I LOVE turmeric soda, ginger beer, and turmeric & ginger soda. They just feel so healthy! Bright yellow, sparkling, and not too sweet. It’s a good-for-you treat that is perfect served over ice on a sunny day.
There are a lot of reasons to love turmeric soda:
- Healthy: Fermented turmeric is a popular supplement with a dose of science to back the claims. It improves liver function, is high in immune-regulating antioxidants and anti-inflammatory curcumin.
- Refreshing: This naturally sparkling beverage is refreshing and delicious. A perfect alternative to commercial soda pop.
- Probiotic: Fermented beverages are naturally probiotic!
- Low-sugar: Turmeric soda must be brewed with sugar since sugar is what feeds the probiotic culture. However, you get to decide how sweet the final beverage will be. For a low-sugar beverage allow it to brew for an extra week or two.
- Affordable: It cost less than $1 to make your own bottle of turmeric soda.
- Zero Waste: Kick the soda can habit by brewing your own soft drinks!
Turmeric Bug Starter
Turmeric bug starter is really, really easy to make at home. In about 5 days you can have a happy bubbling starter. Here’s what you need to know to make your own turmeric bug.
- To make a turmeric bug starter, follow my recipe for ginger bug starter. Just replace the freshly grated ginger with turmeric root. Otherwise, the process is identical.
- Turmeric bug cannot be made with powdered turmeric. You need fresh turmeric root. The skin is important for helping to catch the turmeric bug. And many brands of powdered turmeric have been treated with preservatives to keep the bright yellow color.
- Ginger bug starter can be used to brew turmeric soda and vice-versa. They really are interchangeable. I’m always brewing one or the other or both together for an immune-boosting mix.
Flavoring Turmeric Sodas
Turmeric sodas can be flavored just like ginger bug and other fermented sodas. Replace part of the liquid with juice or tea. Or add spices and other flavors to the brew.
If you’re trying a new flavor, I recommend just brewing a small batch. That way you don’t have to commit to drinking more than a few glasses. Or if need inspiration, try a few of my favorite flavor combinations.
Here are a few ways to experiment with flavors.
1. Juice:
Replacing part of the water in the soda with juice is a great way to add flavor. Berry turmeric punch? Yum!
Here are a few pointers:
- I recommend using clear juices, like blueberry, apple, or pomegranate. And avoid juices that have added preservatives, as they will slow down or stop the fermentation.
- Replace 2 cups of water in the recipes with 2 cups of sugar-free juice.
- For sparkling lemonade replace 1/2 cup of water with 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Avoid bottled lemon juice, which tends to be high in sulfites.
2. Teas:
Unlike jun or kombucha, you can use any flavor of tea for your ginger bug sodas.
Herbal black or green teas will all add a unique flavor. Feel free to replace anywhere from half to all of the water in your soda with brewed tea.
3. Other additions:
Turmeric soda can be flavored with pretty much anything you can imagine.
- Whole spices
- Dried fruits
- Vanilla bean
- Citrus zest
Turmeric Soda
Turmeric soda is a healthy and delicious alternative to soda pop. Made with naturally fermented turmeric, it’s sparkling, sweet, and probiotic!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 3 1/2 cups 1x
- Category: Beverages
- Method: Fermented
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups water (see section above for alternatives)
- 3–6 Tbsp sugar (see notes)
- 1/4 cup turmeric bug starter (see the section above for details on how to make a starter)
- 4 Tbsp of finely grated fresh turmeric
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients in a 1-quart glass jar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Cover with a piece of cloth or coffee filter held in place with a rubber band or metal ring. Place the jar somewhere warm and dark to ferment for 3 to 7 days and give it a good stir each day. (A kitchen cupboard is perfect). Turmeric bug needs air for proper fermentation so don’t seal it during this initial ferment.
- Once there are bubbles forming at the top of the jar, strain the mixture into a bottle. You will need to use a bottle that can handle the carbonation. See notes for more details.
- Allow the turmeric soda to ferment for a further 1 to 2 weeks to build up the carbonation. Check the carbonation 5 days after bottling.
- Once it’s fizzy, store the turmeric soda in the refrigerator. Consume within four weeks of refrigeration.
Notes
- Turmeric bug soda cannot be made with powdered turmeric. If you are unable to find fresh turmeric, I recommend making ginger beer and adding 2 Tbsp of powdered turmeric to the ferment.
