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Claymore's Old-Time Brewed Ginger Ale
11 years ago
Claymore Highfield's Old Time Ginger Ale
Gotta tell ya, I find commercial ginger ales pretty tame. Even the ones that provide that snappy ginger taste have undesirable flavour components or an overall synthetic/processed taste that just doesn't work for me. What to do? Well, take matters into my own hooves, of course!
The process is simple, the ingredients are inexpensive and readily available, the results are refreshing and intensely gingery. If you like a robust soda pop that you simply can't get by mixing chemically syrup with bubbly water, give this one a try!
You'll need:
1/2 C Ginger, freshly grated
1 C Granulated white (table) sugar
1/3 C Freshly squeezed lemon juice. (No. Don't use that little plastic bottle of 'lemon juice.')
1/8 C Freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 tsp bread yeast
1-1/2 Qt water
You will also need a saucepan, a pitcher, whisk, and an empty, CLEAN, 2-liter soda bottle.
Place the water in a saucepan on the stove and bring it to a slow boil while you grate and juice the ginger and citrus, then add everything but the yeast to the water. Allow the mix to slow boil for about 5 minutes, and TASTE the mixture periodically. Does it seem strong? Good! It's supposed to, but your palate is your guide -- you may prefer more or less sugar, so add water or sugar to adjust. More lemon or lime juice? Be my guest!
Once the taste is balanced, take the pan off the heat and allow it to cool, covered, to 80 degrees on your thermometer. No thermometer? No problem. The liquid should be cool enough to drizzle onto your wrist with a feeling of warmth but NO discomfort. Now, strain the liquid into a CLEAN pitcher or other suitable container with a pouring spout, then whisk in the yeast until it's thoroughly dispersed. Pour the liquid into the soda bottle, which will not be completely filled, then TIGHTLY cap the bottle. Set the bottle out of direct light in a warm (70F-78F is ideal) area for 24 hours.
At the end of this time, your soda bottle will now feel as though it's tightly filled -- just like the ones that come from the store, only your soda is NATURALLY carbonated! Put the bottle in the refrigerator for another 24 hours, and then ENJOY! :D
Gotta tell ya, I find commercial ginger ales pretty tame. Even the ones that provide that snappy ginger taste have undesirable flavour components or an overall synthetic/processed taste that just doesn't work for me. What to do? Well, take matters into my own hooves, of course!
The process is simple, the ingredients are inexpensive and readily available, the results are refreshing and intensely gingery. If you like a robust soda pop that you simply can't get by mixing chemically syrup with bubbly water, give this one a try!
You'll need:
1/2 C Ginger, freshly grated
1 C Granulated white (table) sugar
1/3 C Freshly squeezed lemon juice. (No. Don't use that little plastic bottle of 'lemon juice.')
1/8 C Freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 tsp bread yeast
1-1/2 Qt water
You will also need a saucepan, a pitcher, whisk, and an empty, CLEAN, 2-liter soda bottle.
Place the water in a saucepan on the stove and bring it to a slow boil while you grate and juice the ginger and citrus, then add everything but the yeast to the water. Allow the mix to slow boil for about 5 minutes, and TASTE the mixture periodically. Does it seem strong? Good! It's supposed to, but your palate is your guide -- you may prefer more or less sugar, so add water or sugar to adjust. More lemon or lime juice? Be my guest!
Once the taste is balanced, take the pan off the heat and allow it to cool, covered, to 80 degrees on your thermometer. No thermometer? No problem. The liquid should be cool enough to drizzle onto your wrist with a feeling of warmth but NO discomfort. Now, strain the liquid into a CLEAN pitcher or other suitable container with a pouring spout, then whisk in the yeast until it's thoroughly dispersed. Pour the liquid into the soda bottle, which will not be completely filled, then TIGHTLY cap the bottle. Set the bottle out of direct light in a warm (70F-78F is ideal) area for 24 hours.
At the end of this time, your soda bottle will now feel as though it's tightly filled -- just like the ones that come from the store, only your soda is NATURALLY carbonated! Put the bottle in the refrigerator for another 24 hours, and then ENJOY! :D
Incidentally, I'm thinking of setting up a separate blog or Tumblr or something to record my cooking experiments--and I do tend to regard them as experiments :p Lately I've been on a pickling kick, for example.
It's like we were separated at birth -- I've got kimchi pickling in the kitchen atm!!
My brother!!! *weeps in a poignant, yet terribly stallion-like manner* I'm-a so happy!