Looking for a refreshing summer drink that’s both delicious and good for your gut? We’re excited to share this simple fermented ginger bug recipe!

Why Make Your Own Fermented Sodas?

When you make fermented drinks at home, you’re not just saving money – you’re creating living foods that support your health. These fizzy, probiotic-rich beverages can help your body absorb nutrients better and can give your immune system a natural boost.

Plus, there’s something magical about watching those bubbles form as friendly microbes transform simple ingredients into something special. It’s food science you can taste!

Ginger Bug Recipe

(adapted from The Fermentation Kitchen by Sam Cooper)

The ginger “bug” can be used as a starter for ginger beer or other fermented tea – like a sourdough starter, but for sparkling drinks! A starter is a probiotic liquid that is used for introducing beneficial microbes into the recipe. Unlike the more gelatinous SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), a starter is liquid. Ginger is not the only ingredient that creates a starter – fermentistas use fruit or berries to make starters, too.

The warmer the temperature, the faster the ferment. The ideal temperature range is 72-78 degrees Fahrenheit. Fermentation also occurs at lower temperatures, it just takes longer.

When the starter is ready, use up those leftover ginger or fruit scraps! Puree and dehydrate for fruit leather, cook it into jams or other preserves, use it to infuse gin, or feed it to your worm bin.

Equipment note: You can reuse jars from recipe to recipe, just make sure they are clean and dry before you start the next batch. Cheesecloth allows for good airflow and keeps flies out of the mix.

Instructions:

• Add the sugar, ginger, and water to the jar. Secure the lid and shake vigorously until the sugar is dissolved.
• Remove the lid and replace with cheesecloth, use the twine or rubber band to secure it.
• Place the jar in a warm part of the kitchen.
• Stir once or twice daily to incorporate yeasts and prevent mold on the surface.
• After 3-4 days, the liquid should be alive with bubbles and smell sweet and yeasty.
• After about a week, the ginger bug should be fully activated and ready to use to inoculate larger batch of beverage.

Using Your Ginger Bug

Strain out and discard old ginger from the active ginger bug, then add two cups of the bug to one quart of sweet ginger tea or fruit juice. Fasten a lid on the fermentation vessel and allow to ferment for three to four days. Then, transfer to the fridge to chill for one to three days. Drink within a week.

You can keep your ginger bug alive at room temperature, much like sourdough, by using (or throwing out) half and topping it up with more sugar, water, and fresh ginger every so often. Or just make a fresh batch each time.

Ready to Try More?

Have you tried making fermented drinks before? Share your experiences with us on Instagram using #TilthFerments. And don’t forget to sign up for our upcoming class to dive deeper into the wonderful world of homemade probiotic beverages!