A ginger bug is a really cool ferment with a fun name. It is essentially a starter culture, much like a sourdough starter is to bread, or a SCOBY is to kombucha. With a ginger bug, you can naturally ferment homemade soda, healthy ginger ale, root beer, and other healthy soda alternatives.
Using three simple ingredients—organic ginger root, sugar, and water—a ginger bug will “capture” wild yeasts and bacteria that will eat the sugar and emit carbon dioxide as a “waste” product. Hence the ability to give sodas a natural fizz of bubbles.
It also has a natural kid-appeal because of its name. And the process requires “feeding” your ginger bug each day is much like a pet!
Since it is free from high-fructose corn syrup and other additives, you can feel good about making a sweet fizzy drink for refreshment on hot summer day!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons grated or finely chopped organic ginger root
½ cup sugar
2 cups water
Plus: Additional sugar and ginger for feeding
How to Make a Ginger Bug Starter
1) Place the ginger, sugar, and water in a quart-size wide-mouth mason jar and shake gently to dissolve the sugar.
2) Cover the jar with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and a lid ring or rubber band and set the jar in a warm spot to ferment.
3) Every day for the next week, add one tablespoon each of finely chopped (or grated) ginger and sugar to “feed” the ginger bug.
Toward the end of the week, you should notice some bubbly action in the jar and you may notice a faint yeast smell. These are all signs that fermentation is happening as it should!
If you do not notice any bubbly action after a week, or if mold forms on the surface, you may need to start again.
4) Once bubbles have formed at the top of the ginger bug, it is ready for use in your homemade soda recipe. Pour off the amount that you need for the soda recipe, and replenish it for future use.
5) To keep the ginger bug alive, feed it daily as above. If you will not be using it for a while, you can store it in a refrigerator and feed it once a week. When you are ready to use it again, place it in a room temperature location and resume feeding it daily.
Now you’re ready to make some delicious homemade soda that you can feel good about! Here are a few recipes to try:
How to Make a Ginger Bug for Homemade Soda
A ginger bug is a natural ferment that can be used as a starter culture for homemade sodas, ginger ale, or root beer. Using just three ingredients - organic ginger, sugar, and water - I'll teach you how to make a ginger bug at home.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons grated or finely chopped organic ginger root
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 cups water
- Plus: Additional sugar and ginger for feeding
Instructions
- Place the ginger, sugar, and water in a quart-size wide-mouth mason jar and shake gently to dissolve the sugar.
- Cover the jar with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and a lid ring or rubber band and set the jar in a warm spot to ferment.
- Every day for the next week, add one tablespoon each of finely chopped (or grated) ginger and sugar to “feed” the ginger bug. Toward the end of the week you should notice some bubbly action in the jar and you may notice a faint yeast smell. These are all signs that fermentation is happening as it should! If you do not notice any bubbly action after a week, or if mold forms on the surface, you may need to start again.
- Once bubbles have formed at the top of the ginger bug, it is ready for use in your homemade soda recipe. Pour off the amount that you need for the soda recipe, and replenish the ginger bug for future use.
- To keep the ginger bug alive, feed it daily as above. If you will not be using the ginger bug for a while, you can store it in a refrigerator and feed it once a week. When you are ready to use your ginger bug again, place it in a room temperature location and resume feeding it daily.
Notes
Now you’re ready to make some delicious homemade soda that you can feel good about! Here are a few recipes to try:
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Let’s say I use a half cup of my starter for another project, what do I need to do with the starter to keep it alive and full? Do I add the same amount of water I took out with more ginger and sugar? Does it take a few days until it’s ready again?
Yes, you can keep “feeding” it with more water and sugar and let it continue to ferment. This is the same concept as a sourdough starter or kombucha!
Can frozen ginger be used?
I have not yet used frozen ginger, but many sources report that it will still work. You still want to use organic ginger.
Can you use honey or maple syrup in place of granulated sugar?
I haven’t yet tried either, but from what I have heard, people do use both maple syrup and honey. Some feel that honey is a poor choice because it has anti-bacterial properties and thus may inhibit the fermentation process. But others use it just fine!
Hi do you have any advice on the safety of this fermentation or homemade fermentation in general for pregnant women? I have been drinking store bought live kombucha in small amounts.
Do you need to use boiled then cooled water for the ginger starter?
Also, for timing considerations would it work to freeze the dandelion petals until the fermentation is ready for use?
Do you need to sterilize the equipment for the soda?
Thanks!
-New fermenter 😉
Keeping in mind that I am not a medical professional, and if you have concerns, you may want to get final clearance from your doctor/midwife/health advisor… homemade fermented foods are very safe! This is an ancient method of food preservation, with many delicious results – chocolate, coffee, wine, cheese, salami, etc!
It’s always a good idea to start with clean/sterilized equipment, so that would be a great starting point for the soda – simply rinse it with some boiling water, or put it through the sanitize cycle of the dishwasher. Sometimes using boiled and cooled water, or even distilled water can work well for ginger beers and other fermented foods because regular tap water can contain chlorine, which may negatively impact the good bacteria that we are trying to culture.
And yes, you could definitely freeze dandelion petals, or even make the dandelion tea, and then freeze it in small containers until you’re ready to use it.
Hope that helps, and good luck!