Editor's note
Fast track “How to Make a Fizzy Soda Starter from Fresh Ginger”
This is a fast track – you can learn lots of details about culturing/fermenting but the basic idea, whether it is alchemy with sugar, flour or salt – it is all somewhat the same. You are creating life from “thin air” and making the food better for your body. You are either making it more digestible and /or adding symbiotic probiotics.
I used to drink lots of soda – I like the fizz… it is a natural“addiction” this craving for fizz. Unfortunately, we have, since the 1920’s substituted the good fizz (natural “carbonation”) for forced carbonation with flavored and colored sugar water.
So let’s get going….you will need ginger, sugar and water. Stop fretting - the sugar is for the ferment not for you....and remember sugar is a crystal all you new agers - enhance it!!
Get a large chunk of fresh ginger – shred about 2 tablespoons of it – or chop it if you want to and place it into a glass (quart ball) jar with 2 cups fresh water. Stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar. You can use white sugar, but if you have brown sugar or an organic sugar of course use that. You shouldn’t need to peel the ginger, in fact the “magic” is probably on the peel itself. Unfortunately, even organic foods are washed and irradiated, so success may not come as fast as it should. You can add a bit of fresh whey (or the liquid on a good yogurt).
You can cover this loosely - with a coffee filter, cheesecloth or the like and a rubber band. Place it in a warm place.
Day 2 Add 2 tablespoons of ginger and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
On the 3rd to 7th days - do the same, plus add a tablespoon of fresh water a couple of times. Keep warm and out of sunlight.
On day 8 or so, we will strain it and use some of this to make a fizzy soda from a sweetened juice.
Instructions will be in part deux.
Learn, Discern and Stay Nourished,
Chef Cathy