- The amount of sugar used will affect the final sweetness of the beverage. Using 3 Tbsp of sugar is necessary to properly carbonate. Add more sugar if you enjoy sweet beverages. Turmeric soda cannot be made with alternative sweeteners, maple syrup, or honey.
- Use swing-top beer bottles or plastic pop bottles which will be able to handle the carbonation. Decorative bottles aren’t strong enough and might break.
Keywords: probiotic, fermented turmeric, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, liver tonic, sparkling, homemade, turmeric bug, DIY, soda pop
Does the starter turmeric bug taste ever so slightly tart? After 5 days I’ve noticed the strong smell of the turmeric is less intense. Are there other signs of contamination besides off smells or seeing mold?
Thanks!
Yes! The turmeric decreased in flavour over time (same for ginger bug). Also the sugars get consumed turning it a bit acidic. However, I’m surprised you would notice after 5 days. I’ve only had it go off with kahm yeast (which isn’t bad, just not good). I would imagine that if it was contaminated with mold you would see evidence of mold floating on the surface. Good luck!
Hi, does it need burping when it’s bottled or do you leave it sealed after straining it and bottling it?
Thanks.
When it’s carbonated, then it’s ready to drink! No need to burp it. But you might want to pop it open to see how it is coming along. It’s good to catch it and put it in the fridge when it’s just started to carbonate so that you don’t have a massive geyser of soda.
What a brilliant homemade drink! It’s sooo good to sit on the deck with a cold glass of this elixir. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Thanks!
Hi, what is the difference in this process vs making an alcoholic ginger beer beverage? Seems super similar besides maybe the added yeast and extra sugar to brew the alcohol…. I have been brewing kombucha for a looooong time and bored of it, so looking into new stuff like your website.
Last question, do you know the difference in brewing with a cloth/coffee filter vs. using an airlock to keep out the oxygen? I find that my kombucha goes to vinegar too fast, too often. Thanks!
Hi, I actually haven’t made alcoholic ginger beer. However, using a commercial yeast would allow the sugars to ferment to higher alcohol levels (not possible with typical ginger/turmeric bug or kombucha). I always brew ginger/turmeric bug with a cloth, since the culture is caught from the free-range cultures in the air and it just brews better. Kombucha could go either way as it has it’s own really strong culture. 🙂 To slow down your kombucha try using a smaller amount of SCOBY in a batch or brewing it in a cooler location (like a basement or garage). Enjoy!
I have to correct you there: kombucha is acetic acid fermentation, which is aerobic. You always need to brew that open to air or it won’t work, the process needs oxygen.
Ginger/ turmeric bugs are lactic acid fermentation, which are anaerobic and don’t need oxygen so would work in a closed jar. Unless you want to capture some wild yeasts from the air as you say. But there should be enough cultures on the skin of the ginger/ turmeric so it is not entirely needed to keep this open.
You’re right… I wasn’t clear in my response. 🙂 I meant that kombucha has a really strong culture and doesn’t need wild yeasts. However, I’ve found that ginger bug does better with exposure to wild yeasts and bacteria. Maybe if you are lucky enough to have access to fresh ginger, then they have a good culture on the skin? In my part of the world fresh ginger is only available for 2 months in the fall. The rest of the year it’s shipped in from very far away and it is often tough or moldy. Cheers! Emillie
Hi! I’ve just started fermenting after finding you blog last week! I started my ginger and turmeric bugs yesterday and lots of extra ginger and turmeric left so I grated it and froze it in ice cube trays. Will the frozen ginger and turmeric work for making the ginger/turmeric beers if I defrost it first? I wasn’t sure if freezing it would somehow change how it works for fermenting.
Welcome to fermenting! I haven’t tried fermenting with frozen ginger/turmeric. However, it should be fine as long as it’s in good shape (less than 3 months in the freezer and no freezer burn). Enjoy!
saludos una pregunta de un neófito en estos menesteres durante el proceso de carbonatación puedo ponerle a mi botella una trampa de aire con poca salida del gas para que no explote ?
Hi Jose, Unfortunately, I don’t speak Spanish and google translate wasn’t that great with the fermenting vocabulary. 🙂 I think you’re asking about whether you can use an airlock as part of bottling? You can, but then it won’t properly carbonate. Turmeric soda usually doesn’t over carbonate unless you leave it for several weeks. Enjoy!