Honey Fermented Lemon & Ginger

This recipe is a great way to get into fermenting, it takes about 5 minutes to prep & then you get to enjoy your handy work after just a week. Perfect to have on the go as the winter approaches. Raw honey is already full of health benefiting natural yeasts & bacteria, combined with lemon & ginger it makes the perfect hot tea to fight off any colds.

Honey Type: Runny -  Starflower, Orchard, Summer, London or Seaside.

Takes - 5 mins to prep / 7-14 days to ferment 

Makes - 10-12  hot tea’s 

What you need - 1 clean jar, elastic band, one piece of kitchen towel or muslin  

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon 
• 3 inch piece of fresh ginger
• Approx 120g of Black Bee Honey (enough to cover the lemon & ginger in your chosen vessel)

Method: 

1. Slice your lemon into thin rounds & your ginger into lengths 
2. Alternate layers of lemon & ginger in your jar to the halfway point, then gently pour in half your honey, squishing the layers with a spoon to co-hearse it to seep down. Then repeat until your jar is full. 
3. Cover the jar with a kitchen towel or muslin and an elastic band, this allows the ferment to release any gasses from the breakdown of sugars, so you don’t have an exploding jar on your hands. Store out of direct sunlight, in a shady corner of your kitchen.
4. After about a week, small bubbles will start to appear & the honey will combine with the juices from the lemon to create a syrupy liquid, the lemon & ginger will start to soften.  Your ferment is now ready, but it will also improve over time, so if you can be patient, leave for another week or two. Depending on the time of year & the weather, this process length can vary, in the summer it will be much quicker but in colder months it can take a little longer. 
5. Simply add a lemon, ginger slice & spoonful of juice to a mug and top with hot water to enjoy this nourishing tea. You can now store with the lid on, as the fermentation would have slowed down.

Author: @lucyrosetteturnbull