Easy Ginger Beer Food

HOMEMADE GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Put the ginger in a saucepan set over a low heat with the lemon peel, sugars and 500ml water and stir until the sugars have dissolved. Increase the heat to medium, then simmer for 15-20 mins, or until reduced and syrupy. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.
• Strain the syrup into a jug through a sieve lined with muslin. At this stage, you can transfer the syrup to a small sterilised bottle or jar and keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.
• Pour the ginger syrup into a large serving jug. Tip in the lemon juice, fill with ice and top up with the soda water. Serve garnished with a few mint sprigs.

HOMEMADE GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Take a 1.5-liter plastic bottle of spring water and empty it into a clean pitcher. Use some of it to make simple syrup by stirring 1/2 pound sugar into 1 cup hot water until fully dissolved.
• In a large measuring cup, mix all ingredients and stir well. Funnel back into the plastic bottle and cap tightly. Store in a warm, dark place for 24 to 48 hours. (I put mine inside a box, to contain it if it should blow.) The top of the bottle will expand and become tight. Check it and very slowly release the pressure if it's looking groaningly tight. Some people ferment it with no top, or with the top on loosely, to allow gas to escape. I suppose if you wanted to get fancy you could spend $1.50 on a fermentation lock and stop worrying about it. If the temperature is quite warm, above 80F, a single day may be sufficient. The longer you let it ferment, the drier the final mix will be.
• After 48 hours, refrigerate it to stop the fermentation. Once chilled, you can strain out the pulp and dead yeast, which will have made a sediment on the bottom. Makes 1 liter and will keep up to a week in the refrigerator.

CHEAT'S GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Put the ginger and lemon in a bowl, pour over 300ml water and blitz with a hand blender until very smooth. Strain through a sieve into a bowl, then press the pulp to remove as much liquid as you can. Add the sugar to the bowl and blitz again.
• Decant into a bottle. Chill until ready to use. Add the lemonade or sparkling water to dilute before serving.

HOMEMADE GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Place ginger in the bowl of a food processor, and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large pot or bowl, and add the boiling water. Allow to standfor 1 hour. Drain through a fine sieve lined with a double thickness of damp cheesecloth. Discard solids. Add lime juice and sugar, and stir to dissolve.

QUICK GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan.
• Finely chop ginger in a food processor. Transfer to a large glass or ceramic bowl; add boiling water and stir to blend. Cover loosely with foil. Let the ginger mixture stand at cool room temperature 24 hours.
• Strain ginger liquid into large pitcher; discard the solids in a strainer.
• Add brown sugar to liquid and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice and pineapple juice.
• Fill glasses with crushed ice and pour ginger beer over ice. If you like, add a little club soda. Serve with lime wedge to squeeze over. Enjoy!

EASY PEASY GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Grate the ginger on a coarse grater; you can leave the skin on if you like. Put the ginger with its pulpy juice in to a bowl and sprinkle in your muscovado sugar.
• Remove the rind from 2 of your lemons with a vegetable peeler, add to the bowl, and slightly bash and squash with something heavy like a rolling pin or a pestle. Just do this for 10 seconds, to mix up the flavours.
• Squeeze the juice from all 3 lemons and add most of it to the bowl. Pour in the fizzy water.
• Allow to sit for 10 minutes and then taste. You may feel that the lemons are slightly too sour, therefore add a little more sugar; if it's slightly too sweet, add a little more lemon juice.
• Pass the ginger beer through a coarse sieve in to a large jug and add lots of ice and some sprigs of mint.

QUICK GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Bring 6 cups water to boil in large saucepan. Finely chop ginger in processor. Transfer chopped ginger to large glass or ceramic bowl; add boiling water and stir to blend. Cover loosely with foil; let ginger mixture stand at cool room temperature 24 hours.
• Strain ginger liquid into large pitcher; discard solids in strainer. Add sugar to liquid and stir until sugar dissolves. Fill glasses with crushed ice and pour ginger beer over ice. Serve each glass of ginger beer with lime wedge to squeeze over.

JAMAICAN GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Remove 1/2 cup of the boiling water and set aside to cool to lukewarm.
• Combine remaining boiling water, 2 cups sugar, ginger, honey, and lime juice in a large plastic container.
• Mix the 1/2 cup lukewarm water, 1 cup sugar, and yeast together in a separate bowl. Let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy paste, about 5 minutes; stir into ginger mixture. Cover container and let sit for 3 days. Skim foam from top, strain liquid, and pour ginger beer into clean storage containers; chill.

EASY PEASY GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Grate the ginger on a coarse grater.
• You can leave the skin on if you like.
• Put the ginger with its pulpy juice into a bowl and sprinkle in muscovado sugar.
• Remove the rind from 2 of the lemons with a vegetable peeler, add to the bowl, and slightly bash and squash with something heavy like a rolling pin or a pestle.
• Just do this for 10 seconds to mix up the flavors.
• Squeeze the juice from all 3 lemons and add most of it to the bowl.
• Pour in the fizzy water.
• Allow to sit for 10 minutes and then taste.
• You may feel that the lemons are slightly too sour, therefore add a little sugar.
• If it's slightly too sweet, add a little more lemon juice.
• Pass the ginger beer through a coarse sieve into a large jug and add lots of ice and some sprigs of mint.