Ferment Fervour: How to Make the Best Ginger Ale

Ever since I picked up a copy of Wild Fermentation several years ago I've been intrigued by fermenting and have done several ferments now, namely honey wine (I gave it as Christmas presents for family and friends in the past) and, most recently I made ginger beer.

The author, Sandor Ellix Katz, writes, "Microscopic organisms—our ancestors and allies—transform food and extend its usefulness. Fermentation is found throughout human cultures. Hundreds of medical and scientific studies confirm what folklore has always known: Fermented foods help people stay healthy."

As a nutritionist I agree with this statement and that is one of the reasons why I loved this book so much. I believe that one of the commonalities between the most healthful societies of the world, such as Japan, is the ‘living foods’ they consume, such as fermented pastes such a miso.

North Americans don’t really have a staple food that is traditionally fermented, other than yogourt, which is so highly processed and contains little of the vitality it does when homemade with fresh milk/cream. Pickles and sauerkraut are now a fast-food, processed with vinegar and not really fermented at all.

Another aspect of this book I love is that the author is humorous, very knowledgeable and provides great practical tips and creative ideas for those of us who like to 'cook outside of the box'.

This is the first post in what I plan to be a series of posts on fermenting foods (not consecutive posts). I hope that they will be informative and inspiring enough for you to try for yourself and see if you get hooked on the flavour and vigour that you get from these living foods! It is a great way to have a little fun in the kitchen and create a project that could be fun for the kids to take part in too; kind of like growing something from seed and watching it sprout. They’ll delight in the spontaneity of bubbles forming as their ‘bug’ grows almost before their eyes.

Ginger Beer (aka Ginger Ale) from the book Wild Fermentation

Note this is a (healthy) ‘soft drink’ not an alcoholic drink, the fermentation creates enough carbonation for a bubbly beverage but not enough to contribute an ‘appreciable’ amount of alcohol.

Also, you’ll notice that the recipe calls for sugar (or honey) and because during the fermentation process the microorganisms fully metabolize the sugar, it is considered not the same as consuming refined white sugar in its usual form -which causes chaos on our metabolism when consumed regularly.

From Wild Fermentation: “Fermentation also removes toxins from foods. This is vividly illustrated by the case of cassava, an enormous tuber native to the equatorial regions of Africa and Asia. Certain varieties contain high levels of cyanide and are poisonous until they have undergone a soaking fermentation. The fermentation process eliminates the cyanide, rendering the cassava edible and nutritious.”

Timeframe: 2-3 weeks

Ingredients:
3 inches or more of fresh ginger root
2 cups sugar or raw honey
2 lemons
Water

Process:
1. First you need to start the 'ginger bug': Add 2 teaspoons grated ginger (skin and all) and 2 tsp. sugar/honey to one cup water. Stir well and leave in a warm spot, covered with cheesecloth to allow free circulation of air while keeping flies out. Add this amount of ginger and sugar/honey every day or two and stir, until the bug starts bubbling, in 2 days to about a week.

2. Make the ginger beer any time after the bug becomes active. If you wait more than a couple of days, keep feeding the bug fresh ginger and sugar/honey every 2 days. Boil 2 litres of water. Add about 2 inches of gingerroot, grated, for a mild ginger flavour (up to 6 inches for an intense ginger flavour) and 1 ½ cups sugar. Boil this mixture for about 15 minutes. Cool.

3. Once the ginger/sugar/water mixture has cooled, strain the ginger out and add the juice of the lemons and the strained ginger bug. If you intend to make this process an ongoing rhythm, reserve a few tablespoons of the active bug as a starter and replenish it with additional water, grated ginger and sugar.

4. Add enough water to make 4 litres (one gallon).

5. Bottle in sealable bottles; rubber gasket “bail top” bottles are great or capped beer or wine bottles. Leave bottles to ferment in a warm spot for about 2 weeks.

6. Cool before opening. When you open a ginger beer, be prepared with a glass, since carbonation can be strong and force liquid rushing out of the bottle.

This is a family favourite in my house and does not last. Consider making a double batch once you get the ‘feel’ for fermenting.

ENJOY!

Fermenting Paltrow's Pancakes

The last couple of weeks have been adventures in wild fermentation for me. I’ve never done it before and was filled with some fear. The word fermentation makes my husband say, “Yuck, gross.” But really, it’s one of the best things you can do to flour and grains to make them more digestable. So, what is it?

Well, my husband’s reaction is kind of on the mark in the sense that the term, fermention, conjures up the words “sour, spoiled, breakdown.” In fact, when done with intention fermentation is a process of breaking down and adding healthy bacteria to your flour and grains, aiding it’s digestibility like never before. I don’t know if it’s just me…but I felt the guilt of eating pancakes three mornings in a row, as I experimented with different types of flour and fermentation processes, lift as I felt that I was eating something in which the potential nutrients had become more available to my body.

