Nick's Ginger Beer Recipe (with apologies to Gwyn)

[Whippit]

To Start the Ginger Beer Plant

25 g (1 oz) Fresh Baker's Yeast

15 ml (1 tbsp) Caster Sugar

15 ml (1 tbsp) Ground Ginger

300 ml (1/2 pint) Cold Water

Blend yeast and sugar until they cream and form a liquid. Add ginger and water. Keep in jar with loose-fitting lid.

Each Day for the Next 10 Days Feed as follows:

5 ml (1 level tspn) Ground Ginger

5 ml (1 level tspn) Caster Sugar

Stir well and replace lid loosely.

After 10 Days Make Ginger Beer as Follows:

500 g (18 oz) Caster Sugar

900 ml (1 1/2 pints) Water

Juice of 2 Lemons

3.5 ltres (6 pints) Cold Water

Dissolve sugar in 1 1/2 pints water. Bring to the boil and cool before adding the well-strained lemon juice.

Strain ginger beer plant very well through clean sheet or similar (it should be clear). Keep sediment.

Add this liquid to the cooled mixture together with the 6 pints of water. Still well and syphon or pour into bottles leaving a good headspace for gas. (I use ex-plastic pop bottles or fizzy water bottles - it has to be something that will take the pressure and is less worrying than glass).

Leave in a COOL dark place for 1 - 2 weeks.

ENJOY

To make another plant to make more:

Halve sediment and place in two separate jars. Add to each jar:

10 ml (2 level tspns) Ground Ginger

10 ml (2 level tspns) Caster Sugar

1/2 pint water.

GIVE ONE AWAY AND PROCEED AS BEFORE

[Hidden]

Hi Annie,

Despite my aversion to g----- this looks a really friendl recipe...I might send it to my friend who I know would love it cheers x G x

[Whippit in reply to Hidden]

Wouldn't it be a wonderful idea for one of us to start the recipe, and send half the plant to the next, and so on.

The recipe is very special to me. My brother had the most awful stroke 3 years ago and can't talk, walk, or in fact do anything for himself. He sent me this recipe just before this happened and I've enjoyed making the beer and thinking of him.

He's kindly added little comments and hints to help avoid the explosions that lots of us remembered about making ginger beer in the past.

xxxx

[Hidden in reply to Whippit]

That would be a great idea and who knows I might get over my ginger phobia I only dislike it because I was extremely sick with it when I was on chemo and I couldn't even stand the smell of ginger...but I couldn't stand anything sweet either and now I have a sweet craving Booo.

I have also sent a reply to you a PM just in case you miss it..I value your feedback thanks love x G x

[Whippit in reply to Hidden]

Hey yes, I sent back a message to you. I did wonder re the ginger whether you'd find home-made ginger beer more appetising than shop-bought ginger stuff. btw, I'll refrain from using Origins products when we do meet. It smells strongly of ginger. xxx

[Hidden in reply to Whippit]

Hi Annie,

My friend made ginger beer and it made me awfully sick, she might already have this recipe come to think of it...she made me ginger muffins as well when I was on chemo but I hated even the smell...I was showing her your previous blog last night..she lived in France for some time and then went to the Reunion Island (French Speaking) for about four years so appreciated your holiday remarks on France you remind me of her because she likes her herb garden and foraging for fruit e.t.c. likes making elderberry wine has a huge garden with loads of fruit blueberries,redberries,and of course the usual fruit and veg ... she brought me some courgettes and is always baking and bringing me stuff I am fortunate to have such a lovely friend. Love x G x

[Whippit in reply to Hidden]

Dear Gwyn, I think your friend would be my friend. I'd love to live in France, or indeed La Reunion. There was a television programme about the island last night which I watched with interest.

I'd love to have the space to grow my own fruit and vegetables. I have my little herb garden at the front of the house but my rear garden will be even smaller once the kitchen extension is completed. We're adding 2 metres with large folding doors and glass windows in the sloping roof to get more sun into the kitchen.

I have to content myself buying fresh organic staples from Riverfords. At the moment my cooking is a bit restricted as the foundations under the kitchen are being dug up. We've set up a camp kitchen in the dining room where I have a single induction hob and a microwave/combination oven. I treated myself to a little coffee machine which is my daily luxury at the moment.

Perhaps another blog on the kitchen renovations. You'd laugh if you saw the photos. The rear of my Victorian house was built on earth foundations. The cat thinks I've installed an inside toilet!

xxxx A

[Hidden in reply to Whippit]

My friend grows her herb garden at the front of the house, she has made a feature of it, but like I said her garden is huge (more a park) but I don't envy her....it is very hard work even with them having a gardener...but like you she has tons of energy...my energy levels are zero haha she even managed to fit in a "Doctorate" last year all since retirement...when all I seem to manage is

Zzzzzzzzzzzz love x G x

[Solange in reply to Whippit]

Hi Annie,

Thanks for the Ginger Beer recipe - takes me back to my schooldays when we were all mad about making it.

