Ginger Bug 101

I found something online last week and I haven’t slept well since – I’ve been up too late reading, absorbing, learning.

I found the /r/fermentation subreddit, and read about fermenting all sorts of foods:

• The difference between lacto-fermentation and yeast-fermentation.
• That you ferment hot sauce, that one was news to me.
• How to make kraut.

And this weird little thing called a ginger bug. There were lots of threads about ginger bugs – apparently, these are popular.

I had to try.

This recipe is dedicated to trying new things!

Jump to:

• What Is Fermentation?
• Why Would I Eat Something Fermented?!
• What Is A Ginger Bug?
• Ginger Bug Tips + Tricks
• Key Ingredients:
• Step By Step Instructions:
• Make Homemade Soda!
• Maintaining Your Ginger Bug
• 📖 Printable Recipe

What Is Fermentation?

There are 2 main types of fermentation:

• Lacto-fermentation is the fermentation started either with salt (the traditional way) or whey (a different whey – get it! ha). The premise behind it is to create a probiotic food using salt/salt brine to keep the bad bacteria at bay and help proliferate the good bacteria.
  Lacto-fermentation the traditional way is dairy free – the bacteria produce lactic acid, not lactose, but those with dairy issues should avoid eating foods fermented with whey.
• Yeast fermentation is pretty straight forward – just like when making bread – the yeast eats the sugar and creates waste, namely carbon dioxide (CO2) and Ethanol. The CO2 is what makes things bubble and gives rise to bread, and beer. The Ethanol is what makes you feel good. Ha.

Why Would I Eat Something Fermented?!

The benefits of fermented ginger are numerous! This fermented ginger bug is a powerhouse.

It is very beneficial to your health to eat fermented foods, especially lacto-fermented foods as they are probiotic. Probiotic intake is incredibly important for your gut health, and as some of us know, gut health leads to all over better health.

I know the word fermentation is kind of a major turn off, but don’t think of it like that. It’s not like leaving a sippy cup full of milk behind the couch for a week (or two!). Many fermented foods are delicious, and not only are they tasty, but they are also, in many cases, probiotic foods.

What Else? 

Industrialization has changed the way we (humans) ferment and preserve foods. Fermentation can be kind of fiddly, and it’s rare that each batch tastes exactly the same as the one before it.

In the past, fermentation was generally done by brining slightly smushed vegetables in a salt solution, nowadays, commercially available “fermented” foods are processed with vinegar and pasteurized. The acetic vinegar brine and pasteurization effectively kill all of the lactic acid bacteria, voiding the health benefits of the fermented food.

What Is A Ginger Bug?

At it’s core, a ginger bug is just slurry of fresh ginger root, water and sugar, that is fermented until bubbly and foamy. The good bacteria and wild yeasts in the ginger itself populate and eat the sugar in the mixture.

Just as a baker uses sourdough starter to leaven bread, and a brewer uses a kombucha scoby to brew kombucha, we can use a ginger bug to make a naturally effervescent beverages.

How Does It Make Fizz?

One of the main ginger bug uses is a naturally fizzy drink! My favourite way to use a ginger bug is to make a “pop”.

When the fermented ginger bug is added to sweetened fruit juice, the microorganisms begin to eat the sugar in the juice. During the secondary fermentation process the microorganisms eat the sugar, they release CO2 making the slurry effervescent.

Science! Or something!

How Do I Know When My Bug Is Ready?

You’ll know when the ginger bug is ready by looking at your jar. The water with floating ginger chunks will have transformed to a slightly opaque fizzy bubbly liquid. Bubbles will rush to the surface when the jar is jostled, and the it will smell like delicious spicy ginger!

Ginger Bug Tips + Tricks

After dutifully following a popular ginger bug recipe on my first go, I found that it just didn’t work. I also found it kind of annoying to have to add grated ginger and do it daily. So I modified the recipe with great success!

Key Ingredients:

Ginger: Try to use organic ginger if you can find. Conventional ginger may have been sprayed or irradiated, killing the natural yeast and bacteria.

Water: Try to use filtered or spring water. Tap water often has chlorine or other chemicals that can affect your ferment. We have a reverse osmosis system to filter our well water, and both the filtered water and my well water work well in all my ferments.

Sugar: Use simple sugars! Your ginger bug might work with maple syrup or honey, but it works best with simple, easy to dissolve sugars. Use plain old granulated white sugar. Avoid non-caloric sugars – they will not work.

Step By Step Instructions:

Day 1:

1. Wash a quart sized glass jar with hot soapy water, rinse well and set aside to dry.
2. Meanwhile, finely mince a 4-6″ knob of ginger, and transfer to an airtight container.
3. Add 2 cups of room temperature water to the clean and dry mason jar. Add 2 tablespoons minced ginger and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Either fasten the lid and swirl or stir to combine and dissolve the sugar.
4. Loosen the lid so the flat is just resting on the top of the jar and set aside in a warm spot, away from direct sunlight for 24 hours.

Day 2-7 :

1. Open the jar and add 2 tablespoons of minced ginger and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Close the jar tightly and swirl until completely dissolved before loosening the lid and setting aside for 24 hours, until the next feeding.

Day 8:

1. Strain off 1/4 cup of liquid from your ginger bug, this liquid is considered the starter for your sodas and other effervescent drinks.

Make Homemade Soda!

To make a naturally fermented beverage at home;

1. Mix 1/4 cup of the starter with 4 cups of a sweetened, flavoured liquid,
2. Pour it into a bottle with a tight seal, like a flip-top lid, leaving 1/2-1″ headspace.
3. Allow the soda to ferment at room temperature for up to 3 days. (Avoid going longer than 3 days between openings).
4. Store unused portions of soda in the fridge to slow fermentation.

What To Use As A Base:

The world of flavors is only limited by your imagination! Some people use their ginger bug to make ginger beer, or ginger ale. I actually like to use it like a kombucha starter and make fruity inspired drinks

• sweetened and cooled tea
• fruit juice
• simple syrups mixed with water
• chopped fruits, like apples, lemon, or lime. (Though these may need straining before enjoying)
• diced vegetables, spices, and herbs

Maintaining Your Ginger Bug

You can allow the “mother” to rest in the fridge after you strain off some of the liquid starter, remembering to feed it once a week or so – with 2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons water.

To use a rested ginger bug, remove it from the fridge, feed it with 2 tablespoons of water, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons of minced ginger. Allow it to come to room temperature before straining off some starter liquid for your recipe!

If your bug has been in the fridge for some time, you may need to siphon off some liquid, and remove some of the solids, this is ok! Try to keep the jar at least half full – this allows room to add during feedings.

📖 Printable Recipe