I’ve always wanted to try foodie and health purveyor Gywneth Paltrow’s favourite pancake recipe that she posted on her newsletter Goop. I thought I would take her recipe one step further by fermenting the batter overnight. After several tries…this was my favourite and most tasty version of GP’s recipe.

How to Ferment your Pancake Batter

To ferment your flour add the following ingredients in a bowl and gently mix them. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm dry place (such as on top of the fridge) for about 12 hours.

½ cup: Buckwheat Flour
½ cup: White Spelt Flour

11/4 cups Buttermilk
1 or 2 teaspoons of plain, organic (goat) yogurt

The next morning add the remaining wet ingredients in one bowl, and the dry ingredients in another. Mix each and then together and then add to your fermented dough.

RECIPE
SERVES: 3 or 4 (makes about a dozen pancakes)
1 1/4 cups butter milk
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup white spelt flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bananas, thinly sliced

Be careful not to over-mix, as that’s how you get tough pancakes. Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat Ladle as many pancakes as possible onto your griddle. Place a few slices of banana on top of each pancake. Cook for about a minute and a half on the first side or until the surface is covered with small bubbles and the underside is nicely browned. Flip and cook for about a minute on the second side. Repeat the process until you run out of batter. Serve stacked high with plenty of maple syrup. Enjoy!

READ HERE for the original recipe . Feel free to play with different types of flour and gluten free varieties. Paltrow suggests some gluten- and dairy-free options.

On Preparing Legumes, Nuts and Grains

Have you ever noticed anyone soaking their beans for several hours before cooking them? Or perhaps fermenting their flour into sourdough?

Phytic Acid and other ‘anti-nutrients’ present in grains, beans and nuts
Fermenting, soaking, or sprouting grains, legumes and nuts/seeds is a traditional practice used by people from around the world. These techniques are required to break down ‘anti-nutrients’, such as phytic acid, creating better mineral absorption and other nutrient content as well increasing enzymes. It also creates a more alkaline product.

Without these principles, our modern fast-paced diets are taking a toll on our health with a huge increase in health issues such as food allergies, digestive/intestinal problems and immune deficiencies.

Science now proves:
• Phytic acid present in most grain and beans and nuts and seeds binds with calcium, zinc, magnesium and iron (rendering these nutrients almost impossible to absorb). Soaking them will neutralise the phytic acid and allow for optimal absorption of these critical nutrients.
• ‘Enzyme inhibitors’ are also neutralised with soaking, not only increasing vitamin content, but dramatically increasing enzyme content.
• Gluten and other hard to digest proteins are broken down, making for easy digestion. *Rye, Barley, Wheat, Kamut and Spelt and most oat products contain gluten.

Using this technique:
• Soak grains at least 7 hours before use, ideally in an acidic medium (e.g. a dash of apple cider vinegar, a squeeze of lemon or tsp. of yogurt) or just water.
*If you're using flour, add water (just enough to make the dough moist, not runny) with a splash of yogurt/kefir/raw apple cider vinegar or use all yogourt/kefir/buttermilk (in lieu of 'wet ingredients') for a richer, more flavourful dough. Leave at room temperature, covered with a tea towel, to ferment (12-24 hours) . Even better, create a starter or 'mother' (breadtopia), which is the traditional method of making bread, and make it at home regularly. Any of these options improves the nutrient value and digestibility of even white flour but you will benefit far more from whole grains.
• Soak legumes for 8 to 24 hours, drain water, rinse if desired, and use fresh water for cooking.
• Buy or make whole grain sourdough breads, as they have undergone full fermentation of the dough. *Yeast fermentation does not do the same.
• Ingesting sprouted grains and legumes:
1. Immerse in grain/legume in jar about 1/3 full
2. Fill with water to top overnight
3. Pour off water, store away from direct light
4. Rinse out with water twice a day until ¼ inch sprouts appear
(1 to 4 days depending on type) Can be used in soups, eaten raw or mashed into dough to make bread.
• Soak nuts overnight, drain and then place in oven on lowest possible setting (pilot light for gas or 150 F electric) or, even better, a dehydrator to dry out (up to 12+ hours) for longer storage, better crunch and taste.

Oxalic Acid
This is found primarily in leafy green vegetables such as chard, spinach, beet greens, mustard greens. It binds with calcium and iron and inhibits their absorption. Lightly steaming is enough to neutralize the oxalic acid found within.

Do your best to get into the habit of at least soaking legumes, nuts, and grains to ensure better absorption for you and your child, whose digestion may not be as strong and resilient as yours. Eventually almost everyone will have problems over time without this vital step in the kitchen.

Don’t rely on commercial kitchens or restaurants to do this. Some do it, but most don’t, as it takes more planning and many just are unaware of the importance of it (just as many of us were). It seems to no longer be a piece of wisdom we naturally inherit from our parents.