I'm so sorry to hear about your poor brother. What a terrible thing to happen, not only for him, but for family as well. I do hope he can still enjoy a reasonable quality of life.

Best wishes to him, and to you, love Solange

[MidwifeGill]

Hi annie... alot of research is telling how ginger kills cancer cells especailly ovarian. when placed on OC mice it killed all the cells.... same with Lemon... so this combination is good shame about the sugar but its a balance) i take ginger capsules from holland and barrett... and turr

amic

[Whippit]

Dear Gill, I've heard very good things about ginger and turmeric. A friend with cancer suggested I visit a GP who also practices Ayurvedic Medicine. She told me turmeric is highly prized in Indian medicine, and indeed there was a blog on the site about six months ago praising the healing powers of the spice. My friend was given a paste and took a teaspoonful 4 times a day. That contained turmeric and molasses. It was quite sweet so I'm assuming not all sugars are harmful so long as they're taken as part of a balanced diet.

It's good to hear you had uplifting messages about a potential new drug. I'll put up a post of Hani Gabra's talk. It will give you more to go on if you do contact his team. They're looking at conditions where women become resistant to carbo-platin rather than refractory disease.

I'm hoping next week is better. You've had so much to bear recently. Lots of love, Annie

[angelina]

Hi Annie

Thanks for putting up the Ginger Beer recipe. I think I went wrong with the yeast on

my previous attempt as I used packet yeast from Sainsburys, so this time i will try

and buy fresh yeast. Just been reading about your kitchen renovations - don't

envy you the mess you must be in but gosh how lovely it will be when finished.

The cat toilet really made me laugh and know what you mean about the foundations

as we live in a 200yr old cottage and ours are the same. Makes you wonder how the

houses are still standing?

Love Angie x

[Whippit in reply to angelina]

Dear Angie

If you're looking for fresh yeast Morrisons sell it. Apparently they're the only supermarket that make proper bread in their bakery with proper yeast. As I understand it the others - even Waitrose - buy in ready-prepared factory produced bread mix which I try to avoid. Morrisons keep the yeast in their chill counter near the butter and cheese but you might need to ask someone as it's not very obvious.

The kitchen is in a frightful state but it will get worse until they pour about 6 tons of wet concrete into a big hole they're digging. Once that dries they'll add an insulated layer and underfloor central heating then at last my new kitchen units and new oven will be installed. I'm really excited but I'm going to have to be patient as it's not going to get sorted out for quite a number of weeks yet.

I think you can fall in love with a house. Don't you? The foundations are really worth replacing. It's just the rear part of our house that's the problem - originally the servants' quarters comprising kitchen and scullery. I don't suppose it mattered that bit of the house was cold as they would have had a huge range going all day. We replaced half the foundations last year and it made such an enormous difference to the warmth that we've decided to continue the work.

I wish these comment boxes permitted a pic as I'd post one up of the new indoor cat loo!

They do say our old houses will last a whole lot longer than the modern things going up that have an expected life of about 60 years. Give me an old house any time.

I shall be thinking of everyone busy making their ginger beer. We must compare notes! xxxx Annie

[angelina]

I think you are extremely brave putting up with all the upheaval. We need a new bathroom

suite - which is long overdue - but I keep putting it off as cannot put up with workmen

and the mess they will cause. I think when I get round to it maybe I will take the easy

way out and go stay with my sister and leave hubby to cope with it.......Ha ha !!!

If I can't find any fresh yeast locally then will take a trip to morrisons.

Angie x

[Hidden]

Hi Annie,

Let's get back on a simple subject like ginger beer haha I sent this recipe to my friend she is very grateful.. so thank you..You and I was commenting at the same time (I was adding a bit to my comment) on Margaret's blog so mine came up under yours (if you want to read it )

The weather looks as if it is clearing up now Yippee!!! I wouldn't like to be your builders in the rain although it will keep the concrete soft !!! LOL ...love x G x

[Whippit in reply to Hidden]

I wouldn't dream of engaging you in a discussion about ginger beer as it upsets you so much! We're not good in the UK about discussing difficult issues but that just prolongs rather than resolves the problem.

I'm glad your friend likes the ginger beer recipe. I'm off now to Morrisons to get some yeast.

Poor builders. What a frightful day. I suggested they get a brazier and they looked at me rather oddly. I guess they're too young to remember workmen having braziers in the street. They've probably been banned for health and safety reasons.

