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I like to describe fermentation as waging a war between good bacteria and bad bacteria. In this war you wage, you do everything you can to set the good bacteria up for success so that they can take over the bad bacteria. The best tell on whether or not the good bacteria (probiotics) won the war is to look at your ferment. Does it have mold? Does it smell bad? Does it taste bad? Does your culture look healthy? It’s easy to tell trust me. A lot of people get grossed out and feel funny about fermented foods but I assure you they can taste amazing and they offer many health benefits if cultured correctly!
I used to run my own vinegar production business called Effervescence and one of the most popular products I used to sell was an adapted version of this recipe! This recipe uses a wild fermentation technique to start the ferment. Wild fermentation is a process that requires no starter cultures. I am writing the recipe and directions this way out of respect for the fact that most readers probably don’t have an active culture of this stuff just lying about in their kitchen. Starting a wild fermentation is simple. You just need to make sure you have prebiotics and food in your culture.
In this recipe, the fresh ginger root acts as a prebiotic and the white cane sugar acts as the “food” for the good bacteria. Both of these ingredients help provide the good bacteria with the proper materials they need to convert the sugars and digest the nutrients in the ferment. Once your ferment is done and the probiotics have persevered, you will have a tasty drink ready to be consumed that is packed full of bioavailable nutrients and probiotics ready to nourish your body.
On that note, I have one question.
♦ 1 fresh ginger root
♦ distilled Water
♦ 2 tbsp white cane sugar
1. Wash and rinse the fresh ginger root
2. Put the ginger root into a food processor and process until shredded.
3. Place the ginger root and white sugar into a mouth jar
4. Fill the jar to about an inch or two below the opening with distilled water.It is very important that you use distilled water as other types of water don’t promote a very habitable environment for the probiotics to thrive in.
5. Place an airtight lid on the jar.
Let your ferment sit for at least two weeks. Be sure burp it EVERY day and to stir it every so often to help “stimulate” the probiotic activity and to prevent your jar from bursting. I learned the hard way that that is not a mess you want to clean up!
If your ferment seems like it’s struggling to get started, add a bit of sugar to it to see if that kick-starts it.
If you have any questions about your ferment, please comment down below or on my ginger ferment Instagram post (@taylersilfverduk) and I’d be my pleasure to help you troubleshoot.
If you want to experiment with things and get a bit more creative, you can try brewing this stuff aerobically by using a coffee filter and rubberband as a lid instead of an airtight lid. This will slightly change the flavor and nature of the ferment but I promise it will just as delicious!
Don’t know how to use this stuff once you’ve finished brewing? I usually just drink it straight, however, I have also been known to chug vinegar so that might not be your cup of tea. I’ve heard mixing it with seltzer water or lemonade (or both) make for a delicious and healing drink! I’ve also heard mixing it with other juices has created some pretty satisfying results.