| Ginger beer plant is, surprisingly, not a leafy plant at | | | | How to spot the ginger beer plant that isn't a |
| all. Instead ginger beer plant is a probiotic plant culture | | | | probiotic culture |
| which you can use to brew your own, fizzy, | | | | Many places are selling 'ginger beer plant' starter kits. |
| old-fashioned ginger beer. | | | | This is not real ginger beer, but merely a yeast. This |
| What are the health benefits of real ginger beer? | | | | will not provide you with everlasting ginger beer. |
| When you make your own real ginger beer, you are | | | | How to make real ginger beer. |
| avoiding nasty chemicals like aspartame which are | | | | Home brewing your own organic ginger beer is easy |
| often included in cans of fizzy drinks and ginger beer. | | | | when you have some ginger beer plant. Unless you |
| True ginger beer is made through fermentation with | | | | know someone who will give you some spare ginger |
| the probiotic plant bacteria and yeast creating a | | | | beer plant, then most people will buy their ginger |
| fermentation to give the ginger beer a good fizz. | | | | beer plant online. This has usually been dehydrated. |
| Most colas and other shop-bought fizzy drinks are | | | | When you receive it, you need to rehydrate it in |
| carbonated, and that's what makes them fizzy. You | | | | unchlorinated water and sugar for a few days, and |
| are controlling all of the ingredients that go into your | | | | then you will be able to rinse out the probiotic culture |
| own true ginger beer, so you can be sure that no | | | | grains and start adding ginger, lemon and sugar to |
| nasty ingredients go in. You can use organic fair trade | | | | start the fermentation process. After a few days, |
| sugar, and organic ginger and lemons to ensure that | | | | you'll be able to bottle your real home brewed |
| your ginger beer is organic too. | | | | organic ginger beer. |
| What actually is ginger beer plant? | | | | What do I need to make ginger beer? |
| Ginger beer plant's origins are an enigma, but we | | | | Other than ginger beer plant, you'll need sugar, |
| know that it became popular in the UK some time in | | | | unchlorinated water (filtered or mineral water is fine), |
| the 1700's, and was a common sight in kitchens right | | | | root or powdered ginger and lemon. You'll also need a |
| up until the 1950s. In the 1880s, curious botanist | | | | large jar for brewing the ginger beer and then a |
| Harry Marshall Ward spent years researching the | | | | plastic bottle to decant it into. |
| culture. He worked out that ginger beer plant is a | | | | So you can see that for a relatively small initial |
| "composite organism consisting of a fungus, the | | | | investment and just some basic kitchen utensils and |
| yeast Saccharomyces florentinus (formerly | | | | ingredients, you can ensure that you and your family |
| Saccharomyces pyriformis) and the bacterium | | | | have an everlasting supply of real old-fashioned ginger |
| Lactobacillus hilgardii (formerly Brevibacterium | | | | beer, a delicious probiotic drink. |
| vermiforme)". So now you know! | | | | |
