How to Make a Ginger Bug Starter Culture

Learn how to make a ginger bug starter culture in just one week! Once your culture is thriving, you can use it to make naturally fermented sodas in all kinds of flavors. It’s easy! Say goodbye to chemically flavored sodas for good.

Even though this culture is made with ginger, it only adds a slight ginger flavor to whatever soda flavor you decide to make with it.

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Equipment

• mason jar: https://amzn.to/4cPcIue
• fermentation lid: https://amzn.to/3zzCNzn
• Berkey water filter: https://amzn.to/4eVNUTe

Ingredients

• organic ginger
• white sugar
• filtered water

Instructions

• Roughly chop 1 tablespoon of organic ginger. Put the ginger in the mason jar.

• Add 1 tablespoon of sugar to the mason jar.
• Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of filtered water to the mason jar. Stir to dissolve sugar.

• Screw on a fermentation lid and leave at room temperature for 24 hours.
• After 24 hours, open the lid and add another tablespoon of chopped ginger and tablespoon of sugar. Put the lid back on and leave at room temperature for 24 hours. Repeat this step for 6 more days.

• As the days pass, bubbles will start to form in your ginger bug. A white residue will settle a the bottom of the jar. These are good signs that the bacteria are working and your ginger bug is healthy.

• To use your ginger bug in a recipe, shake your ginger bug to disperse the white residue at the bottom of the jar. Strain out the amount of liquid you need for your recipe. Add the chopped ginger back into the ginger bug jar. Refill with 1-2 cups of filtered water.
• To keep your ginger bug alive and healthy, you need to keep feeding it, just like a sourdough starter. You can keep it out at room temperature and feed it daily, or keep it in the refrigerator and feed it every week or two.
• One tip: keep some chopped ginger in the freezer and scoop out one tablespoon at a time whenever you feed your ginger bug.

Need a recipe for naturally fermented soda that uses a ginger bug? Check out my recipies:

Ginger Beer

Ginger Bug Starter Culture

Learn how to make a ginger bug starter culture in just one week! Once your culture is thriving, you can use it to make naturally fermented sodas in all kinds of flavors. It's easy! Say goodbye to chemically flavored sodas for good.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Equipment

• mason jar
• fermentation lid
• Berkey water filter

Ingredients

  

• 1 large piece fresh organic ginger
• 7 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 cups filtered water

Instructions

 

• Roughly chop 1 tablespoon of organic ginger. Put the ginger in the mason jar.
• Add 1 tablespoon of sugar to the mason jar.
• Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of filtered water to the mason jar. Stir to dissolve sugar.
• Screw on a fermentation lid and leave at room temperature for 24 hours.
• After 24 hours, open the lid and add another tablespoon of chopped ginger and tablespoon of sugar. Put the lid back on and leave at room temperature for 24 hours. Repeat this step for 6 more days.
• As the days pass, bubbles will start to form in your ginger bug. A white residue will settle a the bottom of the jar. These are good signs that the bacteria are working and your ginger bug is healthy.
• To use your ginger bug in a recipe, shake your ginger bug to disperse the white residue at the bottom of the jar. Strain out the amount of liquid you need for your recipe. Add the chopped ginger back into the ginger bug jar. Refill with 1-2 cups of filtered water.
• To keep your ginger bug alive and healthy, you need to keep feeding it, just like a sourdough starter. You can keep it out at room temperature and feed it daily, or keep it in the refrigerator and feed it every week or two.
• One tip: keep some chopped ginger in the freezer and scoop out one tablespoon at a time whenever you feed your ginger bug.

Video

Notes

To filter my tap water, I use a Berkey filter. They are pricey but work so well. Great for emergency preparedness and low-waste efforts (think of all the plastic water bottles you won’t use!!) Buy one here: https://amzn.to/3LicZdx