Ginger Bug

Our ginger bug has shown to be really popular and a must in our household. Since running fermentation classes, I have noticed the enthusiasm to make ginger bugs, so I thought I would include the recipe on the Symbiota Website for people to follow and make their own.

Much like other cultured drinks, a ginger bug is loaded with beneficial bacteria and tastes delicious! So, if you already make kombucha, why not try your hand at a ginger bug. Your ginger bug can be used to make a variety of soda drinks by using teas, fruit juices, or just making ginger ale.

Ingredients:

Fresh organic ginger

White sugar

Filtered water

Starting your first ginger bug:

Use a clean Symbiota glass jar and add two tablespoons of ginger, two tablespoons of white sugar and two cups of filtered water. Stir vigorously with a non-metal spoon and cover with an elasticised cotton cloth (soon to be on Symbiota shop). Do not place near other cultures, otherwise you might find your ferments cross-culturing.

Each day add a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger and a tablespoon of white sugar to feed your ginger bug.

After 5-7 days you will see the ginger bug mixture gets cloudy, with a sediment on the bottom and fizz at the top.

Once you observe these characteristics, use ¼ cultured ginger bug mixture to 1 litre of sweetened herbal mixtures, teas or diluted fruit juice for homemade sodas.  

If your ginger bug is not active after 7 days, you may need to discard and start again.

Note: to keep your ginger bug alive once it has activated, you will need to feed your ginger bug daily with 1 teaspoon grated ginger and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Or if you would like to let it rest, place your ginger bug in the fridge and feed it 1 tablespoon of ginger and 1 tablespoon of sugar once a week. If the mixture gets low, add a cup of filtered water. To reactivate the ginger bug, remove it from the fridge, let it warm up to room temperature and begin feeding daily.