Organic Turmeric Bug

Please note that we do not send printed copies of instructions with your purchase. If you would like to have a printed version, you can open a printable PDF by clicking here.

Instructions

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• What to do once your Organic Certified Turmeric Bug arrives
• What equipment do I need?
• What ingredients do I need?
• Activation Process
• Fermentation Process

What to do once your Organic Certified Turmeric Bug arrives:

What equipment do I need?

Turmeric Bug and metal
You will often hear that you should not use metal utensils while making Turmeric Bug. Although this holds some truth, it has been greatly exaggerated! Turmeric Bug gets very acidic, if left in contact with metals for long periods of time, in theory, it could degrade and rust the metal. That metal would then end up in the Turmeric Bug and eventually in you. However, using a stainless steel strainer/sieve or spoon while making Turmeric Bug will not cause any problems. The contact time between the metal utensils and Turmeric Bug will always be very short. Never leave anything metal in contact with Turmeric Bug for long periods of time.

Brewing Jar
You need something to keep your Turmeric Bug in. We recommend using something glass. Glass is much easier to clean and keep sterile. Plastic tends to degrade over time and is prone to scratches which can harbor unwanted bacteria. Plastic also carries a risk of chemical contamination from the materials contained inside of it such as BPA. A glass Kilner style jam jar is perfect to use.

Strainer / Paper Filter
Your also need a fine strainer (the type used with tea) and a stirring spoon. For a sludge free Turmeric Bug, we recommend that you strain the mixture through a paper filter, the type used for coffee is perfect. 

Jar cover
You also need something to cover your jar with. We recommend paper kitchen towels as they are easy to discard and replace. You can also use a muslin cloth or similar if you wish. Rubber bands also come in handy to secure the cover to the jar.

A large pan (must hold 4 litres)
A large stock pot works well.

A lemon squeezer
To get the most juice of out fresh lemons, warm them in the microwave for 30 seconds and kneed them gently on a worktop. Then cut in half and squeeze the juice out.

Bottles
You also need some bottles to store your Turmeric Bug in. We recommend using plastic bottles. Turmeric Bug gets VERY fizzy. Make sure you use BPA free plastic.

Plastic funnel
It is useful to get a plastic funnel to help pour the liquid into the bottles.

Glass/plastic measuring Jug
It is also useful to have something to decant your strained mixture into. Glass or plastic measuring jugs are perfect.

What ingredients do I need?

You only need 4 ingredients to make Turmeric Bug, Turmeric, water, fresh lemons and sugar. Dried Turmeric powder works best.

Activation Process:

Boil 300ml of water. Allow it to cool and add to your jar. Add four teaspoons of sugar (20g) and one teaspoon (5g) of turmeric powder and stir well. Place your turmeric bug into the jar, stir gently and cover the jar. Leave it for 24 hours at room temperature (21 degrees celsius). You should notice the mixture will start to bubble and show signs of life within a few days.

Each day, for the next 7 days, you will need to feed the turmeric bug two teaspoons of sugar (10g) and one teaspoon (5g) of turmeric powder. Stir the mixture well each time you add the sugar and turmeric.

Fermentation Process:

The First Brew

You will need:

• 200 grams of sugar (You may need to increase/decrease this based on your tastes)
• 3 litres of boiling water
• Juice of 2 lemons (to lower the ph of the liquid and stop mould growing)
• 1 tablespoon of black peppercorns (optional, but increases bioavailability further)

1. Strain the turmeric bug liquid into a separate container. Retain the sediment of Turmeric Bug to make your next batch with.
2. Add 3 litres of water to the large pot and bring to the boil. Add the sugar and stir so that it dissolves.
3. Squeeze the juice from 2 lemons and add to the pan of boiled water.
4. Add the peppercorns
5. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature
6. Add the Turmeric Bug liquid you strained off earlier. Always make sure the water has cooled. Hot water will kill the Turmeric bug!

Bottling the Turmeric Bug

It is now time to bottle your brew.

Using your plastic funnel, pour the mixture into your bottles, and seal them. Place the bottles at room temperature for 2-4 days. Check the bottles each day. Once they become firm, they are ready.

It is important if using glass bottles to check and burp (release some of the gas build-up) daily to minimise the risk of explosions.

The Turmeric Bug is now ready to drink. Place your bottles in the fridge to cool. Be very careful when opening the bottles. Turmeric Bug produces an extremely fizzy beverage that is prone to exploding out the bottle.

The next batch

Take the Turmeric Bug sediment that was strained out previously and divide it in half. Take one half and place it back into the original jar you used to ferment the Turmeric Bug in. Add 4 teaspoons of sugar (20g) and one teaspoon of powdered Turmeric (5g). Boil 300 ml of water and allow it to cool back to room temperature (21 degrees celsius). Once cooled, add it to the jar and stir well. Repeat the process again feeding your Turmeric Bug for 7 days.

Experiment with flavours.

You don’t have to limit yourself to this basic recipe. We often add herbal tea (ginger and lemon works well), lemon verbena, hawthorn, dandelion root, liquorice root and other medicinal plants to our turmeric bug. Experiment with flavour ideas and create a drink that is not only good for you, but you love to drink.