Fermented Juices (aka "Homemade Hooch")

At our house, we call the homemade soda that we make using a Ginger Bug "hooch."  It's not at all alcoholic, but "Hooch" sounds more fun than "Fermented Juice using a Ginger Bug."

Below are some of my favorite combinations.  I've been making these sodas with ginger bugs for a couple of years and have found that it is as much art as it is science.  Before you read my recipes, you might want to check out some of these websites for more thorough explanations and directions:
Papa's Homemade Hooch
Wellness Mama
A Life Unprocessed


White Grape and Lavender Soda
Lavender Simple Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup lavender buds, rinsed
-- In a small saucepan, heat the water to boiling.  Lower heat and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve.  Add the lavender buds and simmer gently for 10 minutes.  Allow it to steep for 10 more minutes.  Strain out the buds using a fine, mesh strainer.  Cool the syrup to room temperature before mixing with the ginger bug.
For the soda:
-- Add the lavender simple syrup to 5 cups white grape juice and 2 cups distilled water.  Combined, your mixture should be 2 quarts.
-- Pour the juice mixture into glass or plastic bottles (See note below)
-- Add 1/2 cup of your ginger bug.
-- Cap the bottles and let sit for 1 - 3 days.  The stronger the ginger bug, the fewer days it will take to ferment.
(Note:  I like to use 2 liter pop bottles at this stage.  When the bottles become hard and cannot be squeezed, they are done.  Sometimes, I will put the fermenting soda in smaller pop bottles.  Some people like to use Grolsch-style bottles, but I don't want to risk exploding bottles. I have used glass bottles, but always put some of the mixture in a plastic bottle.  When the plastic is too hard to squeeze, the hooch is done.)



Rhubarb/Raspberry Soda
1 quart distilled water
1 quart frozen rhubarb
1 pint frozen rasberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 T. lemon juice
-- Place the above ingredients in a 2 quart pan and heat to boiling.  Reduce the heat and gently simmer for 20 minutes.  Strain the mixture, tossing the fruit and returning the syrup to the pan,  (At this point, I added a Raspberry & Hibiscus tea bag.)
-- When the syrup has cooled to room temperature, add 1 more quart of distilled water.
-- Pour the juice mixture into your bottle of choice.
-- Mix in 1/2 cup of your ginger bug.
-- Seal/cap the bootle(s) and wait 1 - 3 days until the plastic bottle is to too hard to squeeze.


Lemonade Soda
1 can frozen lemonade or limeade
Distilled water
-- Reconstitute the frozen lemonade according to the directions, using distilled water
-- Mix 6 cups of the reconstituted lemonade with 2 more cups of distilled water.
-- Add 1/2 cup of the ginger bug.
-- Bottle as per instructions for above recipes.


Be Creative!  You can make all kinds of simple syrups using fruits (fresh or frozen) or herbs and use them for the base of the soda.   You can also use any kind of frozen juice concentrate or bottled juice.  Since I'm looking for healthy drinks, I stay away from the "cocktail" mixtures or those with corn syrup.  One item of interest:  the sweetness of the base can be a challenging thing to get right.  Too sweet and the soda has a funky aftertaste.  Not enough sugar and it doesn't want to ferment.  So experiment.  And let me know if you come up with a winning combination.

What's a Ginger Bug?

A couple summers ago, I experimented making some ginger ale.  One recipe I found was a simple syrup with something fizzy (seltzer or mineral water) added. Other recipes used yeast (#1 and #2) The one with seltzer water seemed a little like cheating while the yeasty flavor of the others were not satisfactory.

More searching of the internet revealed what has become our favorite method for making ginger ale, which requires using a ginger bug. A ginger bug is a water/sugar/ginger mixture that becomes a natural lacto-fermented "starter."  (Lacto-fermentation is an anaerobic process during which friendly bacteria and yeast break down sugar to form lactic acid.)  The sugar and ginger attract wild yeasts and beneficial microorganisms, which in turn break down the sugar to produce carbon dioxide.  This carbon dioxide causes the fizziness in the soda.

