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?
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!
Expert Tips
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!
- Peeling the ginger root isn’t necessary, just rinse and wipe, and leave the peel intact.
- Mince, it’s faster, it’s easier and it’s less mess. Mince the whole knob of ginger and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for your daily feedings.
- 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 likely just got a cooler kitchen.
- I like to set a canning lid on top of my mason jar and loosely screw on the lid – not even enough to apply pressure, just enough to keep the lid centered on the jar. I find it’s easier to work with than using cheesecloth and a rubber band to cover the jar, it’s cleaner, keeps dust out better, and reduces evaporation.
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:
- Wash a quart sized glass jar with hot soapy water, rinse well and set aside to dry.
- Meanwhile, finely mince a 4-6″ knob of ginger, and transfer to an airtight container.
- 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.
- 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 :
- 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:
- 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;
- Mix 1/4 cup of the starter with 4 cups of a sweetened, flavoured liquid,
- Pour it into a bottle with a tight seal, like a flip-top lid, leaving 1/2-1″ headspace.
- Allow the soda to ferment at room temperature for up to 3 days. (Avoid going longer than 3 days between openings).
- 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.
Psst. You can feed the ginger pulp to your backyard flock!
See What Else I’m Fermenting
If you tried this Ginger Bug recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Printable Recipe
Homemade Ginger Bug Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large ginger root approx 4-6 inches, unpeeled, minced
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 2 cups filtered water
Instructions
Grow Your Ginger Bug:
Day 1:
- Wash a quart sized glass jar with hot soapy water, rinse well and set aside to dry. Meanwhile, finely mince a 3″ knob of ginger, and transfer to an airtight container.
- Add 2 cups of room temperature water to the clean and dry mason jar. Add 2 tablespoons minced ginger and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Fasten the lid and swirl or shake to combine and dissolve the sugar.
- 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. Store extra ginger in the fridge.
Day 2 – 7
- Each day, 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:
- Strain the ginger bug, removing the solids, and reserve some of the remaining liquid and use some to make fizzy drinks! This leftover liquid is considered the starter.
Make Homemade Soda:
- Mix 1/4 cup of the starter with 4 cups of a sweetened, flavoured liquid.
- Pour it into a bottle with a tight seal, like a flip-top bottle, leaving 1/2-1″ headspace.
- Allow the soda to ferment at room temperature for up to 3 days. (Avoid going longer than 3 days between openings).
- Store unused portions of soda in the fridge to slow fermentation.
Maintaining The Ginger Bug:
- Strain off 1 cup of liquid.
- Place the ginger bug in the fridge in a closed jar.
- Feed your ginger bug weekly with 2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons water.
- To use a rested ginger bug, simply feed it, remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature before straining off some starter liquid for your drinks.
- If your bug has been resting 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.
Recommended Equipment + Ingredients
- 1 Ball 32-Ounces Mason Jars
- 1 Fine mesh sieve
What happens when you forget to feed your bug one day during the first week of daily feeding? Can I feed it the next morning and continue?
It’s like sourdough, pretty resilient, just keep on trucking with the next feed!
can 1 ginger bug make many different drinks
You bet! You don’t need a whole lot of ginger bug, it’s a lot like sourdough!
I made some soda with my ginger bug yesterday. 3 of my 6 are starting to gain the bubbles. What’s up with my other 3?
They may simply take a little longer! Let me know how it goes!
@Ally,
Hi! Trying this for the first time.. what if I do jot have a quart size jar?
I would just halve the recipe and use a smaller jar! 🙂
Hi! I’m very curious if the ginger bug infuses a distinct ginger flavor into whatever you add it to? Or is it purely for fermentation and doesn’t add much ginger flavor at all?
For instance if I add 1/4 cup of my fermented ginger bug to 1L fresh pineapple juice (w water & sugar) will the final result taste like ginger-pineapple or will the ginger flavor be more subtle and the pineapple will be more pronounced?
Thanks!!
I didn’t find it to be overly gingery. Does it have some ginger flavour, yes but it’s not spicy and intense as if you were gnawing on a raw ginger root!
@Ally, Ah perfect, thank you for sharing!!
I had strongly boiled fresh ginger slices in water to add extra flavor before adding miso for soup. When I tasted the water it was way too spicy for the soup. I poured a tea I it full & added honey, figuring on a ginger, honey, lemon tea later.
That sounds like such a wonderful cold weather tea!
My Ginger bug keeps on going opaque and becoming very thick, even slimey, sometimes by day 3. This happens repeatedly and I have had very few good bugs which have made wonderful ginger ale. What could I be doing wrong?
I am not sure, at all! This is a great question, hopefully, someone else who’s reading this can chime in with better advice
@Chrissie, the same thing keeps happening to mine! idk what to do, it smells ok (I guess) and used it a few times. Sometime good, sometimes the product comes out yeasty (anytime I add orange it gets yeasty). Maybe not sterilized right? my bug was open to the air with cheesecloth on top of my jar.
@Chrissie, I found that I have to use Berkey filtered water for every
step of the process. I was rinsing my ginger before grating in my tap water (which is filtered but the filters needed to be changed) and I was killing the ferment and that’s how sensitive it is!
Great article Thank you, Ally.
Curious if you’ve ever tried to make the side with a blueberry simple syrup?
No, I haven’t but that really sounds delicious!
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?
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?
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?
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!
I use mine with some seltzer and ice. And sometimes I add some kombucha. I love it that way.
Love the idea of using with seltzer!
How much of the ginger bug liquid do you use in each F2 kombucha bottle?
Hi Margaret – I usually use 1/4 – 1/3 of the ginger bug liquid to each litre of juice!
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.
When your ginger fement it feeds on the sugar. Does the fermented liquid have the same amount of glucose and regular sugar afterward?
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!
It depends on how long it is allowed to ferment. Eventually all of the sugar will be consumed by the bacteria and the Gingerbug will convert to a ginger vinegar. But that takes about 30 to 60 days to happen. The ginger pieces at that point will be pickled.
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?
I start fresh with new ginger 🙂
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.
The ginger that you speak of IMHO is great put into salads, just a little at a time, it is probiotic, the kind of sweet / sour / picante,bursts really liven up the salad.
This is an awesome idea! I’ll be trying this for sure!
A friend who told me about making the ginger bug puts the used ginger into his compost when it’s finished, I am going to do this as well, it would be a shame to waste all of that lovely ginger.
This is a great solution!