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Ginger Bug 101

Published: March 14, 2016 Modified: Oct 20, 2019 by Ally · As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

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Ginger Bug 101: What is a ginger bug anyways? Learn the uses, benefits, recipe, as well as how to make, care for and feed your own ginger bug.

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.

Looking down into a jar filled with minced ginger and water slurry. It has fermented and created bubbles.
8 days, and my bug is doing great

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 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 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.

A tall mason jar filled with minced ginger and a creamy yellow coloured slurry of sugar water. There are visible bubbles of carbonation throughout.

Back to the ginger bug.

WHAT IS A GINGER BUG?

What is it? A slurry of ginger, 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 to leaven bread, and a brewer uses a kombucha scoby to brew kombucha, we can use a ginger bug to make a naturally effervescent soda.

HOW DOES A GINGER BUG 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. As the microorganisms eat the sugar, they release CO2 making the slurry effervescent.

Science! Or something!

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN THE GINGER 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.

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 grate the ginger and do it daily. So I modified the recipe:

  • PEELING the ginger root isn’t necessary – rinse and wipe, and leave the peel intact.
  • MINCE – it’s faster, it’s easier and it’s less mess. Mince the whole root and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for your daily feedings.
  • TRY to use organic ginger if you can find. Conventional ginger may have been sprayed or irradiated, killing the natural yeast and bacteria.
  • USE simple sugars! It might work with honey, but it works best with simple, easy to dissolve sugars. Use plain old granulated white sugar.

WATER MATTERS:

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, and I use water from that, it works great.

NOT FIZZY?

My countertops are granite – and they run a bit on the cool side, and I feel that this is the reason I didn’t get really good bubbly, yeasty, reactions until day 7/8.

If you’re not seeing bubbles in the first few days, don’t give up. You’ve just got a cool kitchen!

NOT MAKING POP RIGHT NOW?

You can allow the “mother” to rest in the fridge after you strain off some of the liquid, remembering to feed it once a week – 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp ginger root!

Are we friends on Pinterest?

Homemade Ginger Bug
Yield: 1 litre

Homemade Ginger Bug

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Ferment Time: 8 days
Total Time: 8 days 5 minutes

Ginger Bug 101: What is a ginger bug anyways? Learn the uses, benefits, recipe, as well as how to make, care for and feed your own ginger bug.

Ingredients

  • 1 large ginger root approx 4-6 inches, unpeeled, minced
  • 2 tbsp sugar + more

Instructions

  1. Day 1: In a clean - not sterilized, just clean, quart sized mason jar, add 2-2.5 cups of water.
  2. Stir in 2 tbsp of your minced ginger root and 2 tbsp sugar.
  3. Cover loosely with coffee filter, nut milk bag, anything breathable. Set in warmish spot in your kitchen away from direct sunlight.
  4. Day 2: add 2 more tbsp sugar and 2 more tbsp minced ginger, stir, recover.
  5. Days 3 - 7: feed the ginger bug just as you did on day 2.
  6. Day 8: Strain the ginger bug and use the probiotic liquid to make stuff fizzy!

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

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  • 2 Glass Mason Drinking Jars 
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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 25 Total Fat: 0g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 0mg Carbohydrates: 6g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 6g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 0g
© Allyson Letal @ cravethegood.com
Cuisine: clean eating / Category: Drinks
A Ginger Bug 101: What is a ginger bug anyways? Learn the uses, benefits, recipe, as well as how to make, care for and feed your own ginger bug | cravethegood.com #cravethegood #gingerbug #fermenting
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About Ally

I live in Canada, collect kitchen appliances, t-shirts from rock concerts, and coffee mugs. Nothing makes me happier than sharing food that makes you say "Damn, that's good".

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. P One says

    October 13, 2016 at 9:54 pm

    Once you strain the ginger bug at the end, you are left with a lot of dried out ginger. Are you supposed to throw that away, or do you leave the old ginger in the jar, fill the jar with fresh water and start over?

    Reply
    • Ally says

      October 16, 2016 at 8:21 am

      I start fresh with new ginger 🙂

      Reply
    • FP says

      January 13, 2017 at 9:02 pm

      After you strain the bug, add more waterp, sugar and ginger. You can leave it at room temperature and keep feeding it daily by adding sugar and ginger or you can store in the fridge and feed weekly bringing it to room temperature when needed and resuming the daily feeding.

      Reply
  2. Debbie Heffley says

    January 24, 2017 at 3:24 pm

    When your ginger fement it feeds on the sugar. Does the fermented liquid have the same amount of glucose and regular sugar afterward?

    Reply
    • Ally says

      January 25, 2017 at 12:48 pm

      HI Debbie,

      It doesn’t have the same level of glucose, but to be totally honest, I have no idea what the level would be or how much of the sugar is consumed by the ginger bug. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  3. erin says

    July 28, 2017 at 1:20 pm

    Hi. You don;t drain the whole ginger bug once fully fermented. It’s just like bread starters where you remove a small portion, then re-feed it and allow it to ferment again. Typically, you add about 1/4 cup of your bug to a quart of sweetened liquid, then place into bottles (grolsch-style bottles are great), being aware that you may have to burp them over the few days of fermentation to avoid explosions. Once fermented, you should place the bottles into the fridge.

    Unless you can feed your bug daily, you can store your bug in the fridge and feed it once weekly, then when ready to use, bring it out and feed until bubbly (as before), then use for your sodas again.

    Reply
  4. Margaret says

    March 05, 2018 at 7:52 am

    How much of the ginger bug liquid do you use in each F2 kombucha bottle?

    Reply
    • Ally says

      March 16, 2018 at 11:59 am

      Hi Margaret – I usually use 1/4 – 1/3 of the ginger bug liquid to each litre of juice!

      Reply
  5. Immari says

    April 30, 2018 at 9:59 am

    Hello, good afternoon!!
    I was wondering if the bug could be added to water with a simple lemon and honey concoction, and drank that way?

    Reply
    • Ally says

      May 07, 2018 at 9:51 am

      Immari, I am not sure, but I guess it would be worth a try in small quantities? I think that refined sugar is much easier for the “bug” to digest, but I could be wrong!

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Ally!

Ally, the creator at crave the good holding a baking sheet with unbaked cookies. I spend way too much time thinking and talking about food. Especially GOOD food, with lots of flavour and interesting recipes. Join me in my Canadian kitchen – we can chug maple syrup and make poutine!

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