Like commercial sodas, my fermented juices are bubbly and effervescent.  Unlike a Coke or Sprite or Dr. Pepper, they are good for me because of the fermentation and the ginger.  See some of my favorite recipes here:  Fermented Sodas (aka "Homemade Hooch").

I've not only continued making my ginger ale "hooch," but when I had loads of fresh vegetables this past summer, I fermented carrots, celery, zucchini, etc.  And, I've got a brewing station for kombucha in another corner of the kitchen.  For those who are curious ...

Health benefits of fermentation:
Fermentation preserves nutrients and breaks the down into more digestible forms.
Fermentation creates new nutrients, microbial cultures create B vitamins
Fermentation removes toxins in food
Fermented foods are rich in probiotics that promote healthy flora in the gut.
Some helpful websites:  Wellness Mama, Dr. David Williams, Cultures for Health

Health benefits of ginger:
Relieves nausea caused by illness or motion sensitivity
Reduces pain and inflammation
Inhibits rhinovirus, which can cause the common cold
Inhibits harmful bacteria
Helps prevent toxic effects of some cancer drugs

Some helpful sites: Mercola.com,  Everyday Health, and Natural Society.


Want to start your own ginger bug?  Here's how I do it:

Ginger Bug
Start with:
1 quart non-chlorinated water (chlorine will kill the yeasts and bacteria)
3 T. grated ginger root (organic if it's available)
3 T. sugar (organic if it's available)

-- Using a non-metal spoon, mix the water, sugar, and ginger in a glass quart jar.  Cover the jar with a coffee filter or breathable fabric; fasten with a rubber band.
-- Each day for the next 5 - 7 days, stir the mixture at least once and add 1 T. of grated ginger root and 1 T. of sugar.
(You can tell if the culture is active if there are bubbles forming around the top of the mixture and "fizzes" when stirred.  It will start to smell mildly yeasty.)
-- Once the ginger bug has cultured, it can be used as a starter for fermented sodas at the ratio of 1/4 cup ginger bug per quart of sweetened mixture.


Some important details to remember:
-- Never use metal.  Use glass for starting the ginger bug, and wooden or plastic spoons for stirring.
-- Never use chlorinated water.  I use distilled water.

My favorite resources from my ginger bug research:
Cultures for Health
Wellness Mama
Nourished Kitchen
Splendid Table

Sauce Recipes for the Graduation Party

Pineapple-Ginger-Peanut Sauce for Chicken & Lentils
6 cups pineapple juice
3 T. grated fresh ginger
3 T. tamari sauce
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 T. chili sauce (I used spicy thai chili sauce)
3 t. salt
3/4 cup vinegar
3/4 lime juice
1 T. dried onion
1 T. garlic
------
2 cups cold water
1/3 cup cornstarch
3/4 - 1 cup peanut butter.

Mix the ingredients above the line and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes to reduce liquid.  Mix the cold pineapple juice with the cornstarch.  Warm the peanut butter to soften it.  Add the pineapple juice/cornstarch mixture to the pan.  Add some of the pineapple juice to the softened peanut butter, then add back into the pan.  Heat the pan until the mixture bubbles and thickens.

Mix the sauce with meat.  Serve with lettuce leaves, rice, or noodles.

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Pineapple-Ginger Sauce
2 cups pineapple juice
1.5 T. grated fresh ginger
1 T. tamari sauce
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 t. chili sauce (I used spicy thai chili sauce)
1 t. salt
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 lime juice
2 t. dried onion
2 t. garlic
------
2/3 cups cold water
3 T. cornstarch


Mix the ingredients above the line and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes to reduce liquid.  Mix the cold pineapple juice with the cornstarch. Add the pineapple juice/cornstarch mixture to the pan.  Bring the pan back to a boil and cook until it thickens.

Serve with lettuce leaves, rice, vegetables, or noodles.


