The beautiful taste of homemade ginger beer has been the highlight of my childhood and the smell is imprinted on my brain along with memories of special occasions.

Mum only ever cracks the lid off the tall brown bottles (with labels saying “Mum’s Ginger Beer”) when visitors come.

I watch mum feed the ginger beer plant every morning for a week before the day of bottling – filled with sterilising bottles, squeezing of our homegrown lemons and wringing out the plant through muslin cloth.

This recipe is very special to my family – handed down through generations and we are thrilled to share it with you all. The ginger beer made from this recipe is delicious, refreshing, and naturally carbonated.

The only changes made from the original version has been the conversion of the measurements from imperial to metric. All cup measures are metric cups, and Aussie tablespoons are 20ml measures not 15ml.

INGREDIENTS
Makes about a dozen 750ml bottles

For the Ginger Beer Plant
· 8 golden raisins
· ¼ cup lemon juice
· 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
· 1 tablespoon sugar
· 2 teaspoons ground ginger
· 2½ cups water

For the Ginger Beer
· 3 cups sugar
· 5 cups boiling water
· The juice of 3 lemons
· 8 litres of water

METHOD

• First, make your plant by combining all ginger beer plant ingredients (golden raisins, juice, rind, sugar, ginger and water) in a screw top jar and leave for two to three days

• For the next seven days, feed your plant by stirring in 2 tsp ground ginger and 1 tbsp sugar daily

• To make the ginger beer, place the sugar in a large basin and stir in the boiling water. Continue to stir until dissolved (my family always uses organic granulated sugar here, not caster – it’s up to you what you choose)

• Cover the basin with fine muslin (my Mum sometimes uses an old, clean but worn piece of sheet) and pour the ginger beer through it.

• Pull up the sides and squeeze out all the moisture you can from the plant, until it’s as dry as can be

• Stir in the lemon juice and 8 litres of water

• Store in sterilised, screw top bottles leaving a space of at least ‘three fingers’ at the top to allow for expansion – if you don’t leave room they may explode

• Store carefully, especially in warmer months. Ideally do not open for three to four days – after which it should be delicious and fizzy

Enjoy!

– By Eve Ballard