Ginger Beer Food

GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Wash and then grind or grate the ginger, peel and all and place in a large bowl or pitcher.
• Juice the limes and add the lime juice, the lime peels, the sugar and the cream of tartar to the ginger.
• Pour the boiling water over the ginger mixture and allow to sit for at least two hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has cooled to room temperature.
• Making sure the water is at room temperature (if it is too hot, it will kill the yeast), strain the mixture into a large pitcher or jar with a cover.
• Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the strained liquid and let it sit uncovered for about five minutes so the yeast softens.
• Now stir the mixture, cover it and leave it to sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
• Strain again, chill and serve cold.
• Note: This is not an overly sweet drink and not one in which you can substitute splenda for the sugar as the yeast feeds on the sugar.

GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Wash ginger root but do not peel. Chop roughly and process in food processor until reduced to a textured paste. Put ginger in a large non reactive container and pour boiling water over it. Stir in the lime juice, zest and cream of tartar. Cover and stir occasionally as mixture cools. When lukewarm, mix the yeast with the warm water, pressing out lumps, and add to container. Cover and let stand for 6 hours. Stir the sugar into the ginger beer until completely dissolved and immediately pour into sterilized bottles, making sure the stoppers are well sealed and airtight. The ginger beer will keep for 3 to 4 days in a cool place. To keep longer, add rum.
• To serve, strain and pour into glasses (over shaved ice if desired), with a sprig of mint and thin slice of lime.

GINGER BEER

Steps:

• -------TO GET BUG WORKING-------.
• Mix the yeast, ground ginger, 2 tspns of sugar and lukewarm water together in a large glass jar.
• Cover with a cloth (the sort of material that you would use to strain jelly through as the bug needs to breathe).
• Let stand for 24 hours.
• After this feed the bug every day for 10 days with 1 tspn of ground ginger and 1 tspn of sugar.
• ---------TO MAKE THE BEER----------.
• Put 1 litre of the water and the sugar in a saucpan.
• Heat gently while stirring until the sugar dissolves.
• Take off the heat and add the rest of the water and the lemon juice.
• Without disturbing the sediment, strain the ginger beer bug liquid through 2 layers of scalded muslin.
• Add this liquid to the sugared water.
• Pour the mixture into clean bottles, cap tightly and leave to stand for 2 days, or until it starts to fizz.
• After this, it must be kept in a cool place or the fridge to prevent the tops blowing.
• I use a sterilizing powder obtained from home brew shops to sterilize my bottles.
• After making the beer divide the sediment in the jar into two.
• You now have 2 bugs to feed and can double the beer recipe.
• As you double the bugs each time you increase the number of bottles you can produce.
• After all available surfaces are covered with bug jars and you are swamped with beer you can give the extra bugs away to get others on the treadmill.

GINGER BEER (MAKES 10 PINTS)

Steps:

• to make the plant put all the ingredients in a screw top jar. Cover tightly then put in a warm place for about 3 days or until the plant is bubbling gently.
• Feed the plant as given every day for 1 week.
• after 1 week, make the ginger beer. Put the boiling and sugar into a bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved add the cold water and stir in the lemon juice
• Strain the ginger beer plant through a double thickness of muslin, squeezing out all the liquid. Do not throw out the residue. Stir the liquid into the bowl. pour the ginger beer into bottles seal and keep 3 days in a cool place before drinking
• the residue is now divided in half, give half to a friend in the screw top jar to stat again. add 1/2 pint cold water and feed, feed for 1 week as before

HOMEMADE GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Grate enough ginger using Microplane to measure 3 1/2 tablespoons, then put in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl to collect juice, pressing on solids and then discarding.
• Place funnel in neck of bottle and pour in 3 tablespoons ginger juice (reserve any remaining for another use). Add sugar, lemon juice, yeast, and a pinch of salt.
• Fill bottle with water, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of space at top. Remove funnel and screw cap on tightly. Gently shake bottle to dissolve sugar.
• Let stand at room temperature until plastic feels hard and no longer indents when squeezed, 24 to 36 hours.
• Chill ginger beer until very cold.

GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Prepare the ginger: Chop the ginger into small cubes, leaving the skin on but removing any impurities. Add half of the ginger to the blender, along with the water. Blend until smooth, and then strain into a bowl, pressing the ginger pulp to get all of the flavor. Return pressed pulp to the blender, along with half of the remaining ginger and the strained liquid. Strain and repeat, and then do it once more with the remaining ginger. This method will extract maximum ginger flavor and should be done a total of 3-4 times. Taste for flavor and "zing" and repeat the process again if desired.
• Finish the ginger beer: Make the ginger beer by adding lime juice and sugar to the ginger water. Stir and taste for sweetness. Add more sugar if desired. To serve, add ice cubes to a tall glass, follow with ginger beer, and top it off with soda water. Stir again and serve.

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.