Nana's Ginger Beer | Community Recipes | Nigella's Recipes (2024)

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Introduction

One of the few recipes handed down in my family is this recipe for a Ginger Beer Plant and Ginger Beer. It's delicious, refreshing and naturally carbonated. All cup measures are metric cups, and Aussie tablespoons are 20ml measures not 15ml

Ingredients

Serves: Makes about a dozen 750ml bott

For the Ginger Beer Plant

8 golden raisins
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2½ cups water

For the Ginger Beer

3 cups sugar
5 cups boiling water
3 lemons (strained juice of)
14 pints water

Method

Nana's Ginger Beer is a community recipe submitted by Coby and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

First make your plant by combining all ginger beer plant ingredients (golden raisins, juice, rind, sugar, ginger and water) in a screw top jar and leave for two to three days.
Then, for the next seven days feed your plant daily by stirring in 2 tsp ground ginger and 1 tbsp sugar each day.
To make the ginger beer, place the sugar in a large basin and stir in the boiling water. Continue to stir until dissolved. My family always used regular granulated sugar here, not caster - it's up to you what you choose.
Cover with fine muslin (my Nana used an old, clean but worn piece of sheet) and pour the ginger beer onto the muslin. Pull up the sides and squeeze out all the moisture you can from the plant, until it's as dry as can be.
Stir in the lemon juice and 8 litres of water.
Store in sterilised, screw top bottles leaving a space of at least 'three fingers' at the top to allow for expansion - lest they explode.
Store carefully, especially in warmer months. Ideally do not open for three to four days, at which time it should be delicious and fizzy.

Additional Information

My father tells me they never had an explosion, but he knew of plenty of people who did- he surmises mostly due to not leaving the space to expand. He also tells me that those who bottled theirs with a cork, often heard the corks pop off, especially in warmer weather! This recipe is true to my Nana's original recipe, apart from my Dad converting it to metric back in the 1990's. I love knowing that my father used to get to feed the plant as a child and that he could never wait the three days to drink it. The final product is expected to have some sediment at the bottom, I suspect this is due to squeezing the contents of the muslin/sheet. I am told though you must do this, to ensure the fullest flavour.

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What 5 Others have said

Recipe is wrong. You MUST wait for the liquid to cool before adding contents of ginger plant. I now have seven litres of flat ginger beer.
Posted by Philealing on 17th June 2020
This is great, only difference in method from mine is that you dump the bottle of ginger culture into the cooled sugar, water and lemon. Leave it overnight and then strain and bottle. Take half the ginger culture at the end (discard the other half) and put it into a jar with a cup of water and start feeding it again for ten days then repeat.
Posted by MarkANorrie on 16th March 2020
I'm wondering what country measurements this is using.UK pints are different to the USA pints.
Posted by Osram on 15th June 2019
If you add the ginger beer plant to the sugar water when it is over 30 degrees the heat will kill it and secondary fermentation will not take place. It is better to add the heated water and sugar to the additional water - check the temp is about 25 degrees before adding the plant
Posted by Jedgor on 4th June 2018
Hello i was just wondering if i put a cap on the jar while fermenting and feeding of my ginger beer plant?
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