Summary of "ŠUMIVÉ LIMONÁDY Z BYLINIEK A PLODOV / Domáce šumivé limonády"
Šumivé Limonády z Byliniek a Plodov
Domáce šumivé limonády Presenter: The Green Witch in Starý Mlyn
Ingredients
Ginger Base (Starter Culture)
- 2 tablespoons chopped ginger (unpeeled, chemically untreated or washed in salt water)
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar
- 250 ml water (room temperature, no need to boil)
Raspberry Syrup
- 3 liters cold water
- 1 bowl (full) fresh or frozen raspberries (or any fruit/fruit juice/syrup)
- 500 g cane sugar or honey
- 60 ml ginger base per 1 liter of syrup (strained, no ginger pieces)
Herbal Syrup
- 3 liters water
- 500 g honey
- Mixed herbs (fresh and dried): elderberry, linden, sage, lemon balm, mint, nettle, chamomile, lavender
- 60 ml ginger base per 1 liter of syrup (strained)
Equipment & Preparation
- Glass jar or container for fermenting ginger base
- Gauze or cloth cover (for fermentation)
- Stove and pot for heating syrup
- Cheesecloth or fine sieve for straining syrup
- Bottles with tight caps for secondary fermentation
- Refrigerator for storage
Method
Ginger Base Preparation (Probiotic Starter)
- Chop or grate ginger (unpeeled) and place 2 tablespoons in a glass.
- Add 2 tablespoons cane sugar and 250 ml water. Mix well.
- Cover with gauze or cloth and ferment at room temperature for 24 hours.
- Feed the base every 24 hours by adding 1 tablespoon chopped ginger and 1 tablespoon sugar.
- Keep the fermenting jar in a place with indirect light (not complete darkness or cold).
- Repeat feeding on days 2 and 4.
- By day 5, the ginger base will be bubbly, foamy, and smell like ginger beer, indicating active fermentation.
Raspberry Syrup Preparation
- Heat 3 liters cold water with a bowl of raspberries and 500 g cane sugar or honey on the stove for about 30 minutes.
- Mash the fruit while heating to extract flavor.
- Cool the syrup and strain through cheesecloth or sieve to remove solids.
- For every 1 liter of syrup, add 60 ml of strained ginger base (no ginger pieces).
- Pour syrup into bottles, leaving about 7 cm of headspace for gas expansion.
- Seal bottles tightly and ferment at room temperature for 2 days.
Herbal Syrup Preparation
- Heat 3 liters water with 500 g honey and herbs for 20 minutes.
- Let cool and strain.
- Add 60 ml ginger base per liter of syrup.
- Bottle and ferment at room temperature for 2 days.
Fermentation & Storage Tips
- Ferment bottles in a place without direct sunlight at room temperature.
- Open bottles once daily for a few seconds to release excess pressure and prevent explosions.
- After 48 hours, refrigerate to slow fermentation and reduce fizzing.
- Open bottles over a sink or bowl to manage overflow, especially with sugary fruit syrups.
- Sparkling probiotic lemonades last at least two weeks refrigerated.
- Store leftover ginger base in the fridge and feed every two weeks with 1 tablespoon each of water, ginger, and sugar to maintain culture indefinitely.
Chef Tips & Notes
- Ginger peel is essential for fermentation; do not peel ginger.
- Sugar is necessary in all liquids to feed yeast and bacteria for carbonation.
- Using fresh, untreated ginger and pure fruits/herbs yields the best flavor and health benefits.
- These probiotic drinks support digestion and intestinal health due to lactobacilli content.
- The drink’s natural fizz is unique and refreshing, replacing commercial sodas and energy drinks.
- Kombucha culture is not required; the ginger base acts as a natural probiotic starter.
Variations
- Use any fruit, frozen fruit, fruit juice, or syrup in place of raspberries.
- Substitute cane sugar with honey in syrups.
- Use a variety of fresh or dried herbs for herbal syrups.
Source: The Green Witch in Starý Mlyn YouTube channel
Category
Cooking
