients in a quart jar.

  • Place a tight lid on the jar, give it a shake, and allow it to sit in a warm spot (72° to 80°F). If your home tends to be cool at night, consider the ideas listed here for cold weather care.

  • Every day for the next week add 2 more teaspoons each of sugar and diced ginger. The liquid will begin to get bubbly towards the end of the week. If you’re using the classic cap-and-band jar lid, you will be able to feel the top of the lid for pressure. Once there are bubbles forming at the top of the mixture, it’s ready to use for soda making.

  • Use the ratio of 1/4 cup ginger bug starter per quart of sweetened and flavored liquid, cap the mixture tightly, and let ferment for 2 to 3 days.

Notes

If you want to keep the bug alive and continue growing it, you will need to feed it regularly using the proportions above.

Alternatively, you can rest it in the refrigerator and feed it 1 tablespoon each of ginger and sugar once a week.

To reactivate it, let it reach room temperature and begin feeding it again.