Soda Base:
The first step to making homemade soda is making your soda base. It involves combining all your ingredients together, including an active ginger bug, and taste testing it. You want your soda base to be slightly sweeter than what you want the end product to be, as some of the sugar will be eaten up by the ginger bug during the fermentation process.
To make mojito soda, start by making a simple syrup by adding the sugar and hot water into a jar and stirring until all the sugar is dissolved. Use 4 tbs sugar if you like your soda less sweet, and 6tbs if you want like your soda sweeter.
Then, add all the rest of the ingredients into a swing-top bottle. The key ingredient is an active ginger bug. This is the key ingredient that will kickstart the fermentation process, so you cannot substitute it, nor leave it out, as it’s essential for the soda-making process. Make sure to taste test and adjust as needed to fit your desired result!
Fermentation:
For your soda to be carbonated, it needs a few days at room temperature to ferment. The fermentation process involves the yeast and bacteria in the ginger bug to break down the sugar in your soda base to create carbon dioxide, aka the fizziness in soda! Since we’re fermenting in a pressure safe bottle, the gas will build up, so its important to “burp” your bottles once a day to relieve the pressure.
The process will take a few days, depending on your environment. Around 1-3 days is typical for the fermentation process. You don’t want to over ferment as it starts tasting tangier and more alcohol-like when it ferments too long. The fermentation stage is done when the bottle builds up pressure, and you see bubbles coming to the top.
Be sure to chill before opening as it slows down the fermentation process and helps ensure your soda doesn’t explode on you!
