Make Your Own: A Ginger Bug!!!

What the heck is a Ginger Bug and what the heck do I want it for???

Well, I wanted to start making my own ginger beer, and ginger ale, and all that good soda stuff.  But I wanted it to be good, good tasting and good for us.  Where do you go to buy that?

I don't know where you can buy it, but I sure can tell you how to make it!!

All About the Ginger Bug...

(The following info was found on http://wellnessmama.com/8942/how-to-make-a-ginger-bug/)

If you aren't familiar with naturally fermented beverages, you might be asking what the heck a Ginger Bug is and why you should make one…

A ginger bug is a culture of beneficial bacteria made from fresh ginger root and sugar. It is similar to a sourdough starter for bread or a kombucha scoby for making kombucha. The ginger imparts its flavor and as it naturally ferments, creates a mixture of beneficial bacteria.

Though not overly tasty by itself, the Ginger Bug is the base for many homemade sodas and tonics. We use it to make Root Beer, Ginger Ale, Fruit “sodas” and more.

The recipe we use is an adaption of the recipe in Nourishing Traditions (p. 591) and is the culture we use for all homemade sodas. There is also an easier way to make soda that doesn’t require a ginger bug if you prefer to skip this step, but to make an authentic soda, the bug is needed.

Once this ginger bug is made, it can be kept alive and used continuously to make healthy soda at any time.

4.5 from 2 reviews

How to Make a Ginger Bug

 

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How to create a ginger bug to use as the beneficial culture to make healthy fermented homemade sodas like old fashioned ginger ale or root beer.

Author: Wellness Mama

Recipe type: Cultured – Beverage

Ingredients

• 1-2 fresh ginger roots
• ½ cup white sugar (important for starting the culture. Honey, stevia or other sweeteners will not work)
• 2 cups of water
• Quart size mason jar

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of ginger root about 1.5 inches long to make 2-3 tablespoons of grated ginger. You can also finely chop instead of grating. There is some debate about if it is better to peel the root or not. My genera rule is that non-organic ginger gets peeled and organic just gets rinsed before grating.
2. Place the ginger in a quart size mason jar and add an equal amount of white sugar (2-3 tablespoons). Nourishing Traditions insists that white sugar is needed to create the bug and I’ve had the best success with this, but a local friend claims that unrefined sugar or sugar with 1 tsp of molasses added works better. Try what you have and adapt as needed.
3. Add 2 cups of filtered water to the mason jar. Make sure that the water has been filtered so that it does not contain chlorine which can affect the culturing process.
4. Stir with a non-metal spoon and lightly cover. I cover with a coffee filter and rubber band.
5. Each day for the next five days, stir the mixture at least once and add 1 tablespoon of grated ginger root and 1 tablespoon of sugar. (note: depending on temperature, it may take up to eight days of adding sugar and ginger to create the desired culture).
6. You can tell if culture is active if there are bubbles forming around the top of the mixture, it “fizzes” when stirred and it takes on a sweet and mildly yeasty smell. It will also become somewhat cloudy and opaque. If mold appears on the top, scrape it off if it can be removed. It this happens more than once, you will need to start again. If the mixture hasn’t taken on these characteristics by the 7-8th day, you need to discard it and start again.
7. Keep the culture away from other cultures like sauerkraut and kombucha or it can cross culture.
8. Once the ginger bug has cultured, it can be used to create fermented sodas and drinks at the ratio of ¼ cup ginger bug starter per quart of sweetened herbal mixtures (for ginger ale or root beer) or diluted fruit juice (for fruit flavored sodas).

Notes

To keep the bug alive and continue growing it, you will need to feed it regularly. Add 1 teaspoon of minced ginger and 1 teaspoon sugar per day if kept at room temperature. You can also “rest” it in the fridge and feed it 1 tablespoon each of ginger and sugar once a week. To reactivate it, remove and let it reach room temperature and begin feeding it again.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am on day three of making my own ginger bug.  I will keep everyone posted on the outcome of mine!!

Make Your Own: Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

1 Photo

• READY IN7 hr

Philadelphia® Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

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Recipe by Philadelphia Cream Cheese 

"The creamy, cheesecake filling is sweetened with rich dulce de leche, and drizzled with more before serving."

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So if you have read my prior post on making your own sweetened condensed milk, you will find that this baking trip is right up your alley!!

As per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulce_de_leche .....

Dulce de leche (pronounced: [ˈdulse ðe ˈletʃe]; Portuguese: doce de leite [ˈdosi dʒi ˈlejtʃi] or [ˈdose de ˈlejte]) is a confection prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a product that derives its taste from the caramelization of the product, changing flavor and color. Literally translated, it means "candy of milk" or "candy [made] of milk", "milk candy", or "milk jam" in the same way that dulce de frutilla is strawberry jam. It is popular in South America, notably in Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia and Venezuela. The dulce de leche of El Salvador has a soft, crumbly texture, with an almost crystallized form. In Colombia and Venezuela it's known as "Arequipe". A Mexican version calledcajeta is made from goat's milk. In the Dominican Republic it is made with equal parts milk and sugar with cinnamon, and the texture is more like fudge. In Puerto Rico dulce de leche is sometimes made with unsweetened coconut milk.

A French version, known as confiture de lait, is very similar to the spreadable forms of dulce de leche.

