Ginger is a flowering plant whose root has been widely used as both a spice and for medicinal purposes for centuries among many different cultures. Indigenous to south China, India is currently the largest producer of Ginger Root. From digestive issues to nausea, pain relief to treating inflammatory conditions, Ginger is a great addition to any diet.
There are many ways to incorporate ginger into your diet. Add some fresh ginger to your next smoothie…or stir fry. Steep it to brew your own ginger tea. Today we are making Homemade Ginger Ale beginning with a ginger-infused simple syrup reduction. Don’t be intimidated…it’s really simple.
Homemade Ginger Ale
Most of us are familiar with powdered ginger as a spice used for baking during the holidays. But if you haven’t tried fresh ginger, you are missing out. Ginger has sort of a spicy, citrus taste with a distinctive aroma. The skin is relatively thin and is best removed using an everyday soup spoon. Just scrape with the edge of the spoon and it peels very easily.
Homemade Ginger Ale
To begin, peel and chop the ginger into small pieces. In a medium saucepan, add the water, sugar and pinch of salt. Once the sugar dissolves, add the ginger and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to extract all of that wonderful ginger flavor.
Cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Once it’s cold, it is ready to serve! Mix 1 part syrup to 2 parts sparkling (carbonated) water. To get that traditional lemon/lime flavor, just add a squeeze of either (or both!) to taste. Serve over ice with a sprig of fresh mint.
It’s sweet and spicy. I think you’re really going to love it!
Homemade Ginger Ale
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Homemade Ginger Ale {Vegan}
Ingredients
- 1/4 C Fresh Ginger peeled and chopped
- 1 C Sugar
- 2 C Filtered Water
- Optional: pinch of salt
- Sparkling/Carbonated Water and Ice for serving
- Garnish with fresh mint and lemon/lime wedges
Instructions
- The easiest way to peel fresh ginger is to use the edge of an ordinary soup spoon.
- Once peeled, slice into rounds and then give a rough chop.
- On high heat, add the sugar and water to a non-reactive sauce pan. We are essentially making a "simple syrup".
- Once the sugar is dissolved, add the ginger and salt.
- Bring to a boil and then lower the temperature so that it is actively simmering, not boiling.
- Simmer for approximately 45 minutes and cool to room temperature prior to refrigerating.
- To make the ginger ale soda, simply add 1 part syrup to 2 parts sparkling water.
- To get that traditional lemon/lime flavor, you could add a squeeze of either (or both).
- Serve over ice and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
Lyman says
You can also ferment your ginger ale and have Ginger Champaign. I grow my own ginger and its easy. Get some fresh sprouted ginger from a market and plant it. It will sprout and flower and when it dies back you can harvest or leave and it will come up again next year and produce more. I wash mine and put in the blender until I have a mash. Then in the slow cooker with water for an hour on high to kill all bacteria and yeasts. Then use a normal strainer to collect the pulp and finally use a coffee filter to really clean it up. Now you have a ginger stock to add to any dish or to make ginger ale. Add water until you find the strength you want and sugar. You don’t want too much or it will be sweet like store bought. Now add some white wine brewers yeast, perhaps half a teaspoon or less. Don’t worry it will grow as it eats the sugar and turns it into CO2 bubbles and a bit of alcohol. I use screw top wine bottles as you can burp them daily during fermentation at room temperature. Just release some of the pressure. After a week or so fermentation will be almost finished and you can shelf or refrigerate. Make sure its really cold when you open it and do that over the sink LOL. Save the yeast sediment on the bottom of the bottle to make your next batch. Spring top Grolsch bottles are good for this and you can buy wine bottle size on amazon and ebay and at brewers supply stores~! This is a good healing drink if you are having a tummy upset.