Home Made Ginger Beer

Starting the plant (Part 1)

In a large jar mix the following items to form the basis of your ginger beer plant;

• 1 Teaspoon of lemon pulp
• 2 Teaspoons of ground ginger
• 4 Teaspoons of sugar
• 2 Cups of cold water
• 8 Sultana's

Once combined, the 'plant' must be left untouched for 3 to 4 days, depending on climate to ferment.

Store the jar in a warm dry place to help this process along.

Feeding the ginger beer plant (Part 2)

Each day for 1 week your plant must be nourished by adding the following items to the jar, in order to keep it growing;

• 2 Teaspoons of ground ginger
• 4 Teaspoons of sugar

The harvest (Part 3)

After feeding your plant for one week, it now becomes time to harvest the crop. You will now need the following items:

• A CLEAN plastic bucket or large non-reactive container
• 12 glass/plastic bottles with lids (Sterilised)
• Some muslin cloth for straining

In addition you will need the following additional ingredients:

• 4 Cups of sugar
• 4 Cups of boiling water
• Juice of 4 lemons
• 28 Cups of cold water

In the plastic bucket/container, dissolve the sugar in the boiling water, add the lemon juice and cold water.

The next step requires you to strain the 'plant mixture' into the bucket through a double layer of muslin, squeeze until the mixture is relatively dry.

Mix the entire buckets contents thoroughly and then bottle. Usually it takes some time for the ginger beer to mature but i don't remember how long. It is at lease a weeks so at the end of week 1 after bottling loosen a cap and see if there is enough gas in the bottle.

NOTES:

• When filling up the bottles, remember to fill each bottle to approximately one third up the bottles neck.


• For a little extra Fizzz add 1 or 2 sultanas to each bottle before capping

Reviving the plant (Part 4)

Once the plant has been harvested, it is possible to revive it by separating the remainder into halves and cultivating it as detailed in Part 2 (above).

Each half must now be treated as a separate entity and in subsequent harvests a double batch may be made or a half plant may be given away to a friend.

This recipe makes approximately 11 bottles of Home Made Ginger Beer!

To open the bottles make sure that are COLD and gradually let the pressure out slowly, this was you wont lose any of your ginger beer.