Perhaps I'd better go downstairs again and explain I wasn't suggesting they got themselves some brassieres!!!! lol xxx

[Hidden in reply to Whippit]

This was my thought exactly (about bra's I mean) teehee as soon as you said it I thought hmmm... I wonder what accent you used French? English? all foreign to them you know...haha ....are you obsessed with "East" today? Oh no it was "Yeast" you said... sorry misinterpretation LOL .

Tony just said "braziers" go against health and safety rules now you are showing your age... Love x G x

[Whippit]

Well funnily enough Gwyn I was just thinking what you've been thinking about brassieres. I was wondering when I was walking the dog why the French don't use that word as it's surely of French origin. They say 'soutien gorge' which translates as throat support. I can only imagine they used to wear their bras very high up!! lol

The builders probably thought I'd said 'brassiere' 'cos I have a Surrey accent and say 'barth' rather than 'bath' so it would be reasonable for them to think I might pronounce 'brassiere' as 'brayssiere'.

Tony's right. I am showing my age - but I do LOVE words. xxxx A

[Hidden in reply to Whippit]

It is a bit of a cheek saying that....as we are both older than you Haha..... I can see where the connection comes from with the throat support... I have always said that mine starts from my throat LOL ...(I hate boobs)

You do know I am attempting to get this "happy blog" into the popular blog box? but it is very quickly going down the page (again)... soon to be out of sight ..and the "sad blogs" in the popular box...the poem I posted of Angie's cat isn't very uplifting either but you can't be uplifting when someone's lost their pet...it hasn't had a single comment yet... and it has been up since last night !!! I might send you lots of smiley faces all on separate comments that should do it ...or we could banter ?? LOL

Love x G x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Here goes

[Whippit in reply to Hidden]

Dear Gwyn

I'm happy for the blog to disappear into oblivion. I tagged it ginger beer so it can be recalled at some time in the future if anyone wants to check on Nick's recipe.

I have to disagree with Tony about age. It's a state of mind and not a number. I therefore propose we are exactly the same age. From the turn of this conversation I'd say this is somewhere around adolescence. lol xx

I've been out all day. Too cold and noisy in the house to stay here long. I cleared the dining room of builders' stuff at the weekend so I could sit in front of my log fire but it's now crammed again. We're going to the cinema tonight. A good excuse to get out of the house. I mentioned in Margaret's blog we're going to see Untouchables. I saw it when it came out in France last year. It'll be good to fill in all the bits I didn't understand - I'm assuming it's been dubbed into English rather than sub-titles. Street Black Parisien is a bit beyond me but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Now I should go and have a look at your poem for Angie. xxxx

[Hidden in reply to Whippit]

Can I take it that your builders are not of the great big hunk kind ? hummmm very disappointing....now what was you saying about adolescence? I hate watching anything with subtitles apart from the fact that I can't keep up...I can never see them either LOL ...I am freezing I think it has got very cold...enjoy the cinema love x G x

[Whippit in reply to Hidden]

No the builders are all sweet and kind. The sort of men who would do anything to help. They're very protective of me as they're incensed about my neighbour making things so difficult. I actually miss them when they go. Xx

[Hidden in reply to Whippit]

Aww they sound lovely...did you enjoy your film?

xx

[Whippit in reply to Hidden]

Intouchable was as good the second time as the first. It was really helpful to have subtitles as it was difficult to understand the street French used by the black community in Paris.

I would heartily recommend anyone to see it though having said that you said you don't like subtitles. My husband thought it was wonderful. The music and cinematography is brilliant. It was very uplifting and based on a true story. At the end it shows the actual people the story was based on. They're still friends.

I recommended Margaret see it as I thought it would cheer her up but I woud commend it to you all - it's downloadable now from the internet with English subtitles. I'll probably buy a copy that way.

I'm lucky to have such lovely builders. They were recommended 15 years ago. They concentrate mostly in the conservation area so they're very used to the quirks of our houses. I've just remembered years ago their first job was to restore the main bedroom. When they'd stripped away the wallpaper we found a door had been put into next door from my bedroom - to the the bedroom of the very neighbour who's being so difficult now. I imagine the relations were rather more cordial at some time in the past!!!! xx

[Hidden in reply to Whippit]

Tony said that Lyndon (my son) has downloaded it (he has left it at our house)

so perhaps we will watch it at sometime (thanks)....

Interesting news about your bedroom door..(odd though) if only we had a glimpse of times past...

Another sunny day.. Tony is off to take my daughter to the hospital and hopefully he will be back so we can go to my cancer support group, and then we usually go out for a meal afterwards maybe even a walk along the beach or around the boating lake ...have a good day love x G x

[Hidden]

Never thought I would try to boost a Ginger of any sorts site haha

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

This makes it twenty one you'll have to do some work yourself haha