Even though nothing beats Gut Shots, there’s still a place for traditional fermented foods–you really can’t go wrong with adding more probiotics to your life.
Ginger Bug
With just three ingredients, this is the easiest probiotic recipe in the world. Although the recipe contains sugar, the sugar is converted to lactic acid, making it low-carb and keto-friendly.
Ginger Bug is also a starter culture that you can use in a variety of ways (homemade ginger beer, anyone?), or enjoy as-is for a tangy probiotic boost.
You’ll need:
- A large glass jar or other type of jar
- 2 cups non-chlorinated water
- A 6 inch piece of fresh organic ginger (approximately 100 grams)
- 3-5 tablespoons of sugar (approximately 35-60 grams)
Instructions:
- Rinse, then, without peeling, dice ginger into small cubes
- Add water, ginger, and sugar to jar
- Cover jar (you may seal it, but be careful of the jar breaking as pressure builds–better to leave unsealed if you’re inexperienced–and be sure to “burp” it if you seal to prevent excess pressure)
- Add a teaspoon of sugar each day and stir to “feed” it, monitoring for bubbles
- When it bubbles vigorously, use it (see suggestions below) or store in refrigerator for up to a month. Another way to store your Bug is to leave it on the counter, adding more ginger, water, and sugar as needed to replenish what you use.
Once finished, you can sip it straight, add it to smoothies or recipes, or even mix into cocktails.
You can also make ginger beer by boiling 2 quarts of water, 6 inches (100 grams) of ginger, and 1.5-2 cups of sugar to create ginger syrup, allowing the syrup to cool, then adding the ginger bug and leaving for 1-5 days or longer, monitoring for bubbling and sampling. When you like the flavor, you can drink it or refrigerate it to halt further fermentation.
Note: to create a fizzy, carbonated ginger beer drink, you’ll need to seal the ginger bug, sugar, and water to trap the carbon dioxide. The safest way to do this is to make your Bug and ginger syrup as described above, then transfer the bug and syrup to a non-glass sealed container with extra sugar and water for 24-48 hours. Use caution.