The Norwegian HaPå spread is a commercial variant that is thicker and less sweet. The name is an abbreviation of "Hamar" where it originally was made and "Pålegg"(spread). "Ha på" literally means "put on" as a reference to putting it on a slice of bread. HaPå originated during the Second World War when, due to the scarcity of supplies, housewives would boil Viking-melk (a type of condensed milk) to a very similar type of spread. After the war the production was commercialized and continues to this day.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/philadelphia-dulce-de-leche-cheesecake/

Ingredients Edit and Save

Original recipe makes 16 servingsChange Servings

• 1 (300 ml) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/4 cups Honey Maid Graham Crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

• 3 (250 g) packagesPhiladelphia Brick Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs

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Directions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Pour condensed milk into 9-inch pie plate; cover with foil. Place in shallow pan filled with boiling water to 1-inch depth. Bake 1 hour. Remove pie plate from water bath. Beat milk with whisk until smooth. Cool 1 hour. Remove 1/2 cup sauce; refrigerate remaining sauce for later use.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix graham crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add reserved dulce de leche sauce; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
4. Bake 40 to 45 min. or until centre is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.
5. Pour remaining sauce into microwaveable bowl when ready to serve cheesecake. Microwave on HIGH 15 sec. or until warmed; stir. Drizzle over cheesecake.

Kitchen-Friendly View

• PREP15 mins
• READY IN7 hrs

Footnotes

• Make Ahead: The dulce de leche sauce can be stored in refrigerator up to 1 week before using as directed.
• Shortcut: Prepared dulce de leche sauce can be purchased in gourmet food stores.
• Size-Wise: Dessert can be part of a balanced diet but remember to keep tabs on portions.

Make Your Own: Rose Petal Jam

There is nothing better than having a slice of fresh bread, toasted on the skillet, and covered with rose petal jam...

It is romantically scented, lovingly colored, and so very personal.  Who wouldn't want a little jar of this? Is there a more loving, romantic, or intoxicating way to show your love at the start of the day?  To get a close up romance kind of love filled first encounter, please visit http://www.emikodavies.com/blog/rose-petal-jam/

No one can explain it better. And I mean no one.

So, in short words, here is a lovely recipe for Rose Petal Jam from http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Rose-Petal-Jam, which I have personally made. Not only is it a sensuous way to wake your self up in the morning, but the perfect way to wake up your partner... even for that kind of crazy morning!!  ;)

How to Make Rose Petal Jam

Edited by Sondra C, Krystle, Nicole Willson, Jonathan E. and 20 others

Most roses are edible. Roses are not the only flowers that can be used to add a delicious and exotic taste to all types of dishes.^[1] The flavor of roses is distinct and immediately recognizable, and it looks as wonderful as it tastes.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 pound pink or red or white (they are all edible) rose petals.
• 2 cups sugar.
• 4 1/2 cups water
• Juice of 2 lemons, pips or seeds removed.

Steps

1. 
   1
   Select any color rose petals or use assorted colors. The color of the petals will be the color of the jam. Some rose varieties are tastier than others. Fragrant red and pink old-fashioned double roses (rugosas, floribundas, Old English, damask, and so on) are often used for jam.^[2] "Rose a parfum de l'Haye", "Caprice de Meilland", and "Baron Girod de l'Ain" keep their aroma and flavor well during the cooking process.^[3]
   • Wash them and then cut off the white bottom of each petal. Before eating them or using them in cooking, they should be washed well to avoid any chemicals that they might have been sprayed with. Ideally, you should use roses that haven't been sprayed at all and that were grown specifically for this purpose. Always check for insects and discard any petals that are brown.
   • Soak the petals in water for three days. This is optional.
   • Place the rose petals into a bowl and sprinkle the sugar over them to make sure that each petal is coated. Bruise them well with your fingers and cover the bowl with plastic film.^[4] Allow it to remain overnight in a cool spot that is not too dry and not too humid (e.g. the refrigerator).
   • Get a saucepan and pour in the remaining sugar, water and lemon juice. Dissolve contents over a low heat. Including the pips (seeds) of the lemon is supposed to contribute pectin, which will help thicken the jam,^[3] although some recipes do not specify their need, so the choice is yours.
   • Stir the rose petals into the mixture and allow to simmer 20 minutes. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens. If you have a jelly thermometer, cook and stir until the jam reaches 221°F or 105°C (don't let the bulb touch the bottom of the pan) or until a spoonful dropped onto a cold plate jells and holds its shape.^[2] Then, if you included the pips/seeds, remove them with a spoon, or you can leave them in if a person is careful not to eat them when they eat the jam.
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2. 
   2
   Pour it into a clean, warmed jar and add the cover and a label. If it will not be used shortly, use proper canning procedures to make sure the jam keeps in the jar. Store it in a cool place^[5] and indulge.
3. 
   3
   Finished.
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Tips

• Do not use petals that have been sprayed with an insecticide which is not intended for use on food.
• If put in a pretty jar, this makes a great gift.
• You can also make a delicious rose petal jam simply by crushing rose petals with sugar in a pestle a mortar - the traditional Polish way.[1]
• If you're picking the roses yourself, the best time is in the late morning, after the dew has dried and before the strong afternoon sun. Hold the entire rose by the tips of the petals with the tips of your fingers, pull it off the base, and trim the white sections with scissors - this will save you time.^[2]
• Make your rose petal jam with love and have fun while doing it. Do not think of your problems.

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Warnings

• Roses have thorns, so be careful in handling them
• (Disclaimer:  Please note that I am not responsible for any accidents or additional hazards that may occur as a result of your attempt to recreate anything on this blog, or your usage of any recipes on this blog.  I will be more than happy to reply to any questions related to the above recipes, but please contact a doctor or 911 if you feel you are in need of immediate medical attention.)