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Thai Peanut Sauce
3 T soy sauce
1 T. ginger
1 cup peanut butter
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 T. vinegar
1 can coconut milk
1 T. lime juice
1 t. chili sauce
-------------------------
3 T. cold water
3 T. cornstarch

Mix the ingredients above the line in a pan and bring to a very gentle boil over medium heat stirring constantly so that it doesn't scorch.  Mix the cold water with the cornstarch and add to the hot peanut mixture.  Continue to head until the pan bubbles and thickens.

A Profusion of Zucchni

I'll wager that many of you wondered what the plural form of "zucchini" is.  I'll also bet that most don't know the etymology (word origin) of "zucchini."  And that, my friends, is why we have Wikipedia, to answer those nagging questions that pop up from time to time.

According to our beloved, and occaisionally accurate, source, zucchini comes from the Italian word "zucca" which means "squash," and "zucchina" is its diminutive.  It's commonly called a "courgette" in European countries.  Different countries serve this all-purpose vegetable in a variety of ways:  in Mexico they're put in quesadillas; in Italy they're breaded and pan-fried; the French cook up ratatouille; the Turks like to make a popular dish, mücver , or "zucchini pancakes",  stuffing with meat, rice or herbs is a common dish in the Mediterranean areas.

Some years, my zucchini grows pitifully.  This year my plants have surprised me and surpassed my expecations. I've picked small ones for stir-fry and large ones, the size of newborn babies, for grating.  I found an interesting recipe for Zucchini Hummus in the paper this week.  The whole family loved it.  The basil gives it a pesto flavor.



Try it, you'll like it.

Zucchini Hummus

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup coarsely grated zucchini

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup fresh parsely

1/4 cup fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached.

A Plethora of Cucumbers

This year, my garden has blessed me with a plethora of cucumbers.  If I was a pickler, I'd be pretty happy.  But I'm not.  As a kid, I helped my mom can bread and butter pickles.  As a young girl with plenty of discretionary time, working with wide mouth Ball jars and hot water baths was kind of fun.  As a mom with far too much to do, pickling cucumbers takes up too much time.
My solution (besides leaving these green sweethearts on the neighbors' front steps), was to use a couple of really big ones in a salad.  I served it at a larger family gathering, and everyone brave enough to try it loved it.

Creamy Cucumber Salad
2 very large (or the equivalent) cucmbers
     if the cucumbers are seedy, clean them out

     thinly slice the cucmbers

5 green onions, sliced

2/3 cup mayo

2/3 cup sour cream

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon dried dill

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 cup dried parsley

Slice the vegetables and place in a medium bowl.  In a smaller bowl, combine the other ingredients.  Add to vegetables.  Chill for at least one hour.

Vodka Sauce Hors d’oevre

Last week I hosted a chocolate party.  Everyone who came brought some chocolate to share.  Needless to say, we had an overload of chocolate on the table.  (I should have taken a picture; it was quite a beautiful sight.)

Since I knew we would have sufficient sugary calories, I made an appetizer with a little more salt and protein:  Baked Parmesan & Vodka Sauce.  It was a hit, and a welcome addition to the chocolate goodness that grace the table.

Baked Parmesan and Vodka Sauce

1 jar of Classico Vodka Sauce
1/4 cup butter
1 large onion
1 clove garlic
1 T. parsley
1 t. basil
4 cups fresh spinach
2/3 (one handful) fresh shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

In a frying pan, gently sauté the finely chopped onion in the butter.  Keep the heat on low and let the onions take their time to get glossy and decrease.  Add the garlic after 1 or 2 minutes.  Chop the spinach leaves and add to the onions and garlic.  Carefully cook until all the leaves have shriveled.  Add the jar of vodka sauce, the basil and the parsley.  Add the parmesan cheese and transfer to a deep pie dish or shallow casserole dish.  Top with shredded mozzarella and sprinkle some more parmesan on top.  The dish can be refrigerated at this point.

Bake at 375 for 20 to 30 minutes.  Serve with hearty crackers or sliced French bread.