GINGER BEER

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Celebrate spring by brewing this spicy, traditional Australian beverage:

By Joan Y. Goddard

Folks who prefer a self-sufficient lifestyle are always looking for ways to "do it themselves" and avoid expensive store-bought items . . . and that rule applies to Australian back-to-the-landers as well as to those of us in North America! In fact, when I lived "down under" for a time, I learned the secrets of making delicious ginger beer from a neighbor who used to share the fruits of such efforts on warm afternoons.

I was quite impressed by his method of beermaking: the superior quality of ingredients used . . . the loving care he lavished on the starter (or "plant", as it's usually called by Aussies) . . . and the surprising ease of the beverage's preparation. The hazy, pungent drink — which has only a small alcohol content — is also an effective thirst quencher, so I made sure to memorize my friend's techniques before I left the southern continent.

Ginger beer — as it's made down under — has its simple beginnings in the plant . . . which combines Sultana (or golden) raisins, fresh lemons, raw sugar, spring water, and freshly ground ginger. (The spice is available in most any food store, or you may, if you live in the eastern portions of the U.S. or Canada, be able to forage for wild ginger — Asarum canadense — on your own acres. Just dig up the long horizontal roots, which lie right below the surface, and chop them fine.) The starter for ginger beer is allowed to ferment for a week before the brewing process can begin. And — as is done in the American method of making sourdough — a portion of that plant is always set aside to initiate future batches.

START THE STARTER

In a quart jar, stir together 8 raisins (in a pinch, you can always substitute darker varieties for the golden Sultanas I've specified), the juice of 2 lemons, 1 teaspoon of grated lemon rind or pulp, 4 teaspoons of raw sugar (I prefer to use turbinado), 2 teaspoons of ground ginger root, and 2 cups of spring water. Allow the mixture to stand in a warm place — where the temperature will stay between 70 and 80°F — for two or three days, until it starts to ferment. (The process may take a bit longer in cool weather.)