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 chilled water, seltzer, juice, or a favorite beverage just before serving.

Give your morning juice a new boost!

CONCENTRATE:

• ginger – 4 oz, soaked, rinsed, and sliced
• turmeric- 2 oz, soaked, rinsed, and sliced
• 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

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 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!

BULK TONIC BASE

If you have a large batch of ginger and or turmeric and you have space in your fridge, lacto-ferment a batch of “coins” in a standard brine [1 TBS sea salt to 2 cups filtered water]. Once fermentation is complete, store in the fridge and then proceed to make the concentrate above.

Recipe by B. Hettig

INGREDIENTS FOR GINGER-TURMERIC MOCKTAIL #2:  

Serves 4-6

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

DIRECTIONS:

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

Recipe adapted, original by Andy Baraghani

Lowell and I enjoying our power mocktail!