Ginger Beer

Tags

ginger, Ginger beer, Lemon, recipe, sugar, water, yeast

Ginger and sugar in boiling water

Lemon Slices

Yeast starting to activate

Mixture maturing

 

Making your own home made Ginger Beer is really easy.

Ingredients : 

• 4,5 l water
• 28 g whole ginger
• 2 cups sugar
• 10 g active dry yeast
• 1 lemon

Method : 

• Boil the water, bruise the ginger and add to hot water with the sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
• Pour into an enamel jug or pail and allow to cool until lukewarm.
• Combine the active dry yeast with 1 teaspoon sugar and add 1 cup luke-warm water. Put aside in a warm place for 5 to 10 minutes or until it starts to ferment. Add to the sugar-water
• Cut the lemon into thin slices and add.
• Allow to stand for 24  hours. Strain through a damp cloth.
• Pour into bottle and cork tightly. It will be ready for use in 1 – 2 days.

 

Biltong, a South African speciality

Tags

beef, bicarbonate of soda, Biltong, coriander, coriander seeds, food, jerky, pepper, pestle and mortar, recipe, saltpetre, spice mixture, sugar, vinegar, wire hooks

There are seemingly endless theories as to how biltong is best prepared . When making biltong choose good cuts of meat. The usual preparation time is 3 days, and the biltong should be hung until dry.

You will need the following ingredients to yield 4,5 kg of biltong.

10 kg meat (game, beef or ostrich)

2,5 cups brown vinegar

75 g Brown sugar

8 ml saltpetre

8 ml bicarbonate of soda

10 ml pepper

3 tablespoons whole coriander seeds

275 g salt.

Cut the meat into suitably sized strips and rub thoroughly with vinegar, ensuring that all the meat is coated. Next mix sugar, saltpetre, bicarbonate of soda and pepper, set aside.

Roast the coriander in a pan over a medium heat, remove and mince, or pound with a pestle and mortar until fine. Combine with the sugar mixture.

Place the thicker biltong strips at the bottom of an enamel container, cover with a layer of salt and then a layer of the spice mixture. Repeat the layers until the thins strips are on top and add a final dressing of salt. Leave for 12 hours.

Remove the thinner strips and dip them quickly in hot water.

Dry the strips very well, then hang on S-shaped wire hooks. Take care to hang the pieces of biltong well apart so that air can circulate between them.

Here I have place it in the drying box. The drying time depends of factors such as temperature, air circulation and personal preference.

For serving, cut the biltong into slices and serve as a snack! Enjoy!

Photosynthesis

Tags

food, oxygen, photosynthesis, plants, sugar, sun, water