Everyone loves those fizzy drinks but we all know the soda you buy at the market is not healthy right? I love drinking fizzy drinks but I just can’t drink sodas full of artificial dyes and ingredients, soda, sugars and who know what else! They’re addictive and so horrible for our health. So I began researching and experimenting on my own.
Did you know you could make it yourself?
I know what you're thinking...Bird, you must be crazy! No, really it is so simple. You don’t need a soda making machine! No fancy equipment, artificial anything! In fact making this at home is a lot less expensive too!
It all begins with Ginger
to make your own soda! You’ll first need to make a Ginger Bug, a natural starter culture which will start the fermentation process in your soda! The Ginger Bug takes about 8 days to make, you’ll use a portion of the Bug to make your soda and keep the balance for future batches of soda.
This is so healthy, you can make fruit sodas, ginger ale, root beer…the possibilities are endless!
Ginger Bug!
Ginger Bug
- 1/2 Gallon Ball Jar
- Fresh minced Ginger (2 tbsp.)
- Sugar (4 tsp)
- Filtered water
Note: I used Organic Coconut Palm Sugar instead of cane sugar
So Simple to begin…
takes just a few ingredients! Begin by mincing your ginger!
Fill the Ball Jar…
With filtered water (about ¾ full) and add the sugar and minced ginger. Using a wooden spoon stir the liquid quickly to form a mini-whirlpool. Wipe the rim of the jar and cover with cheesecloth. Secure the cheese cloth with a rubber band. I like to label the date on the jar so I don’t forget what day I am on in the fermentation process, lol. Place the jar in a warm place out of direct sunlight. Stir again in the evening.
Days 2-7…
You will feed the culture 4 tsp minced ginger and 4 teaspoons sugar. Stir rapidly creating a mini-whirlpool. Stir again each evening. On 3 you will start to see a bit of bubbling and hear a bit of fizzy when you stir. By day 5 you have more bubbling and fizzing and by day 8 your culture will bubble and fizz without stirring!
Now your Ginger Bug culture is ready to make soda!
Straining…
a portion of your Ginger Bug using cheesecloth to make Soda is all you need to do! The balance of your culture can be stored in the fridge for future soda making! Make sure to feed your culture 2 teaspoon minced ginger and 2 teaspoon sugar each week to keep the culture alive! If you want to make more immediately refill the jar of Ginger Bug to ¾ full and continue to feed the culture each day just as before.
Strained Ginger Bug….ready to make Soda! Stay tuned my friends
I bought swing top bottles for storage. They’re great because they’re so easy to wash and reuse. No plastic, no waste! I hope you’ll stop by tomorrow for Part II; I’ll be making Ginger Ale!
And as always, blessings to you all!
