Ginger Bug for probiotic drinks | Instructions and useful information
Do you fancy a refreshing lemonade? The Ginger Bug is more than just a starter culture - it is the key to refreshing, probiotic drinks that will delight your taste buds and promote your health. Be enchanted by the fizzy flavors and the numerous health benefits. This adventure in your own kitchen promises enjoyment and well-being!
What is Ginger Bug?
Ginger Bug is a ginger starter culture, similar to the tea fungus for kombucha or the kefir crystals for water kefir. This magic potion of fresh ginger, sugar and water is the key to making refreshing, probiotic drinks that are fizzy and foamy.
Similar to sourdough starter, Ginger Bug is rich in wild bacteria and yeast. This starter culture kickstarts the fermentation process and allows you to make homemade, naturally fizzy soft drinks, lemonades, herbal beers and tonics.
What are probiotic drinks?
More than just an emerging trend in the health movement, probiotic drinks are created through fermentation, adding live probiotic cultures to produce refreshing and tasty beverages with numerous health benefits.
The key to probiotic drinks are the live probiotic cultures created during the fermentation process. These cultures are rich in beneficial bacteria and yeast that can have a positive effect on gut health. They help maintain a balanced digestive system and can even boost the immune system. Try them and enjoy health and taste in one sip!
Why is Ginger Bug so healthy? What nutrients, vitamins, prebiotics does it contain?
Ginger Bug and the probiotic drinks that are made from it are real nutritional bombs. The Ginger Bug itself contains important vitamins such as B vitamins and vitamin C. The probiotic drinks are enriched with live cultures of beneficial bacteria and yeast that help improve the intestinal flora, promote digestion and strengthen the immune system.
Incorporating ginger bug into your diet can increase the diversity of your gut bacteria, which can have positive effects on your health. This simple, delicious way to start experiencing the health benefits of probiotic drinks.
Ginger Bug Recipe:
Ingredients:
- - 300 ml water
- - approx. 200 g organic ginger
- - approx. 140 g sugar
- - 1 Oleni Mason Jar 0.5 l
Shelf life : 1-2 weeks, longer if fed weekly
Directions:
Day 1:
- First, cut about 2 tablespoons of ginger into small pieces. It is not necessary to peel the ginger. In a carefully cleaned glass, mix 300 ml of water, the chopped organic ginger and 2 tablespoons of sugar. It is best to use distilled or filtered water and organic ginger.
- Close the jar lightly with a lid or alternatively use a sieve cloth and secure it with a rubber band or ring. Important: the lid should only rest lightly on the jar, otherwise the jar could burst due to the pressure in the jar.
Day 2-6:
- Every 24 hours, add 1 tablespoon of sliced ginger and 1 tablespoon of sugar and stir the ginger bug well.
- After 2-3 days, the ginger bug begins to become active and smell like yeast.
- The ginger bug is ready when it foams and bubbles on top without you touching it. Then you have your first starter for probiotic lemonade .
The temperature in your kitchen will affect the rate at which the ginger bug ferments. In cooler temperatures, fermentation may take up to 10 days before you can use the ginger bug. Protect the container from direct sunlight.
If you don't use the Ginger Bug straight away or you take a break, you can keep it in the fridge. Important: feed it once a week as described above.
To continue growing your ginger bug, proceed as you would with sourdough: if you take 100 ml of the ginger bug starter for a probiotic lemonade, you can continue growing the main ginger bug starter by adding some water, sugar and ginger.
