Everyone has their seasonal obsessions. This summer, mine has turned to thirst-quenching drinks with nourishing properties.
Ginger ale definitely makes the cut. I am talking about *REAL* ginger ale. The traditional homemade version, not the faux soda pop kind that generally features less-than-stellar ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup and sodium benzoate.
Real ginger ale has a taste that is both warming and mysterious. It has sweet *and* salty notes with a generous hint of citrus.
Ginger is a powerful digestive aid. And, when it’s made into a probiotic drink (as below), its digestive superpowers are amplified. Its mysterious alchemy (particularly the ginger) can also be used to alleviate PMS symptoms like cramps, so it’s a great moontime drink.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), eating ginger in the summer is the equivalent to ‘an apple a day’ in terms of maintaining good health. It’s especially helpful in that regard if you work somewhere with air conditioning…
Finally, it’s been fun for our family to read about how ginger ale quenched the pioneer children’s thirst as they worked in the fields in the “Little House’ book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It helps them feel connected to past generations as they eat and drink what a friend of mine calls “folklore foods”.
(makes 2 quarts)
What you will need:
Variation: 1/2 c lime juice and no lemon juice
Step 1: Place all ingredients in a 2 quart jar.
Step 2: Fill jar to thread line with water.
Step 3: Stir well and cover tightly.
Step 4: Leave at room temperature for 2-3 days then transfer to fridge.
To serve: strain into a glass or bottle (for easy transport) and enjoy.
NOTES: Well-chilled, lacto-fermented ginger ale will ‘keep’ for several months A lingering saltiness dissipates over time, and in my experience, this drink is much better after sitting in the fridge and aging.
In the landmark cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, author Sally Fallon suggests this drink is best ‘sipped warm, rather than gulped down cold.”
Filed under:Blog, Nourished Pantry, Traditional Wisdom Modern Kitchen || Tagged under: cultured, fermented, ginger, ginger ale, lacto-fermentation, traditional foods
Author: Adrienne Percy
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12 comments
Looks like kefir grains in the photo… but I don’t see that in the recipe. Is that the sugar?
05 July, 2013 09:38 ||
Hi Michelle, that is actually the unrefined sea salt before it is ground into ‘fine’. What you see are the ‘course’ crystals.
05 July, 2013 09:41 ||
Also: no water is needed?
05 July, 2013 09:40 ||
Hi Michelle, I changed the recipe to reflect how and when to add the water. Thanks for that observation!
05 July, 2013 09:52 ||
I’m so glad that the inrnetet allows free info like this!
30 August, 2014 21:27 ||
Hi Michelle, that is actually the unrefined sea salt before it is ground into ‘fine’. What you see are the ‘course’ crystals.
05 July, 2013 09:53 ||
essalam alykommon fre8re sid ahmed j’ai de9ja lu ce vous avez e9crie allah ma3ak et nous somme les e9lement de aidilbeena derrie8re vous pour toujourston fre8re Samir
30 August, 2014 16:33 ||
Free knowledge like this doesn’t just help, it promote decyoramc. Thank you.
01 September, 2014 18:48 ||
Two questions:
1) what do you cover it with while it ferments a towel with a rubber band or a metal or glass lid.
2) what would happen to its nourishing properties when mixed with rye?
05 July, 2013 11:05 ||
Hey Sarah- 1. Just screw the jar lid on tight. 2. Sounds like a delicious experiment. Please report back lol.
05 July, 2013 11:09 ||
Do you strain it before chilling or as you use it?
10 July, 2013 17:45 ||
Just as you use it!
11 July, 2013 00:56 ||