real ginger beer

“This fermented ginger beer is warming and so good for any time of year. It only takes a couple of days to ferment too. ”

— kate

real ginger beer

serves about 2 litres | prep time 20 mins, plus 48 hrs fermentation | cook time 5 mins

• 1 x 5 cm (2 in) piece fresh ginger

• 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) filtered water

• 165 g (5¾ oz/¾ cup) sugar, plus extra to taste

• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

• juice of 2–3 lemons (about 100 ml/3½ fl oz), plus extra to taste

• ⅛ teaspoon dry champagne yeast

• ice, to serve

Peel and finely grate the ginger to make about 2 tablespoons. Bring the water to the boil in a small saucepan, remove from heat, add the sugar and salt, and stir until dissolved. Add the ginger and let the solution cool to room temperature. Stir in the lemon juice.

Using a funnel, pour the liquid into a clean 2 litre (70 fl oz/8 cup) jar or plastic bottle with a lid. Do not strain out the ginger. Top up with water to reach just under 2 litres (70 fl oz/8 cups), leaving about 5 cm (2 in) of space at the top. Taste the liquid, and add a little more lemon juice or sugar, if liked. Add yeast, screw on the cap or lid and shake the bottle to distribute and dissolve the yeast.

Let the ginger beer sit, out of the sun, for 48 hours, until carbonated. Pop the lid after 24 hours to relieve a little pressure and check for carbonation.

Strain the ginger beer through a sieve into sterilised bottles (glass flip-top bottles work well) and store in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 2 weeks. The refrigeration will slow down the carbonation process so the bottles don’t explode.

To serve, open the bottles over the sink in case of overcarbonation, and pour into glasses filled with ice.

QUICK TIP

Champagne yeast is available from brewers’ stores and online.

This recipe appeared in Margaret and Me (Murdoch), my third cookbook. Photography by Rob Palmer. Styling by Michelle Noerianto.