[in progress] A little bit of fizzy

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[in progress] A little bit of fizzy

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cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 07 11:17 am Post subject: [in progress] A little bit of fizzy

(Article in progress, this is hopefully going to be a collection of recipes for drinks like elderflower champagne, ginger ale, nettle 'beer', dandelopn and burdock, watermint fizz, etc.)

We're a hard working bunch us Downsizers. I mean, as well as keeping jobs going, theres the plot, hedgerows to be maintained, chooks to be stared at, berries to be foraged for... But lets be honest, what we really like to do on a summers evening is sit back with a long, cold drink of something refreshing that we've made ourselves. But you can't be drinking homebrew beer all the time, at least I can't, so what do you do when you want something sweet and fizzy? Something that isn't necessarily alcoholic (but which might have a token amount of alcohol in it), an 'adult' soft drink?

The answer is to make your own. It isn't rocket science, in fact people have been making this kind of beverage for centuries. Perhaps they reached their pinnacle in the heyday of the temparance movement, with temperance bars selling dandelion and burdock, ginger beer, sarsaprilla and other fizzy drinks for working men in place of beer.

Now, before moving on to recipes, there are a few things to discuss; namely, how to make these brews, what you should make them in, what you can mature them in, and how to store them.

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 07 12:23 pm Post subject:
Sounds good and useful. We can't always be getting tanked up on homebrew, or not enough work would get done.

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 08 12:32 pm Post subject:
Bump - Are we going to do anything with this - It's coming up to the right time of year to be thinking about this - I've got a really nice recipe for an Apple Ale - Which is a little like ginger ale but we made it with the apple pulp left over from the cider pressing and its a lovely and refreshing drink

Went

Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 6968

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 08 12:36 pm Post subject:
I have an old recipe for a ginger beer 'plant' that can be added to for continuous use if anyone wants it.

Andrea

Joined: 02 May 2005
Posts: 2260
Location: Portugal

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 08 12:42 pm Post subject:

Ian33568 wrote:

I have an old recipe for a ginger beer 'plant' that can be added to for continuous use if anyone wants it.

My Mum kept a ginger beer plant when I was a kid, although all I can remember was that the bottles needed regular 'burping' otherwise they all blew up in the night

I'd love to see a recipe for this.

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 08 12:44 pm Post subject:
I've done elder flower cordial, but I think the recipe came off here anyway. I have a strange urge to do something non-alcoholic with birch sap when it rises. I'll have a play and let people know.

Andrea

Joined: 02 May 2005
Posts: 2260
Location: Portugal

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 08 12:47 pm Post subject:

How about Apple Fizz? I've never got round to trying this recipe, thought I keep meaning to!

APPLE FIZZ
3lb.Apples (windfalls will do)
12 pints water
2 lemons
1kg sugar
1 very clean bucket with lid.

Cut all bruised bits off the apples. Chop roughly and put through a food processor till fine crumbs.
Put in a plastic bucket with the water. Cover with the lid and leave
for a week stirring twice a day.
Strain.
Return to rinsed bucket.
Add zest and juice of lemons and sugar.
Stir till the sugar is dissolved.
Leave 24hrs.
strain again and bottle.
leave for 1 week before drinking.

Went

Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 6968

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 08 12:56 pm Post subject:

Andrea wrote:

Ian33568 wrote:

I have an old recipe for a ginger beer 'plant' that can be added to for continuous use if anyone wants it.

My Mum kept a ginger beer plant when I was a kid, although all I can remember was that the bottles needed regular 'burping' otherwise they all blew up in the night

I'd love to see a recipe for this.

Ginger Beer Plant and Ginger Beer:

2oz Yeast in a large jar, add half a pint of tepid water, add two level teaspoons each of ground ginger and sugar. On a daily basis for a week, add one teaspoon each of sugar and ground ginger. At the end of the week strain the liquid carefully through a clean cloth. Retain the residue. Add to the liquid, juice of 2 lemons, 1 lb of sugar and 2 pints of lukewarm water. Stir well and dissolve the sugar, bottle when cool. Ready to drink in about a week - cork lightly when first bottled.....they can pop!

The residue should be split into 2 jars with half a pint of tepid water in each then feed the jars with ginger and sugar as before. The plant won't live for more than 10 days unless it is started again.

Enjoy.........

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