A New Beverage To Enjoy Turmeric Beyond Powders And Capsules

Both fresh turmeric and ginger are fermented in bulk for this non-alcoholic beverage. It’s a ginger ale with a delicious punch and loaded with live culture! This is not your grandmother’s ginger ale…

Growing turmeric and ginger is easy gardening in Central Florida. You pretty much push the “bulbs” into soil in the understory: to yield dappled sunlight. The greens are beautiful to view and they die off to tell you it’s time to dig up some “bulbs.” As perennials, just leave some of them in place and in the spring they begin their cycle once more; each and every year!

What to do with these potent spicy bulbs? Use the fine grating disc in a food processor. If you don’t have this disc, use a coarse grater and then after fermentation, use a high speed blender to create pulp by which you can extract the concentrate

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RECIPE

FERMENTED CONCENTRATE: 1 Qt.

It’s handy to leave it as a concentrate in the fridge, and then add some to chilled water, seltzer, juice, smoothie, or a favorite beverage just before serving.

Give your morning juice a new boost!

CONCENTRATE:

• ginger – 4 oz, soaked, rinsed, and grated
• turmeric- 2 oz, soaked, rinsed, and grated
• peppercorns – 1 tsp, coarsely cracked
• aged brine- 2 TBS, from an existing active lacto ferment pickle or kraut
• fresh brine – 2 TBS sea salt mixed in 1 quart filtered water

After 4-day fermentation

• maple syrup- 1/4 cup
• rice vinegar- 2 TBS

INSTRUCTIONS: It’s good practice to use gloves and a cutting board that you don’t mind turning intensely yellow. Turmeric leaves very yellow prints!

1. Soak the unpeeled ginger and turmeric in water for 5 minutes and then rinse under hard running water to blast away any lingering soil
2. Using a fine grater blade on a food processor, or coarsely chop and then use a food processor with a blade and grate into a fine shred; add to a one quart widemouth jar
3. Crack whole peppercorns coarsely and add to the jar
4. Pour in 2 TBS aged brine—any type left from a previous batch of lacto-fermented vegetables
5. Make the fresh brine by combining the sea salt and water then stir to dissolve
6. Pour in the brine to within a half inch of the jar’s lip [Note you won’t need all the fresh brine; save for another lacto-ferment recipe]
7. Seal your fermentation kit according to directions
8. Ferment for 4 days
9. Place a canning funnel over a widemouth quart jar and top with a fine mesh strainer; [or work out a way to secure a fine mesh strainer to press out the concentrate]
10. Pour the ferment through the strainer and use a spatula to rub and press the pulp to extract most of the liquid
11. Add in the maple syrup and rice vinegar.
12. Seal and store in the fridge

Your concentrate is ready!

When ready to enjoy, combine concentrate with cold water or beverage of choice figuring about 1 part concentrate to 3 parts liquid, taste and adjust sweet-tartness to your liking

Or if just needing a “shot,” drink straight up. My favorite is to blend it 50-50 with orange or grapefruit juice. This is a quick and delicious way to enjoy live-culture without having to chew!

Recipe by B. Hettig

TROPICAL PUNCH

This is a party beverage with a tropical punch

Serves 4-6

• ginger-turmeric concentrate – 1 cup
• honey-2 + TBS, [or maple syrup]
• lime juice- 1/4 cup [or lemon]
• chia seeds- 1 TBS
• chilled water or seltzer – about 3 cups [or orange juice]
• thyme, fresh – as garnish [optional]

As a mixer combine with your favorite spirits [tequila, rum, vodka]

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the concentrate, honey, lime juice, and chia seeds
2. Wait about 10 minutes, then puree in a high speed blender
3. Mix in the seltzer or water
4. Pour into ice filled glasses and top with thyme

Recipe adapted, original by Andy Baraghani

Lowell and I enjoying our power mocktail!